Off The Top Of My Red Head

Yard Sale This Sunday

2011-10-03T17:29:00.000-04:00

Here's the link to the merchandise I'll have in the yard sale, Sunday, October 9th.
Location: Essentially Yours Salon - 61 MacInnis Rd. Whycocomagh, NS.
Time: TBD (Not too early, probably around 10am.)

More details to follow...................

See merchandise >>>>> http://ow.ly/6Milb

Grand Opening at the Farmers' Market!

2011-08-16T08:43:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the stretch bracelets I'll have on display this Friday, 3-7pm, during the Bayside Farmers' Market Grand Opening.

We're living on the boat so making this batch of bracelets was a real challenge. Space is at a premium and I had to do some serious thinking before I brought the beads onboard. At the house I can spread things out on my work counter and extend the drop-leaf table to fit the project. On the boat I have to put EVERYTHING away EVERY NIGHT. I get a corner of the dining table as a work space, or, if I want to work in the cockpit, I bring up one of the door panels and balance it on my knees while I work.

Plaster cliffs along Island Pt. off Boularderie peninsula.

There’s no television to amuse me as I work, just the natural beauty of our outdoor setting . . . water whooshing against the sides of the boat, a bird swooping here and there looking for food. On the bad weather days at anchor I put in an audio book and listen while I work. Right now it’s R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones, Book 2.” I’ve never been one for fantasy, preferring the reality of here and now as a setting. But, ever since the Game of Thrones Book 1 ran on HBO, I’m a big fan. As a writer I’m amazed at the degree of imagination involved . . . a fictional land, a variety of peoples, each with their own history and laced with enough real world history to make it all plausible.

A "Levelheaded" Kind of Cool

2011-08-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

We’ve officially moved onboard for the summer. It took almost a week to haul gear, clothes, food, and linens for the transition, yet it took only one weekend on the water to create a new list of things I “just had to have.” Funny how the apple corer, a certain spice blend, and a favorite pair of bedroom slippers can make a place more like home.

The life of sailing we originally dreamed of so many years ago has undergone some major alteration. Instead of our plan to spend every sailing season doing an offshore cruise, (like Newfoundland, PEI, or the Saint Lawrence Seaway) we’ve had abbreviated seasons of sailing without going outside the Bras D’Or Lakes. There have even been a few seasons of no sailing at all. Life, and weather, and mechanical difficulty kept getting in the way.

When we first learned to sail in the mid 90s, we went out no matter what the weather. Everything else on the schedule was set aside. We were so excited about learning to sail, it took priority. We never thought about the weather and looked on rough seas as part of the challenge. Now we're happy to hole-up in a cove waiting for the skies to clear instead of pushing out into a blow just to make a few more miles. And if the forecast shows strong winds, or winds coming from the wrong direction, we’ll stay put instead of risk a pounding. We’ve morphed into “fair weather sailors.” It’s not that the thrill is gone. More like the extra risk isn’t worth the outcome. We’re now more content with the journey and less concerned with the destination.

It’s a cool change for us. Not a “hip” or “fashionable” kind of cool, but more the “serene,” “calm” and “levelheaded” kind of cool.

For Love or Money?

2011-07-21T17:01:00.001-04:00

The first week of the new Bayside Farmers' Market was a big success. Some of my Inverness Market customers were there as well as many of the Whycocomagh neighbors I see in the Post Office or grocery store but never formally meet. I connected names with faces and had lots of fun.

With the new Bayside market and my regular participation in the Inverness Cottage Market, there comes the question of how much is too much? I've already turned down two invitations to fill in at the Baddeck Farmers' Market. It wasn't just the three hours of market plus travel time and gas, it was the time needed to make the jewelry. Then there's the cruise ship market in Sydney. It' a full six hour day, plus the two hours of travel time. Sales are irregular. One week fantastic, another week, hardly enough sales to cover my table cost and gas . . . and that doesn't factor in the cost of my time.

So, I'm faced with a dilemma. Is jewelry crafting a hobby that just happens to make a few dollars? Or, is it a serious business that just happens to be creative and fun? I've been pondering this for a couple of days, thinking about time and how I want to spend it. How to parse out the hours to get the right mix of work at home, play with Melvin, creative endeavor, and community involvement.

To all the philosophers out there: Now is the time to impart your wisdom. Non-philosophers comments are welcome too. This redhead is in a quandary!

Here are a few of my latest pieces.

Bracelet. Copper wire & beads w/turquoise nuggets.

Black glass pearls connected by chain. Necklace or belt.

Hammered copper pendant.

43" Jasper nuggets & chips. Necklace or belt.

Back To The Future

2011-07-07T08:35:00.000-04:00

After dinner last night I fired up the laptop to do some work. Unlike several months ago, I wasn't settling in to draft a new story idea or edit an earlier crafted passage. I was writing an update to Marilyn MacDonald, the market manager for the new Bayside Farmers' Market in Whycocomagh. I was giving her the results of contact I had made with potential vendors. In essence, I was writing a sales report.

With that done I went on to the next thing, sending media releases to the local newspapers. Then I worked on my route for next Monday, the day I deliver market posters to island welcome centers and hotels. I went to bed feeling very youthful, mainly because I had spent the evening doing the same things I had done in my twenties and thirties . . . sales, promotion, and publicity.

I remember fondly the time I spent writing fiction. Maybe I'll go back to it some day. For now, I'm enjoying the ease of a game I grew up with, applying the skills I learned back in the days of faxes and phone calls to the world of e-mail and web content.

Look for news and photos from these adventures, (like this photo taken at a recent Inverness Cottage Market by my friend, Clare Pothier) as well as pictures of my jewelry designs and snaps from market days. I'm tripping back to the future and taking this blog along for the ride. It's a very cool change!

Reading Group via SKYPE - Definitely Cool!

2011-06-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, with the help of SKYPE, I'll take part in our monthly Sparta, NC, reading and discussion group. So far we have read Blink, Tipping Point, Connected, and The Man Who Moved a Mountain, and I'm very eager to discuss this month's book, A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink.

Our group is facilitated by Julia Simmons & Pat Bird, two sisters who consult with business and organizations on issues of effective communication. Dialogue Matters helps groups improve productivity by raising the quality of communications, and Julia and Pat bring the same skills to our discussion group. We review the concepts covered in the selected book, then discuss how those concepts play out in our personal and professional lives. We then turn to the community and discuss ways to apply the concepts to situations in our Alleghany County area. "Lively" and "thought provoking" are terms that could describe our discussions and positive change is a long-range goal.

With a recent experience in customer service related to my Verizon phone problems, I have much to contribute regarding the benefits of the "whole new mind." It was the relation-based supervisor who not only understood the technical aspects of my problem, but "felt my pain" and solved the dilemma with grace and wit. Jim in Verizon's AZ call center definitely has both his left and right brain running on all cylinders!

Discussion group via SKYPE. That's my Cool Change for the week! How about you?

This Week's Cool Change

2011-06-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday was my first craft market of the season. The nasty weather cut down on the traffic, but I still had a good day. The celtic bookmarks were a hit, which means this evening it's jewelry pieces strewn all over the sofa as I work to replenish inventory for next weeks's market.

There's another pile on the dining room table. It's the notebook and photos of antique pieces I plan to sell before we move. I'm not looking to make big profits on the sale, just cover the purchase price (and maybe a few pennies.) These are my favorite pieces:

So, I'm adding antiques dealer to the list of activities that are part of my "cool change." Right under real estate copywriter, which I became yesterday when I submitted the real estate listing copy for our Cape Breton property. Here it is >>>http://www.capebretonrealty.com/listings/l0632.html.

Here's the house >>

Time For a Cool Change!

2011-06-16T12:00:00.002-04:00

When the wind is out of favor, and the sky shows no change coming, it's time to rethink your strategy and alter the course. Before the fight has depleted all your strength, take a breath, reset your inner compass . . . and set your headings for another shoreline.

I've altered my course and I'm ready for a cool change!

Meta-What?

2011-02-02T08:37:00.002-05:00

Metadata. Just the word flairs up my tech-anxiety and makes my eyes glaze over. But this article by Hannah Johnson in Publishing Perspectives helped ease me into an understanding of what metadata is and why it’s important to writers.

The CliffNotes: Metadata describes a book by basic elements such as ISBN number, title, author, publisher and publication date. Other core metadata includes price, page count and format. There is even a Metadata Best Practices guide, (way past my comprehension but maybe I can get a caffeine-drinking, ball cap backwards-wearing teenager to explain it.)

Enough with the features, let's get back to the benefits. Johnson's article talks about enhanced metadata, and ways it can increase “discoverability” of books. Discoverability. This word definitely tickles my marketing fancy, and for authors published by small presses or those with indie-books, an understanding and strategic use of metadata can level the playing field.

Thanks to Beth Kallman Werner at Author Connections for sending me the link to this article. We met, (and bonded over dark chocolate) during the Writers Digest Conference. She has become an excellent source of ideas and information and I hope to have her as a guest blogger in the future.

About metadata: Have you used metadata in your book marketing? In what way? After reading this article, how could you use metadata to enhance your book's "discoverability" in the future?

2011-01-27T16:50:00.001-05:00

The Truth About Book Tours on @bermudaonion Weblog --> http://bit.ly/gu52g0

Recaps & Hashtags

2011-01-27T13:05:00.001-05:00

Go to recap of the Writers Digest Conference, for a collection of:

Best tweets
Links to official live blog posts
Recaps of the event by attendees and presenters

More hashtags from Digital Book World sessions:

Metadata #dbwmetadata

children's book marketplace #dbwkids

Engaging readers #dbwreaders

Building author brands #dbwbrands

Just a Little Eavesdropping

2011-01-26T11:55:00.000-05:00

The Digital Book World Conference came on the heels of the Writers Digest Conference. I had a few hours to spare before catching my plane, so I nudged into the keynote and picked up the Twitter hashtag list for sessions.

Here's the list of today's topics:

New Models for Agents #dbwagents

Content Strategy #dbwcontent

Independent Booksellers #dbwindie

Ebook Distribution #dbwdistro

An Update on Rights #dbwrights

Sales in Transition #dbwsales

Beyond the Ebook #dbwbeyond

More to follow.....................

2011-01-25T11:13:00.001-05:00

The WritersDigestConference in NYC just ended. Information to absorb, connections to follow up, pages to send out to agents!. Details soon!

2011-01-15T18:55:00.001-05:00

Spent today cramming for the Writers Digest Conference. Cram all the clothes in a carry-on, cram all the novel into a 90second pitch!

2011-01-12T11:24:00.001-05:00

Still holed-up in NC, listening to the wind howl across the Blue Ridge. Hope to make my "getaway" tomorrow, IF I can get out of my driveway!

Resumes - The Ultimate in Creative Writing

2011-01-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

Last week I agreed to help my daughter Laura revise her resume. Back in the 80s I had a little side business doing resumes. I enjoyed interviewing the client and then transferring their past experience and future goals into a document that would present them accurately and positively to potential employers. That was back when I was a technical writer, when my writing was more craft and less art.

Now, as a creative writer I look at the resume as more than merely a backwards history of a person's career. It is still a reflection of past experience and a statement of goals for the future, but it is also the story of a person and their relationship with work. I must choose carefully from all the available business verbs like manage, administer, organize, facilitate. Armed with my expanded thesaurus I search for words that exactly fit the situation, words that describe Laura's work ethic and spirit. I want to illustrate her concrete skills as well as the abstract talent that makes her a uniquely qualified candidate.

Maybe I see this project differently because I'm now writing fiction instead of ad copy and marketing brochures. Or maybe this resume takes on a special meaning because it's Laura's, and she is more than just another client.
<<<< With Laura during her visit to Cape Breton Island, October, 2010.

Have you ever had a technical project take on a different slant when seen through the eyes of a creative writer? How can a personal connection hinder an objective presentation of the facts?

What Makes a Great New Years Eve?

2011-01-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

This week I joined the local fitness center. Yes, it's part of my "health & fitness" theme for 2011, and I'm pleased to say I'm starting the year with three visits already under my belt. After Thursday's workout I went straight to the therapy pool and cuddled up to one of the jets, aiming it directly on my lower back. I was sinking into the warm fog of the tub when I heard the boy, (read: early 20s) across from me call out, "Hey, what are you doing New Years Eve? Being the smarty pants that I am, I answered, "Why, do you need a date?"

He and his friend got a good laugh out of my response and he waded over to my end of the tub to give me my first fist-pump. "No, seriously," he said, "What are you doing for New Years?" I leaned back into the water jet and described the evening we had planned, much like the New Years Eve evenings for the last 20 years. "We'll have a nice dinner and watch some movies, then go to bed around ten o'clock and get up early to start the new year."

"No party? You gotta party! You gotta get drunk and celebrate. That's what makes it New Years Eve."
After a slimmed-down version of my, "I don't drink anymore because it ceased to serve a purpose" speech, we switched the topic to movies and spent the rest of our pooltime naming good movies we'd seen recently.

Driving home I thought of all those early years of celebrating New Years Eve . . . the house parties, the hotel parties, the parties held at some hall, usually featuring a band that only sounded good after many, many drinks. And then there were the hangovers, the deadly New Years Days sprawled on the couch watching ball games and waiting for the headache to subside. I had been as happy with those evenings as I am now with dinner, a movie, and an early bedtime. While some may see that as getting old, I prefer to see it as knowing there are many ways to celebrate and recognizing the one that's right for you. These days I'm happy with dinner and a movie and the satisfaction that I've balanced all the checkbooks and printed out year-end reports.

I'm pleased to say that I'm square with 2010 and ready to forge into 2011. I think I'll give myself a little fist-pump to say Atta-Girl!

How did you end the year, my fellow writers? Are you prepared to dive into 2011? Share your thoughts and ideas in a comment below.

New Year's Themes vs New Years Resolutions

2010-12-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

In the past I've opted for New Years "themes," instead of resolutions, choosing a word or phrase to direct the new year's activities. As we settle into our new mountain house in North Carolina it looks like my theme for 2011 will be Health & Fitness. Yesterday I joined the Wellness Center, bought a WeightWatcher's cookbook at the used bookstore, and counted out enough individual vitamin packs for six weeks.

But the continuing theme is Become a Novelist, which means finding an agent and publishing my first novel. I'm taking a big step in the process next month. Along with critique group buddies Neda and Jill, I'll be attending the January Writers Digest Conference in New York City. Part of the conference is a Pitch Slam, giving registrants access to over 50 agents. Our last few critique sessions have revolved around our pitches, whittling the essence of our story and our bio into a concise and memorable presentation of no more than 90 seconds. Yes, a minute and a half, which means you have to know your story and all its subtleties and underlying themes.

If any of you are planning to attend the Writers Digest Conference, give me a shout and we'll find a way to meetup while we're there. And, if you know of any other good conferences this spring, please share in the comment section below. Agents attending conferences are looking for new voices and I'm intent on being found this year!

My Anti-Depression Rant

2010-12-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

Media Bistro recently posted a link to an article on Health.com listing the top ten careers with a high rate of depression. Writers, including entertainers and other artists, were included in the group. They sited attributes like moodiness, shyness, and tendencies toward bi-polar disorders.

Holy Crap! Just when I was excited about being a writer and meeting all the fun people at AWC meetings and enjoying the outright silliness that occurs at meetings of our Serendipity Critique Group, someone tells me the career is riddled with Debbie Downers? Maybe it is, but I refuse to hang out with glum-bunnies or anyone else who doesn't think that writing isn't an exciting way to express thoughts and feelings.

Here's my advice >> keep your day job and you won't have time to get depressed about how writing doesn't pay well and it takes forever to get published. Am I being too hard-core? What do you think of this article? Click on COMMENT below and share your thoughts.

2010-12-03T09:51:00.001-05:00

Even if you're still looking for an agent, you need this kind of advanced planning >>>5 Things TO DO BEFORE Release Day http://ow.ly/3jqvL

Writing My Life

2010-11-27T14:39:00.001-05:00

Someone asked me recently why I hadn't yet written a memoir. "What's there to write that's more than just ordinary?" I answered. They went on to list the things about my life that they saw as noteworthy.

First was the mid-life marriage. When I married Melvin we were both in our mid-40s. Back in those days, (early 90s) a national magazine, (Time, Newsweek, or someone else) published an article that said a woman in her 40s had a better chance of being hit by a terrorist bomb than finding a husband. There I was, beating the odds.

Then there was my love affair with sailing. When we married, Melvin and I were determined to find something we could approach as beginners and learn together. Neither of us knew how to sail, but loved the idea of being on the water. After a week in the British Virgin Islands on a learn-to-sail cruise we took a keelboat certification course and bought a boat. Not a little daysailer "starter boat" for us. We jumped straight into a 34' sloop and spent three years cruising the coast of Georgia and beyond, and went on to charter boats in more distant places like Holland, the West Indies, and the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. After five years we moved up, building a custom 44ft bluewater boat that could handle ocean voyages.

Are these life stories memoir-worthy? Sure they are . . . and so are yours! If you need a bit of inspiration to get you started, here are a couple of sites to visit.

http://womensmemoirs.com/ is a memoir writing blog with online classes, contests, and memoir book reviews. It offers tips on journaling, and critique groups for members. You can read my Honorable Mention contest entry here >>> Drip Dry Hostess.

Keep Writing is the blog of poet, novelist and memoir writer Judy Goldman. I have studied with Judy and can speak personally of her expertise as a writer. I also consider her a valued friend. Judy describes her blog as, "covering all the topics that have confounded me during the course of my writing life." She includes exercises and writing prompts to encourage you to "Keep Writing."

Have you ever considered writing a memoir? You don't have to go into the whole story, just give us a little peek into the piece of the past you'd like to share with the world. Go ahead . . . post it as a comment!

2010-11-22T16:22:00.001-05:00

Why will digital publishing be the dominant driver of the industry? This article says it's all about the economics >> http://ow.ly/3dSyM.

2010-11-12T10:15:00.001-05:00

Here's the new plan:Send agent queries until Dec.1,then switch to draft revisions of the new novel. Must take my mind off the waiting!

2010-11-04T10:10:00.001-04:00

Win her eBay Auction and have your manuscript critiqued by well-respected New York Agent Irene Goodman. And the proceeds go to charity. Great opportunity! >> http://ow.ly/34mGD

2010-11-01T08:55:00.001-04:00

The scariest thing on Halloween was the snow outside my window. Only an hour of flurries but enough to get me packing for a trip south.

My Crafty Solution to Workshop & Conference Expenses

2010-10-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

Workshops cost money. Travelling to conferences for agent pitches and networking - that costs money too. My husband is a very supportive guy. He never questions when I say I'm interested in spending a few days at a writing event. I'm the one who feels guilty, shelling out money, (once again) on a writing career that has yet to generate much of a financial return.

Jewelry crafting started as my way to decompress from long hours of writing. Working with color and design was a different form of creativity and searching for old jewelry at auctions and estate sales became a treasure hunt. If someone admired a piece I was wearing, I'd sell it, but it wasn't until I started showing my work at the local village markets near our summer home on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, that I started to make more than what Mother called "pin money."

I spent last Monday in Sydney, Nova Scotia, working my first craft show at the cruise ship pier. It was an Italian ship, the last of the season, with 2,500 passengers headed south from Quebec City, destined for Florida. It was the last stop in Canada and our location was on the path to Sydney's historic downtown area. Although the other vendors described the crowd as "smaller than usual," I had a very good sales day. My bracelets and convertible necklaces were unique, and my handcrafted bookmarks made popular gift items. I started to wonder how spectacular the sales could be if the crowd was "larger than usual." I did the math and realized this could be the way to fund my passion for writing.

When the craft show manager invited me back for next year's schedule of cruise ships, I said yes. Crafting jewelry to fund my writing craft. It has the potential to be a very sweet circle.

How do you fund your passion for writing? Have you ever cashed in pop bottles to pay for a workshop? Did you sell the gold earrings you never wear to pay the entry fee for a contest? Share your secrets in a comment below.

2010-10-28T15:04:00.001-04:00

If I ever decide that self-publishing is the way to go, I'll submit my work to this new Publishers Weekly service >> http://ow.ly/313XP

2010-10-24T08:49:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is my first cruise ship craft show, selling my jewelry & bookmarks to an Italian ship w/2,500 passengers. Very exciting!

2010-10-22T10:20:00.001-04:00

Excited about Pilot's new process that lets you transform your handwriting into computer keystrokes. Here's the link>>> http://ow.ly/2XFic

Tempted By The Fruit of Another

2010-09-24T09:36:00.000-04:00

I've always seen multi-tasking as a good thing. It gives balance to the day. I go from mental task, (like balancing the checkbook) to physical task, (like laundry) to creative task, (like writing.) It's been working well for years.

Then we took up sailing, which combines the mental and physical but doesn't allow for much of the creative stuff unless you're at anchor. Then, I started making jewelry, which is very creative but also time consuming -- time that would be spent writing. Thus, my dilemma. How to fit all these wonderfully fun things into a day and still cook dinner, clean house, run to the grocery, etc.

So I'm tempted. Making jewelry and selling at the community market is so much fun. And, it's very profitable!

Which is something I can't say for my writing at present. In the time it takes to craft a short story that could, (or could not) get published, or in the time it takes to write meaningful posts on this blog and comment on others, I can make a substantial number of bracelets and bookmarks and rake in hundreds of dollars.

I'm interested in your response to my predicament. While you post your comment, listen to the song that prompted the title of this post.

I Love a Good Kerfuffle!

2010-09-10T11:39:00.000-04:00

After a week of hurricane prep, hurricane, and hurricane clean up, I'm back to writing and reading what I've missed in industry news and my favorite blogs. The hurricane drama was just beginning when I read the first post about the Franzen-Picoult-Weiner dust-up regarding the bias in review practices of the New York Times Book Review. While Hurricane Earl fizzled out somewhere in Greenland, the debate on who gets reviewed and why rages on.

As a woman writing women's fiction I'd like to think that when my debut novel gets published someone will review it, therefore I think this debate is great news and I hope it continues! If you need the Cliff Notes on the subject, here's a good place to start:

*A comprehensive data check of past NYT book reviews can be found in this article from SLATE.
* Click here to find news and commentary links on the Franzen-Picoult-Weiner topic.

Of all the commentary I've read, the guest post by Gina Frangello on the Bird Sisters Blog mirrors my view on the subject. I found Rebecca Rasmussen's Bird Sisters Blog on SHE WRITES, an online community for women writers. The discussions are educational and thought-provoking and one of the groups, "What Did You Blog About Today?" is now my one-stop-shop for interesting and insightful blog posts. Sure, there are many more blogs out there to read, but I've only got so much time, and SHE WRITES gives me more than my minimum daily requirement of writerly connection.

If you've read an especially good story/post on the subject, please share a link in the comment box. Let's keep this conversation going.

2010-09-04T15:39:00.001-04:00

Earl is here. He's big. He's mean. We're rocking and rolling but the boat is holding safe to the dock. Captain Mel is keeping us safe.

2010-09-04T10:35:00.001-04:00

If you're 32 or under, this fiction contest is for you. http://ow.ly/2zu7D. Old chicks need not apply.

2010-09-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

Win a manuscript review with the best one line pitch for your MG or YA manuscript. Check this link for details>>>>> http://ow.ly/2xOSi

The Writer's House

2010-08-30T14:37:00.000-04:00

In her blog, Writing Without Paper, fellow blogger Maureen E. Doallas posted a link to Writers Houses, a website that lets you explore the homes of famous writers. (Pictured left: Henry David Thoreau's house.) And, if you are up for a writer road trip, the site also lists authors by state and includes contact information for tour hours.

And, while we're on the topic of writer's houses, I'd like to do a little word-of-mouth advertising for our home in rural Cobb County, GA. Like the ones on the website, it's the home of a writer, albeit not a famous one. As you can see in the photo on the right, it's not a cookie-cutter subdivision property, but 4 acres of woods and gardens with a 3-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house, and several outbuildings to use as workshop/studio space, or even a horse barn.

It's a tough real estate market, especially for a property that can be categorized as "unique" or "one-of-a-kind." We know there's a buyer out there . . . someone who will walk in the door and say, "This is the one I've been waiting to see." Kind of like what I visualize will happen when the right agent reads my novel manuscript and utters the same words, "This is the one I've been waiting to see." And that's the subject of a whole other blog post.

Getting Pro-Active About Book Promotion

2010-08-26T13:20:00.001-04:00

I'm always interested in hearing about ways authors get involved in promoting their books, especially when it's a debut author. I was intrigued by James Kaelan's idea for the Zero Emissions Book Tour to promote his debut novel, We're Getting On. The book explores the impact technology has on the modern world, and what happens when you try to live completely off the grid. With this theme in mind, Kaelan chose to make his book tour a bike tour . . . 22 towns, 1900 miles, 40 days.

It's a well thought out plan. He has a Facebook page, a website that followed the tour, and even sponsors. It makes me wonder what kind of conversation I could build around my novel, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW. How could I add to the conversation prompted by the story, and the question it poses: What happens when you discover a new piece of information that changes everything you thought to be true about your family?

Here's the link to the Galley Cat interview with Kaelan. What do you think about this idea? Have you considered ways you can build a story around your story and use it as a theme for a book promotion? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

2010-08-18T07:45:00.001-04:00

Settled in on Cape Breton Island. Weather is a blissful 75 degrees. Time to unpack the novel and dig in.

2010-08-10T18:51:00.001-04:00

Looking for a piece of paradise in West Cobb County, GA? After years of labor & love, our home is on the market >>> http://ow.ly/2nOip

2010-07-26T15:30:00.001-04:00

Looking for the best publisher pages on Facebook? Here's the place to start, courtesy of Galley Cat. http://ow.ly/2godI

And Now, A Pause From Our Regular Program

2010-07-25T15:56:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog my goal was to post at least once a week. That worked for a while. I even managed to get in an extra post now and then. Research is one of my favorite pastimes, and sharing my discoveries is both fun and a nice way to share with fellow writers, but lately I'm down to a few posts a month with a handful of quick references to interesting links slipped in between. It's not that I've run out of information to share, I've just had to cut down on my digging time--the hours I spend online running down leads on news and worthwhile content.

I was at the edge of guilt, also known as that point where I remember my mother listing all the things I started and never finished, i.e., piano, cheerleading, swim team, and asking why I had to change jobs every few years when my father worked for the same company for 40 years, and how he found something good and stuck with it and why can't I be happy at a nice little job with benefits and security instead of flitting from one company to the next just to have a new experience.

After that little flashback, I put on my big girl pants and faced reality. My days in Atlanta are down to a handful, and I'm facing a week of driving to Canada followed by unpacking and settling in. I've decided that until I have the time to get back to a regular posting schedule, I'll send out a post when the subject matter is newsworthy, provocative, and meaningful enough to deserve your reading time.

Have you faced this situation before, fellow writers? Come up against the problem of too little time for writing and even less time for blogging? I'd like to hear how you handled it. Ideas welcome!

2010-07-25T15:10:00.001-04:00

For those who wonder how a writer can benefit from a blog, this link gives the answer>>> http://ow.ly/2giq9

Just Call Me Vladimir

2010-07-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

I am totally intrigued by the I Write Like website! Post a piece of work and the software will analyze the writing style and word choice, then tell you which famous author you "write like."

I posted the opening chapter of my first novel, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, and was told my writing style and word choice compares to Vladimir Nabokov. When I posted the first chapter of my work in progress, a YA novel tentatively titled ALSO KNOWN AS ELLIE, the software told me it was a similar style to J. K. Rowling.

So, can I use this analysis as a review in my next query letter? What do you think? Maybe something like: "If you loved LOLITA, you'll love WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW. It's too late to sign Vladimir Nabokov but Ginger B. Collins is still looking for an agent. Don't miss your chance to snap up this hot new talent . . . the next Vladimir."

Take the test, fellow writers. Tell me who you "write like."

The First Day of the Rest of our Lives

2010-07-09T08:50:00.000-04:00

Today we move into our new home in the North Carolina mountains. We arrived late last night and decided to spend one last night at the Alleghany Inn, (our home away from home during the building process) and start fresh this morning. I've always been excited about this new place. The community of Sparta has given us a warm welcome and we look forward our time here, but now that it's move-in time I'm having a bit of separation anxiety. Starting this new life in the mountains means saying goodbye to Atlanta.

Believe me, there are many things about Atlanta I won't miss, like the traffic, the bad air, the heat. What I will miss are my friends, especially my friends from the Atlanta Writers Club. In the past year I've deepen my connection with existing friends and made new connections who expand my writers network and enhance my life as a writer. I'm sure there are writers in my new community. Actually, when the word got out that I was a writer I was introduced to two local writers with published books and blossoming careers. The library is eager to start new writers groups and book clubs. They introduced me to the folks at their used book store affiliate, which holds an awesome collection of out-of-circulation books and donated books for sale.

I guess it will all work out. It's just a bit bittersweet. On the bright side . . . . I've installed SKYPE and my critique group is convinced we can stay connected even if I'm not there in person.
Any words of wisdom, fellow writers? Any of you had to transplant and leave your writing community? Your thoughts and advice are welcome.

2010-06-29T09:05:00.001-04:00

Thinking about your next writing retreat or workshop? Here's a state by state list for your review. http://ow.ly/24Fdq

2010-06-28T10:21:00.001-04:00

What makes a manuscript stand out? This editor's answer is no big surprise, but it's still good reading >>> http://ow.ly/249PY

2010-06-27T13:14:00.003-04:00

Melvin just took off for another week of work on our NC property. That means a few days of uninterrupted time to work on novel #2, the ELLIE novel. Before digging in to a new chapter I surfed a few of my favorite blogs and found an inspiring post from my friend and fellow writer, Darnell Arnoult.

On her blog, Dancing with the Gorilla, Darnell writes about excess, using the bounty of her summer garden as an example. While her excess refers to a surplus or squash and beans, she encourages us to look at the other definitions of excess, and offers writing assignments to explore the excesses in our lives, and in the lives of the characters we create on the page.

In many ways the overloaded schedule Melvin and I are dealing with this summer fit the definition of "excess." You can expect a certain amount of stress when building one place while preparing to sell another. But with us there's another complication. We're also packing for a four-month trip to Canada. It is a confluence of excess . . . a perfect storm of places and stuff--what to take where, what to keep, and what to throw away.

I think it's time to take a break from the novel and write about my excesses! Hey Darnell, can I cancel the shrink and count this assignment as therapy?

2010-06-23T10:20:00.001-04:00

Before I finish revising my website, I need a basic SEO education. But I'm not a techie, so this link should really help. http://ow.ly/22bdc

2010-06-22T11:05:00.001-04:00

In NC to put finishing touches on our mountain house, but still working on the new novel. It's a good thing writers can work anywhere!

2010-06-17T14:20:00.001-04:00

OMG! (Or as us Catholic girls say, JMJ!) Thank you Chris Brinkworth for a heads-up on the LiveScribe Pen. I so want one! http://ow.ly/1ZUrB

Kindles & iPads In The Classroom. Pass Or Fail?

2010-06-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting report from Business Week on a pilot program done with Kindles in the classroom. Seven universities participated in the pilot, and most schools reported that even though students were able to download class materials and textbooks onto the Kindle device, many students abandoned the 10.2 ounce device and went back to lugging their textbooks.

This report might be a downer for Amazon and their desire to invade the classroom, but the results revealed a bright spot for us writers. An associate dean in one of the pilot programs stated, "It's an amazing device for recreational reading," which means all the free Kindles handed out to students can now be used to read our fiction and non-fiction!

Here's another report from Business Week. It focuses on a pilot program that distributed iPads to students at IMD business school in Switzerland. How did the IMD students like the iPad? Read the report and find out for yourself. Either way, more reading devices mean more e-books, which means more readers for our work. So, pass this post along to a fellow writer and get back to your writing. Your manuscript is calling!

2010-06-09T13:30:00.001-04:00

Oprah's searching for her next Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Rachel Ray. Am I the last to learn about this? http://ow.ly/1Wc9p

2010-06-09T10:16:00.001-04:00

HP's new web-connected printers have their own e-mail address. So many possibilities, I'm lusting for one already! >>>> http://ow.ly/1Wb0k

2010-06-03T15:30:00.001-04:00

For my conference friends and other writers waiting for agents to respond to your manuscripts. Great Story & Great Blog>>>http://ow.ly/1TJTx

Found in Translation

2010-06-01T10:58:00.003-04:00

Agents and publishers say they are always looking for new voices, and it seems many of them can found in translation. Read this announcement from Amazon about about their new publishing imprin t. Amazon Crossing will focus on providing English language translations for foreign texts. There's also an interest in translations into English fueled mainly by the popularity of e-books. Read Meredith Greene's column on the emerging e-book market. Apparently, the majority of new e-book sales are coming from outside the US on the internet , especially on mobile devices. In many cases, e-books are being sold where paper books may not be readily available. The sales statistics are very convincing.

This trend goes both ways. My friend and fellow writer, Marc Fitten is a perfect example. He shopped his novel, Valeria's Last Stand, to a host of U.S. literary agents, but found a home when he approached British publisher Bloomsbury. Now he's published in English and German, with French, Hebrew, and Italian soon to come.

And let's not forget the I-pad. Click here and listen as Ed Natowka, editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives reports on the international launch of the Apple I-pad, and the evolving role e-books play in the European publishing industry.

All of this new information makes the Write the World conference sound even more timely. The conference is June 11-13 and I'm bummed that I won't be in town. Speakers discussing the international literary scene and the potential for both experienced and beginning writers. Sounds like the place to be.

Have you ever considered looking outside the U.S. for an agent or publisher? If so, what was your experience? If not, do you think your work would relate to the international reading audience?

2010-05-31T16:27:00.002-04:00

Waiting for answers from your agent queries? I'm praying to the patron saint of writers and reading these 4 articles>>>> http://ow.ly/1Sbyp

2010-05-29T11:50:00.002-04:00

My story, THE DRIP DRY HOSTESS just published on womensmemoirs.com It's100% true, mildly embarrassing, but too good not to share.

2010-05-26T10:05:00.001-04:00

Global self-pub giant offers I-Phone/I-Pad distribution options to indie authors. Is on-demand earning new street cred? http://ow.ly/1Q6Qc

How Agents Know When They've Found a Winner

2010-05-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a week since the Atlanta Writers Club spring conference but I'm still buzzed up thinking of all the new relationships and new ideas that came my way. Saturday morning, before the critiques and pitches began, there was an agent Q&A panel. Someone asked the group, "When you're reading a submission, what let's you know it's a winner?" It's a pretty standard question but Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary had an answer that brought clarity to the subject. She said something like this:

"I compare finding a great novel to hearing a great song for the first time. You're driving down the road listening to the radio and they play something new. You're hearing it for the first time, yet you start humming the tune and it gets in your head. You turn up the volume and pay attention when the song ends so you can catch the name of the artist because you can't wait to find the album and listen to every cut. When I can't wait to read more pages, when the characters get in my head. That's when I know I've found a winner."

What a breakthrough! Now I get it . . . really get it! Now I understand how an agent falls in love with a piece of work. How he or she knows instinctively which editor will love it too, and what market will want to read it.
The agent panel was filled with insightful answers like this, and I found all the agents to be gracious, approachable, and seriously looking for new authors. I served as a timekeeper and got nothing but kudos for the choice of agents and the conference in general. Sure, there were the critiques that served as reality checks instead of rave reviews, but even the "needs work" comments offered positive feedback for the writers.

Several people floated the idea of expanding the conference to a full weekend next year. I'm not sure if that will come to pass, but I do wish we'd have more club socials. I love the monthly club meetings but there's nothing like a Friday night social to get people past the basic "Hi, what do you write?" and into full conversations on craft, marketing, and the business of writing. I also find it interesting to discover the "day jobs" that finance my fellow writer's passion. Doctors, lawyers, IT professionals, accountants, AWC members cover the map when it comes to professions. Then there are folks like me . . . the retired professional who always wanted to write and now finally has the time.

I'm happy to say three agents requested pages and a synopsis of WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW. I had the material sent before their planes touched down in New York on Saturday night!

2010-05-20T15:51:00.001-04:00

When producers of 24 needed to screen some background, they built a billboard promoting a new novel. But there's a catch. http://ow.ly/1NOme

2010-05-19T13:41:00.001-04:00

Can't get to BEA? Connect here to podcasts of speaker panels, book reviews, and more >>http://ow.ly/1NdoM

2010-05-18T11:10:00.001-04:00

RT @Bookgal: The Week in Publishing - Bits and Bites for May 15, 2010 - http://dld.bz/dZ6B

2010-05-17T13:56:00.001-04:00

Will the IPad lead to more book piracy? Here's an article that says, Yes! Definitely! http://ow.ly/1M9Ty

Follow-up to the AWC Writers Conference

2010-05-16T09:29:00.002-04:00

AWC Conference participants: GET THOSE MANUSCRIPTS OUT TO THE AGENTS!! Even if they didn't ask for pages, SHOW THE AGENT YOUR COMMITMENT WITH A FOLLOW-UP NOTE.

Talk to Me and Make It Real

2010-05-14T11:00:00.002-04:00

Going through my Google Reader I found an interview with author Dawn Raffel She talks about her days as a journalism student, a theater student, and a fiction editor. These pursuits taught her some lessons about dialogue and she shared them in the interview. Read full interview here.

I was familiar with several of her suggestions, such as --
*It's better to use "said" instead of trying to create an emotion with words like exclaimed, declared, etc.
*Forget perfection. People rarely speak in perfect sentences or, for that matter, use perfect grammar.
But, the one suggestion that got me thinking was the idea of having one character tell another character a story. Raffel believes the manner in which the story is told can establish the character.

I was sitting at the Backwoods Bean Coffee Shop in Sparta, NC, when I read this interview and was immediately filled with situations that would have my characters telling stories. Since we started building in Alleghany County I've become a regular at the Bean, but I don't think my new friends were quite ready to see me talking to a computer screen and frantically scrawling notes. Oh well, they'll have to see my crazy side sooner or later.

Click here for more information on Dawn's new collection of short stories

Further Adventures in the Restless Universe

2010-05-14T00:20:00.001-04:00

Still working on elevator speech for WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW. AWC Conference starts tomorrow. Must be ready for, "So what's your novel about?"

The Serendipity Critique Group

2010-05-10T09:19:00.004-04:00

That's my name for the three person critique group we created after the last meeting of the Atlanta Writers Club. It all started with the usual informal chatting that happens at the break between first and second speaker. As I talked with two other women about writing in general, it came out that each of us had novels to finish. We had many things in common - the challenge of finding writing time, the struggle to make finishing the novel a priority, the need for support and accountability.

Each of us gave a quick elevator pitch and talked a bit about our story. There was an immediate connection. We were first-time authors, and we all wrote and read the same kind of work, literary fiction. Since our schedules allowed for daytime meetings, we identified a location that was convenient to all parties and agreed to give it a try.

After the first meeting the group synergy was obvious. Our styles were similar and we were honestly interested in each other’s stories. Another asset was our mutual interest in marketing and promotion, so in addition to our bi-monthly reviews of work in progress, we decided to set aside time to discuss agent search, self-promotion, and the overall state of the industry. We’ve even found a way to keep the group going when members can’t be there in person. SKYPE!

Our first conversation at writers club might have been just a lucky accident, but we see it as a piece of good fortune. Critique groups can provide steady motivation and offer a fresh pair of eyes for an objective read of the work. There are many ways to structure critique groups. I especially like the critique group report offered by Bobbie Christmas, Book Doctor and author of Write in Style, and other beneficial books for writers. Report #101 offers guidelines for forming and conducting a constructive critique group. Follow this link to Bobbie’s complete list of free reports. They are must-haves for your reference library.

E-Books -- What's In It For Me?

2010-05-04T10:11:00.001-04:00

I'm convinced that e-books are the wave of the future. Comments from bestselling thriller author, Steve Barry predicted a future dominated by electronic readers. If a publisher wanted to skip the print version and release my novel as an e-book, I'd probably say yes. It would get the book published. But what would it do for me financially? The answer to that question is still unclear and since e-books have the potential to play a big part in a writer's future, I'm working to keep up on the business end of it, i.e., how much does the writer get paid?

I love to dig into research and have found someone who shares my passion. Jill Evans is a writer, web developer and researcher based in the Atlanta area. Her website, Writer's Sleuth offers research tips for writers. I posed this question to Jill: How can I find the latest information on e-book royalties and contracts?
The Writer's Sleuth found the links below-

Royalty advice from Random House

Amazon’s entices authors to choose Kindle format

Kindle’s one-price-fits-all model prompts stand off and movement toward an “agency model,”(e-book price set by publisher, not retailer.)

Can an author make a living wage from e-books? One writer says yes.

These articles will bring you up to speed on recent events surrounding the business of e-books. If you are looking for facts and statistics to support your latest work in progress, need strategies for implementing your next research project, or want more information on how Jill found the answers to my question about e-books, go to http://www.writerssleuth.com/ . She's a great resource for writers!

What's your biggest problem when doing research for a writing project? What's your favorite "go-to" link for facts and information? Leave a comment and share your secrets.

Conference Season Kick-Off

2010-05-01T13:58:00.001-04:00

It's May 1, and time to rev up for another season of writing conferences. I missed out on an appointment slot for the upcoming Atlanta Writers Club Spring Conference, but plan to be front and center for the Friday night social and the free Saturday morning agent workshop. It's always valuable to hear agents discuss the current market and any opportunity for a few minutes of one-on-one conversation in a social setting is golden.

I've written about conferences before:
A Primer in Conference Manners What to say after you've said hello.
Don't Fear the Elevator Speech Crafting a seamless pitch for your agent one-on-one.

My first novel still needs an agent and my second novel is far enough along to pitch the storyline, so I'll be giving these posts another read and doing some research on the agents attending the May 15 event at AWC. How do you plan for conferences? Any tips you can share? We're listening.

Are MFA's a Must? Not Necessarily!

2010-04-22T12:45:00.007-04:00

Never again will I question my decision to NOT get an MFA! Novelist and MFA-graduate Lionel Shriver gives her candid opinion about higher level writing courses. Watch the video embedded below to find out what she thought.

I found this interview on the Arts & Culture page at Big Think. They have videos on several topics, all from leaders in the field. Here's one of my favorites, Thinking Yourself to Orgasm. Hmm, that's worth contemplation!

2010-04-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

Just read that Danielle Steel's former assistant, (a part-timer@ 200M) plead guilty to embezzling over $760M. So wrong on so many levels!

2010-04-17T17:36:00.001-04:00

Great AWC meeting today! Shannon Klute sold me on the benefits of podcasting and Professor K. has me thinking about writing a screenplay!

Kindle versus I-Pad. The People Speak

2010-04-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

2010-04-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

Galley Cat asks four indie publishers how they plan to go digital. Read interviews here:http://ow.ly/1xX6E

2010-04-13T14:55:00.001-04:00

Wonder what agents are thinking? Here's the link to Literary Agent tweets as they share what it means to be an Agent - http://ow.ly/1xWVN

Is Timing Really Everything?

2010-04-12T11:24:00.002-04:00

Am I the last person to find out the best time to post a new blog entry is between 11am and noon? I picked up this nugget on "Notes From the Edge" - written by John McTigue for the blogsite of Kuno Creative Strategic Marketing. As someone who is a big believer in timing,* I'm embarrassed that I hadn't figured this one out on my own. McTigue suggests that it's best to publish and promote during "prime time," because the west coast is just getting to work, the east coast is heading to lunch, and it's the end of the day in Europe and Asia. I had read somewhere that the best days to post were Tuesday and Saturday, which seemed logical to me, probably because that's when I usually catch up on my Google Reader list of blogs. But the noontime posting makes even more sense. I'm going to give it a try.

McTigue has other great ideas on timing, content, and SEO in his article Take Your Blog to the Next Level With Social Media Marketing. How about you? Any strategies you've tried, or ideas you've put into practice that have given your blog a boost in visibility or an uptick in response? Share your brilliance in a comment. Sharing is good!

*Ask me sometime for the story of how I was living in Philadelphia and met my husband, who lived in Atlanta, at a convention in New York City . . . either a case of excellent timing or divine intervention!

Inactive Productivity

2010-04-07T12:32:00.002-04:00

I've spent the last five days in Ohio visiting my daughter. She had dental surgery scheduled and I served as the "responsible party" who delivered her Valium-soaked body to the office for the procedure, and delivered her back home, Novacaine-numbed and chipmunk-cheeked, for a post-op regimen of soft food, ice packs, and Vicodin.

As usual, I overpacked for the trip. Not in the clothes department, but in the area of books to read and projects to complete. My writing briefcase was stuffed with short story drafts and articles I had printed off the web for future reading. So far I've read only one of the articles and noodled around a bit on one of the stories. Time has been spent changing out ice packs while we watch movies.

Ordinarily I would see this as sheer sloth, but because I had just finished reading Gay Degani's piece on creating structure in fiction, recently posted on Flash Fiction Chronicles, there was no guilt from my lazy lifestyle. After two days and ten movies, I can tell you this exercise works. I didn't actually time the sequences, but I did make notes -- about the action, the subplots, the character shifts. It was like candy. I kept wanting to watch another movie and watch the process work on a different story line!

It was really quite perfect. My patient was quiet and happy, I was being a supportive mom, and even though I wasn't busy, I was being very productive.

2010-04-05T08:45:00.001-04:00

I'LL KEEP YOU SAFE now appears in the Scratch Online Journal. http://ow.ly/1uxsQ. Scratch-The site that's itching to discover new talent.

2010-04-03T12:06:00.001-04:00

1thrift store down, 3 to go. Great bargains. Billy Idol on the stereo.

2010-04-01T20:24:00.001-04:00

Spent a beautiful day roadtripping. Even the occasional traffic jam is bearable when it's sunny, warm, and trees are in bloom!

2010-03-31T07:35:00.001-04:00

Because I always like to pass along info on e-books, here's something about e-book pricing models from the eBookNewser http://ow.ly/1slHf

Totally Fresh -- I Mean Totally, Totally FRESH!

2010-03-29T16:59:00.003-04:00

and inventive, unique, distinctive, matchless, innovative.
Agents have a million ways to describe the "it factor."

If your story is about a one-armed waitress, or

a teenaged girl who passes for a boy and wins a football scholarship, or

a plumber who fixes a neighbor's toilet only to discover it's the fountain of youth . . .

Please send it along. They'd love to read it!

I'm venting my frustration after reading the latest post from Guide to Literary Agents. They show examples of successful query letters, that is, query letters that secured agents and publishers for unpublished authors. Besides the totally, totally fresh concepts, there are the pedigrees, i.e., MFA's, distinguished workshops, published work in well-respected literary journals. As an ordinary gal, who has no fancy degrees, and writes upmarket fiction about real people and their real relationships, my ego and my enthusiasm are more than a bit bruised.

But, the moon is full and emotions are high. We stand at spring's doorstep and at this moment an agent could be scanning the synopsis of What You Don't Know and saying, "Damn, that woman knows how to write! And, what a fascinating story! This novel needs to be published . . . NOW!"
(I always like to close my posts with something upbeat.)

Looking to vent? Want to rant about the unfairities, (my friend's word for all things sucky) of getting published? Let it loose and post a comment !

2010-03-25T11:25:00.001-04:00

How is query letter advice like a pair of blue jeans? It pays to check' em out. They just might be a perfect fit..http://ow.ly/1pR7E

2010-03-24T08:45:00.001-04:00

If you're a writer who learns best when given a concrete example, try this exercise for creating structure in fiction. http://ow.ly/1nT6Z

2010-03-22T08:15:00.001-04:00

Writers, here's an idea from author KellyHitchcock. Post your work on GoodReads for feedback and reviews. >>> http://ow.ly/1nPYc

2010-03-21T18:40:00.001-04:00

Publishing experts suggest how the industry can "repurpose" for the future>>> Los Angeles Times http://ow.ly/1oSP4

2010-03-20T11:36:00.001-04:00

As someone who hates to waste time and thinks multi-tasking is an art form, this piece from SocialMediaToday spoke to me! http://ow.ly/1or9V

2010-03-20T10:29:00.000-04:00

From Flash Fiction Chronicles, an editor's definition of a professional writer. It's all in the way you behave! http://ow.ly/1nODq

Who Doesn't Want To Make Money?

2010-03-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

Hollis Gillespie has a guest blog post on Guide to Literary Agents. this week encouraging writers to seize the moneymaking opportunity that a blog presents. After you partner with companies to advertise, generate traffic to your blog via Facebook and Twitter. When readers buy the products and services advertised, you earn a percentage of their purchases. Your level of income is directly related to the volume of audience you are able to attract. Her point is this: You have the platform and the power to become your own publisher. You already do promotion to drive readers to your posts. Her examples are pretty convincing.

I should probably be doing this. I not only spent most of my career in advertising, I spent five years as Associate Publisher for Target Marketing Magazine, a publication that's all about the benefits of measurable results and efficiencies of targeting specific audiences. I know her points are valid and monitizing my blog should be a no-brainer. But, for some reason I shy away from it. Any idea why?

Do you accept advertising on your blog? What factors went into your decision? If you don't accept advertising, is there a specific reason why? Share your words of wisdom with a comment. Or, just give your opinion. The wisdom part is optional.

The Future of Publishing

2010-03-18T13:22:00.000-04:00

2010-03-15T15:00:00.001-04:00

Trying to make headway on a short story but I'm totally stalled. Time to set the alarm for a 20 minute freewrite to shake the words loose!

2010-03-12T10:40:00.001-05:00

Need motivation to keep blogging? Now publishers are tapping bloggers for book deals. See how six authors scored big >>> http://ow.ly/1i9ci

2010-03-08T08:20:00.001-05:00

Happy day! I finally found a video tutorial on building a FB FanPage. Much easier to follow than the written how-to. http://ow.ly/1eBk7

Finding the Story Behind the Story

2010-03-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

There's a folder in my document file titled "Stories To Finish." With the first novel complete and making the rounds with agents, I craved a little immediate gratification before beginning revisions on the next one, so I dug into the folder. The plan: spiff up a few stories and submit them for publication in journals. Sounds easy, right? Not quite.

Some of these pieces are two and three years old. In that time I have become better at constructing stories, (hallelujah) but it's more than that. I now see the deeper meaning below the surface. In one story a high school girl discovers her mother has been snooping in her dresser drawer. She wants it to stop but she knows confronting her mother would make things worse. She devises a plan that will catch her in the act but allow her mother to retreat "unharmed."

When I started the story it was about a teenager trying to guard her privacy. Two years later I see there's more going on. There's the fact that the girl knows her mother isn't worried about her, she merely wants an edge. She's not looking for drugs, or illicit photos. She's looking for insight. It's close to graduation and she wants to know what her daughter has planned for the summer and beyond. She would never ask. That would be too up-front. They don't have open discussions. They have one-ups-manship. Their relationship is a chair with one leg just a bit shorter. Never comfortable, always wobbly and unbalanced.

There goes that plan to "spiff up a few stories." It will take time to find out what happens between this mother and daughter. I know the long range answer because they are Rita and Sylvie, the two main characters in my novel. But the novel picks up when Rita is a successful artist in her thirties, and Sylvie is a lonely widow masking her aches and pains with drugs and alcohol. Much happens in those fifteen years and I need the characters to fill me in on the backstory.

Have you every reread unfinished stories and seen them in a different light? How did that experience work for you? Share your experience here with a comment.

2010-03-03T17:20:00.001-05:00

What are publishers thinking about e-book pricing? Kristin Nelson of Pub Rants spells it out on her blog. http://ow.ly/1dhcU

Break or Breakdown?

2010-02-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

At the January meeting of the Atlanta Writers Club, Susan Rebecca White and her husband Alan Deutchman spoke about the challenges of being a two-writer couple. She writes fiction, he writes non-fiction. But that's not the only difference. They have individual working styles and over the years have found ways to support each other while nurturing their personal creativity.

I listened as Susan talked about her work space, an office away from home without distractions. Sure, I thought, that's what I do when I go into my writing room and put the "WRITER AT WORK" sign on the door. Then she went on to explain that her office space doesn't have phone service or an internet connection. Yikes! No phone? No internet? I count on a few time-outs during a day of writing to make calls and check e-mails. But Susan believes those shifts out of the writing zone can cause a disconnect from the creative process and interrupt the flow.

I had always thought a break was a good thing, but sometimes after a break it does take a while to find the groove again. Maybe it's one thing to get up, do a bit of stretching, and fill up the water glass, but totally different when it includes returning phone calls, checking e-mail, and paying a few online bills. That's no break. That's a potential breakdown.

As I start a new batch of short stories I'm practicing "no outside contact" during my long stretches of writing time. How about you? Do you find the phone and internet ruin your writing rhythm? How do you do to stay in the flow in long stretches of writing?

2010-02-24T17:35:00.001-05:00

My favorite new place to read literary fiction! Fictionaut http://ow.ly/1aoQz

2010-02-24T10:35:00.001-05:00

It's stories like this that make me love flash fiction! "Complicit" by Gay Degani http://shar.es/mmCUJ via @sharethis

Showing My Stuff at the Backwoods Bean

2010-02-21T23:41:00.001-05:00

In case the writing thing doesn't pan out,

I have jewelry crafting as a back up.

Here's my buddy Dave, the barrista, sommelier, and head baker at the Backwoods Bean Coffee & Wine Bar in Sparta, NC. As of this weekend, Dave has added Regional Sales Manager, CopperTop Creations, to his list of titles. With his keen merchandising, I'm confident the Carolina territory is in great hands.

Oh! What a Character!

2010-02-19T08:50:00.002-05:00

After almost five years of drafts and revisions, I became very close to the characters of my novel. I need a little refresher course in character development before I start something new. Here are a few blog posts I've found particularly useful:

A warning about the perils of being too smart for your own good.
How to create characters who embody the complexities of real-life experience.
What it means to create ‘realistic’ fictional characters.

I especially love this last suggestion. It's excerpted from The Writers Network News by Bobbie Christmas. (To subscribe go to http://www.zebraeditor.com/ and click on "Free Newsletter.")

Q: I’m usually good at creating characters, but I’m having a devil of a hard time with creating the protagonist for my novel. I don’t want him to drink or smoke, so on the face of it he’s picture perfect--too perfect. I’d like to give him vices, perhaps even a schism or an addiction, maybe even be self-destructive; however, drugs, sex, and alcohol just seem too cliché. Nothing really comes to mind or "feels right." Do you have any suggestions or perhaps a method you can suggest?

A: You are correct that you don’t want any of your characters, even the good guys, to be all good or all bad. We all have our flaws, so your characters should have flaws as well.

Here’s a possible technique for adding flaws to your characters: Read the traits allegedly applied to various signs of the Zodiac. Most listings of traits give the good traits first and then the darker side of those traits, the ones that can go to extremes and become negative.

Use one or two of those negative traits for your protagonist, to show his dark side. In this way you won’t use traits that are overused by other authors to make a character less than perfect.

When reading those personality traits, you’ll find realistic things that even good people can do when they allow their dark sides to prevail on occasion. For example, I know a fine, intelligent man who is romantic, loving, generous, helpful, and kind. If someone doesn’t want his help though, or if he thinks his efforts are being rebuffed, he gets defensive and even sometimes shouts, slams down the phone, or says hurtful things.

As another example, I am a Virgo, and most horoscopes say I am organized, diligent, and a good communicator, which is all true; however, on the dark side, when things get disorganized, I can feel frustrated and defeated and get depressed, if I’m not careful.

2010-02-16T09:41:00.001-05:00

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