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"Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon."
William Zinsser (American writer, editor and teacher)
Emperor Joseph II: Your work is ingenious. It's quality work, and there are simply too many notes, that's all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.
Mozart: Which few did you have in mind, majesty?
Peter Shaffer (b. 1926), British playwright, screenwriter. Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones), Mozart (Tom Hulce), Amadeus (1984).
"It's the nature of writers to fall in love with words, particularly their own. Clever turns of phrase excite us; we beam like proud parents when our protagonists take on lives of their own; a shapely plot twist can turn our heads. There is nothing wrong with indulging in the occasional fling-as long as it stops in draft. When time comes to make that final revision, however, you must harden your heart, sharpen the ax and murder your darlings."
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Attending Your First Writing Conference or Convention
There is a rhythm to any annual professional conference or convention, and I believe it takes attendance over several years to get in the groove and stop feeling like an outsider. But the writers at the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI http://www.owfi.org) "Conference 2008: Fantastic Forty--Writers Glory" accepted this relative "newbie" and made me feel welcome.
The OWFI conference featured published authors, editors, and agents offering several full days' worth of informative programs to help writers learn to write better and get published. But the main value, I think, in any conference is the ability to meet and mingle with others who share your professional or vocational interests. You begin to build your network, often building or strengthening lasting friendships in the process.
The first time I attended a conference held by the Society for Technical Communications, nearly fifteen years ago, I was overwhelmed. I was an experienced and seasoned professional - after all, I had been a technical writer for ten years, working for three companies in three different industries. However, I was a newcomer to STC and I had not tapped into the professional network at all. I knew no one but my immediate co-workers, most of whom did not attend conferences. The program literature came in a huge three-ring binder; the stuff I accumulated over three days easily weighed thirty pounds. I diligently attended as many sessions as I could - anything that sounded like it might have some bearing on my job. Since my employer was paying a rather hefty conference fee for me to attend, I assumed I would have to write up a presentation on "what I learned at the STC conference" and present it to my colleagues back at the office. I also signed up for a manual evaluation workshop, to have my work critiqued by my peers.
That was my first inkling that I wasn't an outsider or a newbie. Some of my colleagues liked what they saw - what this "newbie" unwittingly did differently than they did - and said that they would like to implement some of my ideas for documentation in their work. They had some great suggestions for me, as well - things I could easily change that would improve the usability of my manuals. The main thing I learned from attending that first conference didn't come from any of the presentations or panels or workshops I attended. The main thing I learned was that I was not alone - that I was doing a good job, producing work my colleagues respected, and that could learn some valuable tips from them, as well. Most of those tips came during networking sessions over coffee or lunch.
So, Friday afternoon, I arrived in Oklahoma City thinking I'd feel like an old hand, having attended many STC conferences over the years. How different could this be? Many of the OWFI writers surely had day jobs, and surely some of them were technical writers. (I've always been surprised, though, how many full-time technical writers don't write a thing outside of work, or don't write fiction at all.) I was surprised to feel that sense of stepping into unfamiliar territory - that "What, have I got ‘Total N00b' tattooed to my forehead?" feeling. I tried to look like I fit in, but had a feeling I stood out like a sore thumb.
Maybe if I'd arrived a day earlier, I would have gotten to know the other members of OWFI very quickly as they huddled in the hotel's storm shelter, escaping a tornado and baseball-sized hail. Close confinement in a crisis is one way to bond with your colleagues.
A lot of these folks knew each other, either from their writing groups or from conferences past. I had just joined OWFI months before; the only members I knew were Vivian  and Jacque Graham . But remembering that all-important lesson on conference networking, I crawled out of my shell and started talking to people. They didn't bite.
I attended a buzz session run by Dan Poynter Friday night. Apparently, non-fiction wasn't a big draw for this crowd, and Dan was sitting there all by himself when I arrived. We had a nice chat on children's books, and he had an interesting suggestion: Publish them on CD, using a PowerPoint-type presentation. Consider adding animation and sound. CDs are less expensive to produce than books, and young people readily accept books to be read on a computer screen or television. I still prefer paper, but I thought the idea had some merit. Better books on CD than video games. We also discussed the importance of cover art and cover copy. Dan has a template for developing the book cover, and claimed that 70% of buyers buy based on their impression of the cover. So who says "Never judge a book by its cover"? People do it - buyers do it - every day. Good cover design can make or break you as a published writer. Remember that, if you're self-publishing; it's worth investing in an effective cover.
Also important is a tightly focused market. Who are you writing for? "Everybody" is the wrong answer (of course you want everyone to buy and to read your book, but if you write for such a broad audience, odds are it will be too nebulous to appeal to anyone). Dan pointed out that you could dramatically increase sales by adding "for women" to almost any title. And that while few people traveled to Disney World without kids, a book on visiting Disney World "with kids" did better than a general guide to Disney World. A tight focus actually helps bring in more buyers.
Vivian , is both my good friend and my publisher. We met nearly seven years ago on Writing.com, but did not meet face-to-face until the North Texas Book Festival (http://www.ntbf.org) in April. She is head of the OWFI affiliate "Pen and Keyboard Writers," and President of 4RV Publishing LLC, publisher of Trockle, my first children's picture book. She managed to set me up with a one-on-one meeting with Judy Burke, Managing Editor of the magazine Highlights for Children.
Many writers make one of two mistakes in approaching editors, I think: Either they put them on a pedestal and forget that they are human (which usually results in a form of writerly idolatry and a real fear of submitting anything as they have already deemed it "unworthy") or they take the kiss-up approach and try to bribe the editor with cookies and offers to FedEx their first-born upon publication. Hot tip: Most editors don't want your first-born, and they send out enough rejection slips that they're rightfully wary of unsolicited cookies. Would you eat something thrown over the transom by a stranger who was eager to foist off both manuscript and first-born on you? Thought not.
Anyway, Ms. Burke is a warm, witty, very approachable young woman. According to her, it's often difficult to "break in" with fiction - they get so much of it. Start with non-fiction, puzzles, and very short "how-to" articles on simple crafts. Most of these are no longer than a paragraph; a craft with more than four or five steps might be overly complicated. Highlights for Children accepts seasonal material all year long, so don't worry about sending them Christmas crafts in late December. Get a child to "beta test" your writing before you submit it. Have them read it aloud. See where they stumble - if there are trouble spots, places where they trip over their own tongues, edit them smooth before submitting.
She held a workshop later in the day that dealt with what to write about when faced with the advice to "write what you know." One of the exercises went something like this: Divide a piece of paper into two columns. In the first, quickly list interesting jobs you've held, things you've learned through your education and experiences, your interests and hobbies, the places you've lived, and the interesting people you've met. In the second column, what stands out to you about your answers from the first - what do you know? How can you turn those things you know into article or story ideas? Write quickly; don't overthink it. Sure, you may need to do some research, but chances are, you know more than you think you do and you can turn that into something others would love to read.
It's important to familiarize yourself with a publication before writing something for it. Then, think about how your ideas can be turned into something that clearly fits the editors' needs, and finally, carefully read and follow the publication's submission guidelines. In my experience freelancing, most editors welcome well-written pieces that meet their needs. They are rarely interested in something that demonstrates to them that the writer has no idea what kind of content they publish. Once they're familiar with a writer's skill, style, and reliability, it is fairly easy to get assignments when their needs are not being adequately met.
Saturday night's Awards Banquet was the culmination of three fun-filled days. With awards offered in over thirty categories, it was a festive evening of celebration. Vivian entered the manuscript for her novel Midnight Hours in the OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federation) writing contest's mystery/suspense category. Midnight Hours won Second Place, with enthusiastic praise from the judges. The published novel will not be available until this summer, but you can read the short story it was based on right here at Writing.com! See Editor's Picks, below.
Writing for Boys
Why do so many people insist on treating kids like miniature, brain-damaged adults? Why is it that so many people claim they want to write for children, yet there are so few good, new books for them each year? A very short story with a simple vocabulary does not have to be stupid, boring, or condescending.
Where are the books for boys? I don't mean swords and sorcery One name keeps surfacing: Richard Trout. That only one name keeps surfacing disturbs me, as a mother.
Two and a half weeks ago, Vivian and I were talking, at the North Texas Book Festival, about the dearth of good books for middle-school aged boys. Vivian writes sports-themed mysteries like the award-winning Case of the Missing Coach that appeal to young adults - boys in particular, though girls find them intriguing, too. "Girls will read stories where the protagonist is a boy. Girls will read stories that are mostly about boys. Boys, on the other hand..."
"...won't be caught dead reading girls' books."
"Right." It's natural for readers to want to identify with the main character. Girls play sports; boys seldom want to be the fairy princess. When boys can't find good books that appeal to them, is it any wonder that they become, or are perceived, as non-readers or reluctant readers? It's a vicious cycle: If there are few books boys enjoy and can really relate to, then they won't become avid readers. If boys aren't seen as avid readers, why should writers write books aimed at boys? As one woman said, "Because some of them may be our doctors when we're old, and I'd like for them to be able to read the literature on the pills they prescribe me."
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Vivian won second place in the Mystery/Suspense category of the 2008 OWFI Writing Contest with her soon-to-be-released novel, Midnight Hours. You can read her original short story - the story on which she based the award-winning novel, right here on Writing.com!
Short Stories and Poems for Kids
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This week, I'm going to ask the questions (I'll leave answering them to one of your regularly scheduled newsletter editors). Actually, I'm going to issue a writing challenge:
Find a magazine that you enjoy reading.
Look through the magazine and note the parts that you like best on a regular basis. (Is it the jokes? The fiction? The Q&A section? Tips? Articles?)
What have you learned in your career, your education, your life experiences, places you've been, your hobbies, or interesting people you've met, that you could turn into something the editors of that magazine might want to BUY? (Tip: Don't just look at articles or stories; examine the "filler" and other features.)
Pick one. Write it; submit it; and tell us about it.
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For Authors: May 07, 2008 Issue [#2383]
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