Before I started writing I was an avid TV watcher. As a teen I went to a lot of movies (mostly those of the “Sixteen Candles” variety, which exposes my age, but whatever). At the time I enjoyed TV and movies for their surface value–as entertainment. However, when I decided I wanted to be a novelist and started writing fiction, I saw the soap operas and sitcoms and dramas in a different light. Now I pay attention to the structure of the storylines. The motivation of the characters. The way conflict is threaded throughout the story. I also pay attention to the actors. I believe writers can learn a heck of a lot from watching actors–good actors. Ones who embody their characters so thoroughly you forget that just the other day they were splashed across the glossy pages of People magazine. Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Cate Blanchette, and of course, the divine Meryl Streep are just a few actors whose performances are worth careful scrutiny.

I came across an Actors Vocabulary page at The Playwrights Actors Lab Studio. This is a great reference for fiction writers because it defines elements we need integrate in our stories and our prose. For example, Dramatic Faith- this is defined as an actor’s ability to take a fictional character and situation and treat it as absolute reality. Writers should strive for this in their writing–to write so deeply and honestly that the reader believes the characters and their conflicts are real. It’s not and easy thing for a writer to do, and I imagine its a challenge for actors, too. But the payoff is worth it–both for the writer and her readers, and the actor and his audience.

 Happy writing,

kathy

Why Should I Care About the Writer’s Strike?

I’m not a big television watcher. My tastes usually run toward documentaries on the History channel, and I have a favorite soap I like to watch occasionally. At one point I was a die hard Law and Order fan, but I can only take so much murder for so long. To be honest, because of my crazy schedule, if I want to watch any entertainment programs, I usually go to YouTube or I watch it online via the network’s website (I do this often with Ugly Betty).  I rarely go to movies because most of them aren’t worth the money. So, since I’m not a big consumer of TV or cinema, why should I care about the writer’s strike?

A great post at The Writer’s Resource Center convinced me I should. Since I’m not a member of WGA, I didn’t really understand exactly what they’re fighting for. I knew they wanted a bigger slice of revenue, which I think is fair. What I didn’t know is that screenwriters don’t own the rights to their work. The post is a good explanation of why all writers should support the strike. Even though screenwriting may seemed far removed from novel writing and freelance, we’re all part of the same writing family.

 Happy writing,

kathy

Brilliant Website #2

I found a really good blog that posts the best sites to find freelance gigs. It doesn’t post the gigs, but it has links to the sites. It also has links that take you directly to the writing gigs at Craigslist–very helpful and time-saving. So check out The Muse Pub when conducting your search for jobs.

 Happy writing,

kathy

Newsletters You Should Check Out

Newsletters and ezines are always a great source of information about all aspects of the writing business. However, it’s way too easy to subscribe to every writing newsletter under the sun, thus overloading your inbox with stuff you’ll never have time to read. Here’s a short list of the newsletters I subscribe to and can’t do without.

Right Writing News  - Terry Whalin has years of writing and editing experience and is very generous with his knowledge. He covers both nonfiction and fiction writing in his newsletter and on his website.

Advanced Fiction Writing Ezine - Randy Ingermanson is a genius. No, really, he is, he’s got a Ph.D in physics. He’s one of those rare people who has their right and left brains perfectly wired. He’s also witty, so reading his cram-packed newsletter is always fun.

Bob Bly- I get his email updates and special reports on marketing and copywriting, and they’re awesome. He’s another guy with years of experience we can all benefit from.

Copyblogger- not a newsletter but email updates. Brian Clark’s blog is one of the premiere writing blogs out there. His posts are short, to the point and informational. He has great guest bloggers. I don’t write advertising or marketing copy but I always learn something I can apply to my own writing, whether its fiction, nonfiction or marketing.

This next one, The Dabbling Mum, may seem like a disingenuous recommendation, since I have an article on writing description in fiction in the latest ezine (insert shameless plug), but once you see the website and the zine, you’ll see why I subscribe to it. There are three different sections of the website and three different zines–at home business, parenting and writing. Alyice Edrich puts out an excellent product and runs a great site.

What are some of the newsletters/ezines/email updates you can’t live without?

 Happy writing,

kathy

Good Advice

The past few months I’ve been concentrating more on freelance nonfiction work. I’ll admit I’ve been confused about somethings, especially whether or not to use freelance job sites, such as elance or guru. This post at hopewrites.com was written a few months back, but its crammed with good, honest advice I think every beginner freelancer should heed.

 Happy writing,

kathy

Live and Learn

In the past eight years since I started writing, I’ve lived a lot.  I’ve also learned a lot, especially about the writing business. Here are the top five lessons I’ve learned the hard way.

 1) Always work with a contract. I’m a trusting person, at least I used to be, and I always want to believe that a person’s word is as good as a written contract. But I learned the hard way that it isn’t. I also feel a bit stupid for being so trusting. But now that I’m jaded, I will never work without a contract again.

2) There is no right or wrong way to write. When I first started writing, I read everything I could about novel writing. I joined writer’s groups, attended worshops, read books on craft and even took a correspondence writing course. The rules regarding writing seemed endless–and contradictory. Plot before you write. Don’t worry about plotting, let the story flow organically. You have to have an agent to sell. Never mind getting an agent, they’re harder to get than an actual book contract. Always promote yourself. Don’t waste your time promoting yourself, the work will speak for itself. Now I know that while its good to know what the “rules” are, its also okay to break them. Or toss them out. Or ignore them completely, as long as the end product is saleable.

3) Be true to yourself. Everyone has an opinion and advice. You can go crazy trying to do everything people in this business tell you. Keep your sanity and carve your own path, regardless of what other people tell you to do.

4) Be reliable. Never miss a deadline. If you absolutely have to, contact the editor.

5) Develop a good reputation. This is something I’m still working on, as I consider myself still in the beginning stages of my writing career.
A writer’s reputation can make or break a career. I’ve seen it happen, and it’s not pretty.

 Happy writing,

kathy

Got work?

I’m still under the weather, but I was able to visit a couple of my favorite blogs. There’s a good post at Freelance Writing Gigs on networking to find jobs that I  thought was worth a look see.

Happy writing,

kathy

Happy New Year!

I know it’s a little late, but the new year wasn’t kind to me, as I have been very ill for the past few days. I never thought I would be too sick to spend even a few moments on the computer, but it happened. Since I’m still recovering, I’ll make this brief–an inspirational quote for the day.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.  ~Sylvia Plath

Leaving self-doubt behind…sounds like a good New Year’s resolution to me.

Happy writing,

kathy