Letter writing, anyone?

I’m a History Channel fanatic. Not surprisingly since most of my novels have historical settings. Last night I was watching, what else, the History Channel, and a documentary on FDR. I had seen the doc before, but it was very well done and so interesting I didn’t mind watching it again. I’m glad I did, because it got me thinking about the lost art of letter writing. The doc mentions a lot of letter writing- FDR to Churchill, Churchill to FDR (these letters were actually copied by a spy who fortunately was found out before they were made public), Eleanor to FDR, FDR to his lovers. There was one distant cousin he was particularly close to who he confided in and wrote numerous letters to. She in turn not only wrote back, but kept a journal filled with about 1,000 pages of writing. Handwritten writing, to be exact. Nowdays we can’t fathom anyone handwriting that many pages, but it was common practice as little as thirty years ago.

With the advent of the computer and email, I think letter writing is a lost art. I’ll admit to eschewing handwritten letters for a quick email due to ease and efficiency, but I know I should take the time to sit down and write. I don’t even own any stationery anymore, unless you count the handmade cards I stamped with my scrapbooking stamps. Although I wouldn’t count those, since I’ve stamped the greetings on the cards!

Is letter writing going the way of the dodo bird and the wooly mammoth? In fifty years will there be any personal correspondence left, or will it all be in email/memo form ready to delete in an instant? Does anyone even use a diary anymore? I wonder…

happy writing!

kathy 

Writing Through the Pain

I’ve taken some personal hits lately, which is part of the reason why updating the blog has been so sporadic. Because I’m so emotionally drained, I’ve found it difficult to write anything, even emails. I’ve known writers who have been able to write through anything, and I admire them for that. I think I’m a writer that needs to know when to step away and lick my wounds before getting back in the fray again. Because that is what having a writing career is–one fight after another. You fight to get published and to get paid. You battle the inner critic and the elusive muse. You struggle to find words when there are none and to make sense of plots and ideas and characters that are nonsensical.

So why do it? Why write? I write because I have to. If I don’t write, then I feel as if a part of me is missing. And even though I might take an extended break from writing, I’m never gone from it for very long and it is never far from my thoughts.

How do you write through the pain?

Happy writing,

kathy

Some thoughts on rejection.

Laurie Alice’s remarks on rejection sparked some thoughts in my brain about the dreaded “r” word. Rejection is a fact of life in the publishing world, no matter what type of writing you do. Somewhere down the line, you’ll be rejected. And there are a thousand and one reasons for rejections, many which don’t have to do with the quality of your writing. A publisher might be over-inventoried on novels similar to your plotline. The market might be too narrow for your speciality nonfiction book. Or the editor could be having a bad day, and unfortunately your manuscript hit her at the wrong time. Editors are only human, after all.

But what we do when we get rejected can make or break a career. Sure, it hurts. Yep, it’s disappointing. And of course the editor or publisher rejecting your material has no concept regarding fabulous writing. But it doesn’t matter, because that rejection letter or email is staring you in the face. You did not make a sale–not this time.

 So what can you do? I employ the plan A, B, C strategy–for everything I write I have at least two other markets I can pitch the work too or two other ways to revise the material for another editor. Sometimes I even have to resort to plan S, if things get that far. By having other options in place, I’m able to shrug off the rejection very quickly and move on to making a sale or getting a freelance gig. It’s taken me a few  years to get to this point, to realize that rejection isn’t devastating, just annoying.

 What are some of the ways you deal with rejection?

 Happy writing,

kathy

Feast or Famine?

One thing I’ve learned about the writing biz is that its very much feast or famine. In one week I might get a freelance job, a request for a full manuscript, an email asking when the sequel of one of my novels is coming out, and a couple leads on some gigs. Then I might not hear anything for several months. This used to drive me nuts, until I figured out how to deal with it. My advice is geared toward the head games this business can bring on and not how to manage your bank account. It’s a given that writers, unless you have a steady job or steady book contracts at all times, must plan financially for the weeks (or possibly months) when work is in short supply. But what should you do when you’re waiting for work and the work doesn’t come?

1. Make sure you keep pursuing new projects. Whether your niche is nonfiction or fiction (or like me, you write both) make sure you have plenty of ideas brewing and that you pursue as many leads as possible. That doesn’t mean take any job you can get or write a crappy proposal, but there’s something about actively pushing forward that can keep your mind off of the fact that at the moment, nothing is really happening.

2. Work on your website and blog. If you do find you have extra time on your hands, use that to generate some buzz. Update your website (yeah I’m preaching to myself on that one), post more regularly on your blog, create a contest or two, or anything else you can think of that will help market yourself and your writing.

3. Get smart. Catch up on blogs, ezines, articles and whatever you’ve had to put to the side while you were up to your ears in deadlines. If you have a lot of time on your hands, take an online class. Always be willing to develop your craft, and using your downtime to do that is a wise investment.

4. Pursue a new niche. Dabble in playwrighting, if you’ve always wanted to write a script. Or learn how to copywrite, or write a short story, or polish your proofreading skills. Learning a new area of writing can open up new opportunities.

Bottom line–always keep busy during the famine times of writing. This will keep that internal editor from rearing its ugly head and convincing you that this writing thing is too hard and so not worth it. It is–as long as you keep your mind and keyboard busy.

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

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

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

Brilliant website #1

Occasionally I’ll highlight a webpage or website I think is particularly useful to writers. I have a collection of those on my blogroll, but today I want to spotlight the Submissions page on the Preditors and Editors website. This page has everything you need to know about querying, submitting, keeping track of submissions and contract issues. It’s a great resource for new writers and nice brush-up info for experienced writers. I suggest taking a visit and bookmarking the sight for future reference.

Happy Writing,

kathy