The Fabulist Flash

Issue 122

with Photography by Gregory A. Kompes

Mexican Crafts Mousepad

In This Issue:

1. This Week
2. Are you Prepared for Disaster?
3. Odds and Ends
4. Ann Tracy Marr takes the 18Q
5. About The Fabulist Flash

1. This Week

My home office is humming. This week I'm writing my books, editing an anthology, attending the next class toward my masters, working on a writer's conference speaking proposal, editing three manuscripts, and getting a few new query letters out. In the midst of all this activity, it dawned on me: "I'm a writer." When I take my afternoon break to walk the dog and pick up the mail it's such a thrill to find a check that's payment for a writing assignment among the junk and bills. Yesterday's had a statement and in the "description" column it said simply: "Writer." Nice that someone else thinks so, too.

A new author, her first book will be traditionally published soon, asked me point blank if I'd made any "real" money on my first book. I told her that even after achieving bestseller status and selling 4000 copies in the first seven months, I hadn't yet earned out my advance. It's such a discouraging reality when the royalty statements arrive sans checks.

But, there are so many benefits and rewards that come from publishing a book. Most of these create indirect positives. If I hadn't published my book I wouldn't be selling as many articles, speaking, editing, teaching, or have many of the other opportunities that are beginning to create a writing income that I enjoy earning.

Our industry often doesn't directly reward our accomplishments. Instead, it creates a combination of experiences and opportunities that alone are small, but combined can be lucrative. Being a traditionally published author creates credibility that opens doors.

Until next week,

Gregory

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Gregory A. Kompes (www.kompes.com) is a writer, manuscript consultant and author of the bestseller 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live, The Endorsement Quest, The Everyday Gay Activist, Turning Your Writing Hobby into a Writing Career and Should You Write an eBook?

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Preview 9 essential books for writers on The Writer's Bookshelf

2. Are you Prepared for Disaster?

Writers: How Prepared are You for Disasters?
by C. M. Clifton

On August 29, 2005, I lost about 90% of my writing and writing-related items to a natural disaster. As a resident of New Orleans, I learned to be prepared for hurricanes over the years, but had failed to adequately prepare so that I could have salvaged at least some of my writing and writing related items. I lost a thick file of story ideas I had been collecting before I had even began to learn the rules and elements of fiction writing. I lost countless hard and soft copies of stories in progress, along with the earliest stories I had attempted when I first began to try my pen at fiction writing. Poems, rejection letters, acceptance letters, character biographies, and hand written journals were all lost to flood water.

Now, after Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches, I'm better prepared to save the writing I've done since. If you are not already protecting your writing in case of a natural, or otherwise, disaster, then here are a few suggestions you might want to consider.

1. Create Back Up Copies

Try to have at least one additional copy of all of your stories, poems, articles, etc. Create back up copies by using such storage devices like flash drives, rewritable compact discs, and floppy disks, if possible. Consider creating hard copies, or printed copies, of your writing.

2. Choose How You Will Store Your Writing

Consider how you might prefer to store those back up copies you've created. Your choices can include briefcases, hand held file cases, small plastic containers the size of shoe boxes, and small fire and water proof safes. Also try to be sure to return compact discs and floppy disks into their jewel cases. This will help make it easy to store the compact discs and floppy disks into the larger storage containers you've chosen.

3. Choose Where You Will Store Your Writing

Consider choosing a central place where you would prefer to store the larger containers holding your compact discs, floppy disks, and flash drives. Try to pick a spot where you'll keep the things you might be able to grab in a hurry, and a spot that you think will be safe for what you may have to leave behind. For example, I now store some of my hard copies in a hand held file case that I keep on the floor of my closet so I could grab the case in a hurry. Storage containers that I might have to leave are kept higher on closet shelves and taller bookcase shelves.

4. Have a Plan

Besides having an evacuation plan or an escape route, you might want to consider planning ahead about what you would prefer to take, especially if you're forced to leave your home in a hurry. Would you rather grab your hand written journals, copies of your most recent writing, or the writing you consider most important at the time? Of course, if you are able to evacuate ahead of time, then there's a chance you could take all of your writing along with you.

Although there's the possibility that I won't face any disasters in the future, I'm at least comforted knowing that I've taken better precautions. And while I still might be unable to save all of my writing and writing-related items when or if the next disaster strikes, I'm better prepared so that I may be able to save some of my writing. Above all, however, is that we work to save our lives in case of disasters. I hope that you won't ever have to set your own disaster plans in motion, but also that you'll consider utilizing the suggestions I've made. Happy writing and stay safe!

About the Author
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C. M. Clifton is a published fiction author as well as an author on http://www.Writing.Com which is a site for Creative Writing.

3. Odds and Ends

Copyscape is dedicated to defending your rights online, helping you fight against online plagiarism and content theft. Copyscape finds sites that have copied your content without permission, as well as those that have quoted you.
www.copyscape.com

Writer's Digest Contest for Write-At-Home Moms In the January/February issue of Writer's Digest, author Christina Katz explained how moms can squeeze a writing career into an already jam-packed schedule. To show their support for moms who attempt to balance two difficult jobs—writing and motherhood—Writer's Digest announced a writing contest for write-at-home moms (and dads). The magazine wants to hear from writer mamas (or papas) on the topic of: "When Parenting and Writing Collide." They are asking entrants to write their best original, unpublished parenting-and-writing story in a 500-word essay and e-mail it to publicity@fwpubs.com with "Writer Mama contest" in the subject line. Deadline: March 31, 2007. The entry must be written in the body of the e-mail; attachments will not be accepted or opened. Each entry should include a name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Only the winning writers will be contacted, and entries will not be returned. Writer's Digest retains first-time rights to run the winning entries in the magazine and/or on our website or associated websites, after which all rights return to the author. The decisions of the editors are final.

The Author SocietyLots of interactive advice for authors on this forum
http://authorsociety.proboards103.com/index.cgi

Have an event, forum, newsletter, or website of interest you'd like listed? Send your announcement to: editor@fabulistflash.com with "Odds and Ends" in the subject line.

4. Ann Tracy Marr takes the 18Q

Ann Tracy Marr takes the 18Q

Biography:
New Novelist

Bibliography
Round Table Magician, release date Feb. 23, 2007

URL:
www.freewebs.com/marr794

1. Did you choose the writing profession or did it choose you?
I would have to say that I chose to be a writer. It was a conscious decision to produce a novel. But I would also have to admit that the profession chose me because the first manuscript I wrote was inspired by an undeniable compulsion to tell a particular story. Working on my family genealogy, I found that two of my great great grandmother's brothers were railroaded into prison for murder. The story begged to be told from the point of view of the two men stomped on by fate. I knew I had the skill to write and felt a responsibility to present their side of the story.

2. What is your background? (education, work, etc.)
English major turned Administrative Assistant, turned Computer Consultant. A boring life finally fulfilled by creativity.

3. When did you 'know' you were a writer?
I knew I was a writer half-way through my first manuscript. My family acknowledges it now that I am published by Awe-struck E-Books.

4. How would you describe your style of writing?
Whimsical Regency mixed with hair pulling action and baked at a high temperature.

5. What is your writing process?
Get everyone out of the house so it is quiet, then turn on the computer. Do NOT play games. All else is seat of the pants with a broad spectrum plot nestled in my head.

6. What was your path to publication?
With over 100 rejection letters stuffed in a file, my path to publication was as torturous as the crooked man who walked a crooked mile. Try here, dart there. Finally, Awe-struck E-Books took pity on my wandering.

7. What is your favorite self-marketing idea?
Christmas cards to everyone I have ever known. A letter stuffed in the cards begs them to tell everyone they know to try my book, Round Table Magician. It hits all corners of the US .

8. What are the biggest surprises you've encountered as a writer?
How easy it is for the publishing world to ignore a well plotted, entertaining manuscript shocked me. If the book is hard to pigeonhole in a marketing category, agents pass on it in favor of works they can place easily. Publishers churn out novels that echo the last bestseller and shy away from new ideas. How did the concept of the original idea get lost?

9. How do you inspire yourself? What are your sources of creativity?
I take a basic situation and daydream about it. The creativity to expand the situation into a full novel must be a gift from the gods.

10. What is your proudest writer moment?
I should say that reading the email from Awe-struck E-books accepting Round Table Magician for publication is my proudest moment, but it isn't. Instead, I was thrilled down to my toes when I realized that meandering my way through a plot, dreaming up amusing incidents for protagonists to share, I managed to include a theme in my story. Themes are serious business. I didn't know I had it in me.

11. What's the best advice you were given about writing?
Do it. Again and again. Start, work on, and finish a manuscript. Then start a new one. Practice may not make perfect, but it will make better output. Make each work in progress as full bodied as you know how.

12. What is your most embarrassing writer moment?
Uh, duh, give me time to daydream one up. I can't think of an embarrassing moment.

13. What business challenges have you faced as a writer?
Even Da Vinci had to channel his creativity to please his employer. Your soul screams, but you have to chase the all-mighty dollar.

14. What is your writer life philosophy?
Be out in the world as much as an incipient hermit can manage.

15. When you're not writing what do you do for fun?
I continue to be creative. Needlepoint, a dying art, has been a passion most of my life. Reading is more than fun. Curiously, when I am creative, I remember my dreams. If I neglect creative activities, I don't dream. Then I wake up dissatisfied.

16. Who do you like to read?
I have no favorite author. If the book is well written and nicely plotted, I'll enjoy it. The first badly written paragraph makes me wince. If that is followed by a plot point that doesn't mesh what has gone before, I tend to drop the book.

17. What's your advice for new writers?
Develop a thick hide so when someone picks apart your manuscript you are not destroyed.

18. What are you currently working on?
A historical romance series of an alternate universe. Kings and the Round Table rule Britain . In the Regency period, magicians are as rare as geniuses, but the majority of humanity trundles along just as they did in reality. The first novel of the series, Round Table Magician, will be followed by Thwarting Magic and To His Mistress. Of the ten known magicians in Britain , at least two are passably handsome and eligible, perfect candidates for romance heroes. But if I mention two eligible magicians, what about the third book? Well, there aren't that many magicians around a girl would like to marry.

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Are you a published author? Take the 18Q today!

To read all the 18Q responses or take the 18Q visit EighteenQuestions.com

5. About The Fabulist Flash

ISSN: 1554-0804

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