ISSN: 1554-0804
Issue 219
March 26, 2009Featured Product
Endorsement Quest
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In This Issue:
- This Week
- Fabulist Flash Recommends
- Give Your Writing More Oomph
- Submission Call
- 18Q
- Upcoming Events
- Helpful Software
- About the Editor
- About The Fabulist Flash
1. This Week
I love hearing from Fabulist Flash readers. One reader, who recently had a book published by Wiley, wrote in response to last week's article on self publishing to tell me that her publisher is going gangbusters to promote her new book. Nice to know that there are still publishers willing to go all out for their authors, even first time book authors. So, polish off those nonfiction book proposals and send 'em off to Wiley & Sons!
The deadline for stories and essays for Patchwork Path: Friendship Star is fast approaching. (See Item 2 below for details.)
Keep Expanding,
Gregory
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2. Fabulist Flash Recommends
Patchwork Path: Friendship Star
Mention friends and everyone has a memory or story to share. Choice Publishing Group (CPG) is collecting these stories and memories about, by, and from friends for their new book Patchwork Path: Friendship Star.
CPG is looking for original stories and essays from 250 to 2000 words about friendship. Each submission will be reviewed and considered based on creativity, originality, concept, and style. Reading will be continuous and submissions will be considered as they arrive. Not all works will be accepted. There is NO Entry or Reading Fee. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2009.
Submission Guidelines
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3. Three Simple Ways To Give Your Writing More Oomph
by: Jill McDougall
As a writing coach, I read dozens of manuscripts each week by aspiring children’s writers. Most are very competent but in many cases, the readability of the text and the emotional impact of the story could be cranked up with just a bit of tweaking.
Here are my current top three tips ….
TIP 1:
Let the reader experience the character’s emotion directly.
Don’t just say: Lydia felt embarrassed. That leaves the reader with a bunch of words that convey pretty well … nothing. The reader needs to feel what Lydia is going through to become emotionally involved in the story. Dredge deep into your own personal experiences to find the right words. Genuine descriptions will feel real to the reader.
Okay … what do you do or feel when you’re embarrassed? You might feel a warm flush creep up your face. You might stare dumbly at your shoes or discover something important under your fingernail. You might force a laugh or put on a fake-cheerful smile.
Instead of telling the reader that Lydia felt embarrassed show her experiencing the embarrassment:
Lydia’s face grew warm. She busied herself with a loose thread on her jacket.
TIP 2:
Make friends with the delete button. Why? Because good writing is tight writing. I’ve lost track of the number of editors and agents I’ve heard lately saying: I want a great story written sparely.
What does this mean? It means you should say what you want to say using as few words as possible. This will force you to use only your sharpest images, your most engaging dialogue, your liveliest action.
Here’s a trick: Pretend that you have to fax your story to a publisher at $2.00 a word. You’ll quickly discover words, phrases, sentences and whole paragraphs that aren’t vital to the story. If you find your ms shrunk to half its original size – don’t panic, celebrate!! That means it’s more tightly written and has a livelier pace.
Here’s an example of pruning:
BEFORE:
Andrew noticed that there was a very big spider on his pillow.
AFTER:
An enormous spider sat on Andrew’s pillow.
This example reminds us of the impact created when you move the focal part of a sentence (in this case, the spider) to the beginning.
TIP 3:
Instead of beginning sentences with ‘He saw” or “She heard”, launch directly into the action. Here’s what I mean …
BEFORE:
Jemma saw Dad cooking muffins.
AFTER
Dad was cooking muffins.
If Jemma is your viewpoint character, the reader will instinctively know who is observing Dad. By talking about the main character (Jemma saw Dad …), you remind the reader that a narrator is at work, describing the scene from a distance.
Watch out for:
He/she saw …
He/she watched …
He/she noticed …
He/she looked at …
By avoiding these and describing the action directly, you strengthen the readers’ ability to imagine themselves in the role of the viewpoint character.
Happy editing!
About The Author
Jill McDougall has published over a hundred books for children and is working on her next 100.
You can find more writing tips at Jill’s website http://www.jillmcdougall.com.au and download a free preview of her ebook: Become a Children’s Writer.
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4. Submissions
Patchwork Path: Friendship Star
Choice Publishing Group is seeking stories and essays about friends and friendship.
Submission Deadline: March 31, 2009.
Submission Guidelines: PatchworkPath.com
Patchwork Path: Wedding Bouquet
Choice Publishing Group is seeking stories and essays about weddings.
Submission Deadline: August 31, 2009.
Submission Guidelines: PatchworkPath.com
Presenters & Programs 2010
Advertise to 30,000 meeting and event planners in this full-color, glossy catalog from Fabulist Flash Publishing and Turning Point International.
Deadline: October 31, 2009
Details: PresentersandPrograms.com
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5. Melody Knight takes the 18Q
1. Did you choose the writing profession or did it choose you?
I didn't actually select the writing profession. When the day came when a visit to the library left me frustrated, I decided to write what I wanted to read. I was as shocked as anyone when that first chapter became a book, and when it became a series? Let's just say I was afraid to stop, for fear this burst of creative energy was merely a fluke
2. What is your background? (education, work, etc.)
Jack of all trades - I've installed irrigation systems on golf courses and at bowling clubs, been a Montessori teacher, a nurses' aide, a warehouse person, a champagne lady at the San Francisco Opera House, done landscape contracting, landscape design, had a plant propagation nursery, had a goat milk dairy, a duck egg business (Just Ducky: "you won't find a quack in our eggs"), raised award winning pigs and calves, and managed a large apple orchard. On the education side of things, I've studied at postgrad level in plant pathology/virology and archaeology.
3. When did you 'know' you were a writer?
I think anyone who enjoys reading has the potential to be a writer. The only difference between the writer and non-writer is self-discipline, a love for research, and sometimes, being able to imagine bizarre scenarios and back them up with a little lateral thinking.
4. How would you describe your style of writing?
Action-packed. I write thrillers, edgy, suspenseful treks to keep readers on the edge of their seats, yet hopefully, interject enough humor and realism so readers can identify with their characters.
5. What is your writing process?
Get up at 4 a.m. and work six to eight hours a day. I glean an idea, then do a tremendous amount of research to develop it. I rarely plot or do character sketches ahead of time.
6. What was your path to publication?
I wrote six books in one fantasy series, and sent the first one away to a movie company. They were more interested in seeing something in science fiction, so I penned Light Play. That was my first published book. After that, I rewrote the fantasy series and the same publisher picked it up as well.
7. What is your favorite self-marketing idea?
I think it would have to be group chats. I love interacting with readers, and when it comes to ebooks, this offers an opportunity to access the impulse buyer market, that the author might not otherwise have if his/her books are not in many bookstores.
8. What are the biggest surprises you've encountered as a writer?
That I can actually write a full-sized novel in twenty-eight days. Mind blowing…
9. How do you inspire yourself? What are your sources of creativity?
I research on such sites as Live Science, and Discovery. I also access university databases, and read the latest research. From these a grain of an idea can grow into a full-blown crystal.
10. What is your proudest writer moment?
Reading my first novel to my family, and hearing their feedback. It ranks up there with holding by first published paperback.
11. What's the best advice you were given about writing?
Don't give up. I consider abandoning my craft on a regular basis, and frequently wonder what madness makes me persist, LOL!
12. What is your most embarrassing writer moment?
I sent off my first novel to a publisher and assumed it would be published. I told everyone I knew I was waiting for the contract, and had even written a budget for the royalties I assumed I'd be getting, based on my research! How naive is that? It still makes me cringe a little, and laugh a lot.
13. What business challenges have you faced as a writer?
Promotion and development of a brand is very difficult. It requires hours of reading and research to come up with a marketing plan, and put it into practice.
14. What is your writer life philosophy?
Act, don't think. If you allow yourself to think of all the reasons you shouldn't succeed, can't compete, and can't possibly make it as a writer, you won't. Better to act. Get busy and just do it.
15. When you're not writing what do you do for fun?
Spend time with my family, my pets, read, paint. I love watching SF DVDs. Great stuff!
16. Who do you like to read?
Michael Crichton is a favorite, as are Cussler and Elkins. I love intelligent action/adventure.
17. What's your advice for new writers?
Keep writing. Don't hang on acceptances/rejections of a single title. Keep going. You'll only get better.
18. What are you currently working on?
Novellas, at the moment. I have a dark museum tale, an erotic romance, and a werewolf novella in progress.
Bibliography
As N. D. Hansen-Hill
Trees
Crystals
Mud
Shades
Fire
Light
Static
Vision
Light Play
Light Plays
Lightning Play
Grave Images
Graven Image
Grave Imagery
Elf
Trolls
Gilded Folly
The Hollowing
ErRatic
As Melody Knight
In Trysts
In Flames
Of Dragons
Read more 18Q interviews
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6. Upcoming Events
April 9-12
Clark County Fair & Rodeo
Fabulist Flash Publishing & Choice Publishing Group co-host an exhibitor's booth for published authors. Details
April 16-18
Las Vegas Writer’s Conference
Gregory will present Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion
April 22
Writer's Pen & Grill
A social evening for writers in Las Vegas, NV
April 29
Meet the Authors
(Clark County Library, NV)
Gregory, and members of Laudably Tarnished: A Poetry Workshop, host a poetry workshop.
June 18
Las Vegas Writer's Group
Gregory presents 21 Elements of an Author Media Kit
July 29
Meet the Authors
(Clark County Library, NV)
Gregory and the production/publishing team for the Patchwork Path anthology series host a Q&A panel on getting published in anthologies
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7. Easy Autorun CD Program
I've been working on a digital catalog to be given out on CDs for the upcoming Clark County Fair. Designing a Website-like program to highlight the participating authors was the easy part for me. What I didn't know how to do was get the program I created and saved to the CD to automatically open when someone inserts it into their CD drive. I spent a lot of time searching online. I considered learning how to write a script (i.e., program), but that was, honestly, not something I wanted to spend the time learning how to do. Then, I came across 1st Autorun Express. There's a free, trial version of the program on their site (see link below). This is about the easiest solution to a problem I've ever found. Through a simple program, you answer a few questions and highlight the starting file, in my case an HTML file, and viola, the program does the rest of the work. 1st Autorun Express will work for just about any type of file you've got (html, pdf, mp3, wav, video, music, etc.) Because I'm having the catalog CDs mass produced, I had to upgrade to the commercial version of the software, but that was only $80 and I can use it as many times as I like, need, or want. Plus, with the upgrade, I have more options, like creating menus. Even if you don't think you need this program at the moment, you might want to at least add it to your Bookmarks. You'll just never know when you need it.
1st Autorun Express
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8. About the Editor
Gregory A. Kompes
Gregory A. Kompes (www.kompes.com), The Writerpreneur, is the author of the bestselling 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live, and the Writer’s Series that includes Endorsement Quest, Your Online Media Kit and Should You Write an eBook. He is also a contributor to The Complete Writer’s Journal, Writer’s Bloc I, Writer’s Bloc II, Chopped Liver for the Gentle Spirit, and Chopped Liver for the Kindred Spirit. Gregory speaks frequently on internet marketing and publishing at writer and speaker events and conferences. He also teaches an interactive, ten-week, online course: Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion. The author is a monthly columnist for Writers on the Rise, Production Director for Presenters & Programs, and editor of The Fabulist Flash, an informative newsletter for writers, and the award winning Eighteen Questions, a Q&A series that collects and shares the experiences of published authors. Gregory is co-founder of the Patchwork Path anthology series, Presenters & Programs (the Premier Catalog of Speakers), and the Writer’s Pen & Grill, a writer’s social evening held monthly in Las Vegas, NV. Gregory holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Columbia University, New York, a Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning, and a Masters of Science in Education from California State University, East Bay.
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9. About The Fabulist Flash
ISSN: 1554-0804
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Snail Mail
Gregory A. Kompes, editor
The Fabulist Flash
PO Box 570368
Las Vegas, NV 89157
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