Blog Post on how to "Enliven your Writing with an Understanding of Clinical and Spiritual Psychology."

I recently attended a fascinating writing workshop presented by Dr. Richard P. Johnson on how writers can enliven their writing to create vivid, believable characters through an understanding of clinical and spiritual psychology.

In his workshop, Dr. Johnson presented his paradigm of personality based on human spiritual strengths.

I posted my notes on Dr. Johnson's workshop on Donna's Book Pub.

Two-Part Post about How to Submit a Book for Review

Over the past two weeks I've posted a two-part series titled "A Day in the Life of A Book Review Editor" over on Donna's Book Pub.

The content for the post comes from a visit to Saturday Writers by Jane Henderson, book editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who also has a book blog.

If you haven't read the posts, here's a link.

A Day in the Life of a Book Editor (Part I)

A Day in the Life of a Book Editor (Part II)

Lessons Learned on Self-Editing Article on Walrus Publishing

Last month I brought an article to Coffee and Critique for comments, and the members of the group graciously made suggestions.

Several writers also asked to see the final article after it was published, so I'm providing this link to the article on the Walrus Publishing site.

Walrus Publishing is a handy resource for writers and readers to find writing advice, contest announcements, and other helpful writing-related information.

Do you have any self-editing tips to share?

Take Ten with Stan Wilson - Inventor, Grant Writer, and Entrepreneur

Stan Wilson has belonged to Coffee and Critique for several years. Many of his stories are set in southern Indiana, but others occur in out-of-this-world locations. Members of Coffee and Critique especially enjoy Stan's stories with strong science fiction elements, about which, he tell us, "the science part is true." He contributed two stories to the Coffee and Critique Anthology: "Whiskers and Whispers" and "Do-It-Yourself Fishing."

Stan grew up in humid southern Indiana, the land of beautiful hardwood forests, limestone cliffs with bubbling creeks and thousands of caves with hidden rivers and buried caches of gold or secret hordes of confederate treasures so some say. In college, he studied physics, electronics and engineering leading to a career as an entrepreneur, inventor and design engineer, often as the manager of the manufacturing firm producing his designs.

Married, with two grown sons, he enjoys writing for fun along with his many hobbies which include amateur radio, MG cars, model boats and airplanes.

Here are Stan's answers to the take ten questions:

1. What or who inspired you to become a writer?

 I really have no idea. I have written technical articles for DIY newsletters for years.

 2. What is your writing specialty?

Non-fiction grant and proposal writing -- developing creative solutions to complex design problems.  This is a total reversal from writing fiction.  A money-winning grant is written in first person and present tense. I take great pride in that over the years my grants and proposals have resulted in employment for several hundred people including myself.  

3. How would you describe your writing process?

My stories are always visible in my mind before putting them on paper. The same is true when I am designing a product. The story difficulty occurs in putting them on paper. The designed products sometimes lose my interest because they are already ‘real’ in my mind.

I spend a portion of ever day either in my writing attempts or inventing. Writing is more difficult.

Others might consider both are my hobbies.

 4. What is the best part of being a writer? The worst part?

The best part for me is seeing and feeling my characters come alive on the page.

The worst part about writing is I’ve had to learn enough English to convey my story to others.

5. What is the best writing advice you’ve received?  The worst?

The best advice came from Nick Nixon who told me to listen for the story’s beat and to make it happen.

The worst advice, psychological, was from those who have told me I am wasting my time. But writing to me is like my dad’s fishing. Dad always said one didn’t have to catch fish to enjoy fishing. I don’t have to write a novel which will become a famous movie; I only need to enjoy the conversations with my characters as I tell about them on the paper. 

6. Which books on writing you can recommend for other writers?

In my case they are English manuals, both available in the used books on Amazon.com for about a dollar.

William Strunk and  E.B. White “The Elements of Style”

“Plain English Handbook”  by J. Martyn Walsh and Anna Kathleen Walsh.

 7. How has belonging to Coffee and Critique benefitted you?

Critiques are tough; however, they do improve one’s stories. At least I now know the difference between adverbs and adjectives. I still get my subjects and objects reversed and I hate writing in past tense.

On the social side, I have met many interesting and nice people via the C&C.

The fastest two hours of the week are those spent attending the critique.

8. If you’ve been published or have won awards, which are the most special to you?

 Five of my stories have been published in anthologies.

It is a toss-up on which of them, I like the best. “Bloody Good Da’ For a Picnic” was pure fiction, and I still feel the emotion when I read it, which I felt when I wrote it. The other one is a true story. “Tomorrow at Five” was fun to live and fun to write about.

9. What three words best describe you?

 Imaginative (I always think outside the box), have a sense of humor, and stubborn.

10. What are you working on now, and/or what is your writing dream?

I am cleaning up many of the stories I have written over the past four years. My goal is to get them to an editor by the end of this year and self publish.

Bonus question: If you could interview one or two famous writers or historic figures living or deceased, who would they be and what would you ask them?

I would love to have a conversation with author, Jules Verne from the 19^th century. He was at least two hundred years ahead of others in his view of what the engineering world would become in the future.

It would be a thrill to talk to, Dr. Nikola Tesla, the world’s greatest inventor for even an hour. He invented our power grid with allows us to light up the world.  He invented the electric motor and generator. He even had a remote control boat before wireless or radio existed.

I often wonder, if men like them were actually time travelers.

Finally, is there anything you’d like to add?

I believe to become a great writer one has to be driven at a young age to learn the skills required which are many.

Thanks, Stan, for your insight into your writing process and thoughts on writing and life.

Take Ten with Coffee and Critique - First Up, Doyle Suit

Take Ten with Coffee and Critique is a new feature intended to highlight the writers who belong to the Coffee and Critique group and to share some of their writing wisdom.

The Take Ten feature includes an introduction and a bio of the member, followed by an interview with ten questions, plus one bonus question.

First up is Doyle Suit, interviewed by Donna Volkenannt.

Doyle is a cherished and loyal member of C&C. He has belonged to C&C since the group's founding in 2007 by Donna Volkenannt and Lou Turner. 

Introduction: We can always rely on Doyle to share a great story and give insightful and thorough critiques. Friendly and welcoming to all members, Doyle embodies the Coffee and Critique motto of being "candid but kind." 

Bio: Doyle and his lovely wife of a half century live in St. Charles, MO near their children and grandchildren. He and his wife play golf and bridge and enjoy bluegrass music. Doyle's stories appear in Cactus Country, Thin Threads, Our Favorite Pets, My Dad is my Hero, Bigfoot Confidential, Cuivre River Anthologies, and various magazines.
 

Interview: Here are Doyle Suit's Take Ten Q&A with Coffee and Critique:

1. What inspired you to become a writer?
 

Doyle:  I can’t pinpoint a single inspiration. A high school English teacher sparked my interest in literature. Failed attempts to write when I was younger made me want to improve my skills. Family members who were published encouraged me. Finally, writing technical proposals in the aircraft industry sounded like a good background for fiction writing. It didn't quite work that way.
 

2. What is your writing specialty?
 

Doyle: I write primarily novels and short stories, but occasionally I get sidetracked into writing memoirs, essays, articles, or even songs.
 

3 What is your writing process?

Doyle: I write almost every day and avoid detailed outlines. The seat of the pants method usually works for me. Deadlines tend to improve my efficiency.

 

4. What is the best part of being a writer? The worst part?
 

Doyle: The best part of being a writer is satisfying an itch to create stories. The worst part is waiting for a publisher to decide, or maybe it’s people who tell me writing is a nice hobby.
 

5. What is the best writing advice you’ve received?  The worst?
 

Doyle: The best advice I’ve received is to apply my butt to a chair and don’t let the truth get in the way of telling a good story. The worst is encouragement to write whatever I think will sell.
 

6. Which books on writing can you recommend for other writers?
 

Doyle: Numerous books can be helpful. My standbys are Plain English Handbook, Roget’s Thesaurus and The Elements of Style.
 

7. How has belonging to Coffee and Critique benefitted you?
 

Doyle: Constructive advice from talented writers at Coffee and Critique fostered discipline to pay attention to fundamentals and write about what’s important to me.
 

8. If you’ve been published or have won awards, which are the most special to you?
 

Doyle: I’m proud of all my publications and awards. Having my work included in My Dad is my Hero, Thin Threads, Cactus Country, Bigfoot Confidential, and Cuivre River Anthologies is special. My YA novel, Baker Mountain, will be published in the near future. First place award for Saturday Writers short story contest and Springfield Writers Guild Jim Stone Fiction Award grace the walls of my office.
 

9. What three words best describe you?
 

Doyle: Right-brained Engineer
 

10. What is your writing dream? 
 

Doyle: I want to publish work that entertains and reinforces values like self-reliance, honesty, thrift and respect for others. These were expected when I grew up. I fear they are not sufficiently emphasized in today’s world.
 

Bonus question: Anything you’d like to add?
 

Doyle: To those who suggest I’d be better served to do real work instead of writing stories, writing is work. I learned the hard way.

 

Thank you, Doyle, for giving us a glimpse into your writing world and for sharing your wisdom. 

 

To learn more about Doyle, visit his website http://www.doylesuitstoryteller.com

Nathan Bransford's Writing Advice Database

Literary Agent Nathan Bransford has an awesome blog entry complete with links to his past writing advice for every stage in the writing process, from "Before You Start" to "Staying Sane During the Writing/Publishing Process." Check out his Writing Advice Database.

Self Care for Authors or How to Stop From Curling Up In a Quivering Mess

Close up of pen Creative Commons

Here's a great post from editor Alan Rinzler on retaining confidence in your writing while navigating this rejection-filled world. Link found care of Nathan Bransford's most excellent blog.

Finding Time to Write

Clock by Darren Hester Creative Commons


Mucho thanks to Michael for sending me this link. I have a big project I'm working on and sometimes it feels overwhelming. But I perked right up after I read this advice from Tom Monteleone on how to find time to write a book.

My favorite tidbit - don't try to make up pages if you miss a day because then you defeat the purpose of doing it in managable segments. Work piles on and you give up again. So three pages a day it is.

What to Put in Your Author's Bio for Query Letters

Agent Nathan Bradsford referred his intrepid readers to Agent Jonathon Lyons post on what authors should include in their query letter bios. They want to know me! They really, really want to know me!

It falls into three major categories:

• Publishing Credentials


• Professional Career


• Personal Details

You'll find his examples in the the blog post.

Of course, agent tastes differ. Some agents tell you not to put anything if you don't have any good credits. But all the advice I've read says you should put things relevant to your book. So if you're an astronaut writing books about astronauts, it might be good to include that.

For example, Patricia Wood, author of Lottery, writes about a mentally challenged character who wins the lottery. She is a P.h.D candidate studying education and disability, and her father won the Washington State Lottery, so I'm sure those experiences helped her write the book and might have helped sell her query on the novel. My book review of Lottery appears earlier on the blog.

Don't include all regional contest wins - focus on awards with national reputations unless you won the award at a conference the agent/editor attended.

But most of all - you must send out your query. After you've done your homework and refined it, set it free. It doesn't matter what credits you have if no one ever sees your letter.

Webcasts of 2007 BookExpo America/Writer's Digest Books Writers Conference

No time or money to attend the 2007 BEA/Writer's Digest Books Writers Conference?

Now Writer's Digest, Booksurge and Write Bros. are sponsoring online web videos of some sessions. The keynote address by Jodi Picoult is free.

There are several other sessions that cost $20 per viewing. But once you pay, you can view them as many times as you like. It's much cheaper than attending the conference, and you can pick the sessions most valuable to you.

Here is the list of webcasts:

VIDEO WEBCASTS
Keynote Speech: Jodi Picoult (FREE) Keynote speech by Jodi Picoult.

Writing the Breakout Novel: Characters ($20) Workshop on creating characters by agent Donald Maass, of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.

The Six Usual Suspects: Fiction Writing Conundrums ($20)Fiction writer Peter Selgin's workshop explaining how to fix six errors novelists make.

How to Write an Irresistible Nonfiction Book Proposal ($20)Rita Rosenkranz, of the Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency, covers how to create a winning non-fiction proposal, hook an agent, and get published.

Later they plan to have free audio versions of popular workshops from the conference, so stay tuned.