Happy New Year!

First, before 2009 slips away, I’d like to say thanks to you all for taking part in the NRAS Writers Workshop this year. It’s been a very exciting few months getting this group started and having so many talented writers participate. ’Looking forward to a new year of inspiration, collaboration, and progress!

Speaking of progress…on to a topic that’s all too familiar at this time of year: New Year’s resolutions. I used to think that making resolutions was silly and a sure-fire setup for failure—that is, until I started treating them as “goals” and then set out to achieve them by year’s end.

For example, with writing: one year, my goal was to finish writing my novel. I put “The End” on the first draft just under the wire, on the morning of New Year’s Eve in 2007; popping that champagne cork felt better than ever! The next year, my goal was to revise, revise, revise. My writers’ group, several friends, and a professional editor from Little, Brown (via Grub Street’s annual Manuscript Mart, www.grubstreet.org) critiqued my draft and I kept reworking and refining it all year. Then, in 2009, I set out to submit the final draft to literary agents. Again, I took part in the annual Manuscript Mart, this time with a agent, who gave me the valuable feedback I needed to proceed. Right after Thanksgiving, I sent out my first batch of agent queries (so far, so good), and I’m preparing to send out another batch after the first of the year.

So what’s my New Year’s resolution/goal for 2010? Well, to be honest, it’s always the same: to get my novel published! In the meantime, I’m going to be starting a brand-new novel project that’s been swimming around in my head, treading water while it waits for me to throw it a lifeline. And, hopefully, I’ll be sharing the opening chapters with all of you in the coming months.

What are your writing-related resolutions/goals? Feel free to share them with us by commenting on this blog post…if you haven’t quite settled on one yet, here are some suggestions:

• Make a commitment to your writing: set aside one hour a day to sit down and write. Maybe you’ll turn your lunch hour into “writing hour,” or turn off the TV at night and carve out 60 minutes before bedtime. Some people resolve to get up an hour earlier every day (many authors claim that this is an ideal time to work, before the rest of the day’s obligations clutter up the creative flow), but if you’re not a morning person, you may want to be more realistic!

• Or, start simple: write two pages a day. Author Claire Cook, whose workshop I attended a few years ago, offered this deceivingly simple advice. It didn’t hit me until she said: “If you write two pages a day, you could have a rough draft done in six months.” So I tried it and guess what? It works. Writing two pages a day really helps to keep the momentum going and keeps your head “in the story,” since you’re not walking away from it for a week or two at a time.

• Sign up for a writing class. Grub Street in Boston (www.grubstreet.org) offers a varied menu of options, including courses for beginners.

• Attend author readings and seminars. I’m sure you already have our upcoming Author Series with Randy Susan Meyers (2/27/10) on your calendar, and we’ll work hard to bring you more authors quarterly throughout the year. In addition, local bookstores, including Buttonwood Books and Toys in Cohasset, often host authors for readings of their new books. These types of informal events are a good opportunity to meet published authors and ask them questions about their creative process and their journey to publication.

• Start a journal or blog. I suspect that many of you are already doing this, so I won’t go on and on about it…except to say the usual/obvious comment that writing every day can only help you to become a better writer.

• Find a writing partner. As I mentioned, during the upcoming January Writers Workshop, we’ll open up the floor to help find a match for anyone who’s looking to pair off or break down into smaller groups for more intensive and immediate feedback. This type of arrangement may be just the nudge you need to keep on track with your writing-related goals.

Those are just a few ideas; maybe one will work for you, or maybe you have something entirely different in mind. Whatever you resolve to do, all the best to you (and your writing) in 2010!

Survey Says

Thanks to everyone for filling out the survey to help us improve the structure of the NRAS Writers Workshop. It may not come as a surprise that the group was pretty evenly split on the topic of writing exercises. However, just about everyone was in favor of continuing with the critiquing sessions—even if they didn’t want to have their own work critiqued, they were willing to offer feedback to other writers.

So, here’s the compromise that we’ve come up with: if you downright detest writing exercises (or if you’re just running late), feel free to show up at 7:45, just in time for refreshments, followed by two critiques (at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.). This approach seems to fit well with our “drop-in anytime” philosophy.

In addition, many of you expressed an interest in breaking down into smaller critique groups, possibly by genre. Logistically, that is more than Heather and I can handle at the moment, but we invite you to do so outside of the monthly Writers Workshop. We can bring this up at the January gathering, or you can post a message on this blog to invite others to join you in a smaller group.

The dates of our next three meetings (Winter 2010) are: January 19, February 16, and March 16. The critique slots have been filled for January and March, but the two February slots are open. Please let me know if you’d like to sign up for one of those spots.

And please save the date of Saturday, February 27, 2-4 p.m., for our first Author Series, with Randy Susan Meyers (The Murderer’s Daughters, St. Martin’s Press, January 2010).

Happy Holidays, everyone, and see you in the New Year!

The Marshall Plan of Novel Writing

At our last workshop, two of our members discussed their experiences using The Marshall Plan of Novel Writing, a 16-step writing program which breaks down the novel-writing process into small, manageable tasks that even the most inexperienced writers can achieve. Readers will learn how to find a hook, create a conflict, develop a protagonist and set her into motion.

As one reviewer puts it, "This is not a book about how to write great dialogue or develop charismatic characters (even though there are tips on how to get some of this accomplished).  This book is a blueprint, the scene by scene layout of your novel's plot structure.... detailed as stating the order in which the first 15 scenes (called sections) need to occur and what characters need to appear in those scenes and what in general terms need to happen."

Here is the link to the Amazon item.  http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Plan-Novel-Writing/dp/1582970629

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and a successful month of writing!

Survey Reminder

I hope everyone's been having a productive and pleasant month.

Just a reminder about the survey we sent out to help us improve the Writers Workshop. Please either e-mail it to me or bring a printout to our next meeting -- this Tuesday, November 17. Thanks to all of you who've already sent your feedback and suggestions in. It's very helpful! (If you need me to re-send the survey, please e-mail me...)

I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and to the writing, discussion, and critiques.

See you soon!

Author Series Launching

Heather and I are excited to announce the date of the first Author Series! Please mark your calendars: on Saturday, February 27, 2-4 p.m., the NRAS Writers Workshop will welcome author Randy Susan Meyers (The Murderer’s Daughters, St. Martin’s Press, January 2010) for a writing seminar, followed by a reading and a Q&A. More details to come in 2010…

Here is an advance review of her novel, from the Library Journal:

Lulu and Merry, ages ten and six, respectively, live with parents for whom marriage is a permanent battleground. One summer day in 1971, their father fatally stabs their mother in their Brooklyn apartment near Coney Island. Merry is also attacked but survives. When their father goes to jail, the sisters are shuffled from relatives to a group home to foster care. Lulu forever blames herself for her father's crimes, and Merry inexplicably continues to carry a torch for her father. How will they come to terms with their horrific past? Readers will follow them well into adulthood, hoping for the best. VERDICT First novelist Meyers draws on the eight years she worked at a batterer intervention program. Much like Janet Fitch's White Oleander or Jacqueline Mitchard's The Deep End of the Ocean , her book takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Readers, get out your handkerchief and prepare to care.-Keddy Ann Outlaw, Houston

For more information about Randy, please visit her Website: www.randysusanmeyers.com.

How I spent my time when I should have been writing!

 Here is a link to my first ever blog post on my very own Blog. I spent hours composing this thing, when I should have been working on my novel, or my homework, or a posting for the NRAS Writers Blog!  Well, it is writing and I put in a lot of practice. I find Blogger to be an uncomfortable, time-consuming application whose functionality leaves something to be desired. 

http://amieccentric.blogspot.com/

Morning After

Thanks so much for joining us for our second Writers Workshop. Welcome to the newcomers, and welcome back to all of you "seasoned veterans," to borrow Buck's term.

A special thanks to Susan and Kristine for their bravery in being the first to present their work to the group. I hope everyone enjoyed these productive sessions, and we look forward to seeing the next chapters from both writers in the future.

Speaking of which:

1. We'll bring a new critique sign-up sheet to the next meeting (November 17), so that people can sign up for 2010 critique sessions.

2. We'll be adding (soon!) a new section to the blog site for all of you to add the titles of books on writing that you would recommend to the rest of the group.

3. We'll be e-mailing a survey to you in the next couple of weeks to get your input on how to improve the structure and impact of the monthly Writers Workshop meetings. So check your inbox for that message and others coming your way...we look forward to your continued input and suggestions.

Thanks again, and see you next month!
Jen

New and Improving

The wonderful thing about the new Writers Workshop is that we can do anything – the possibilities are boundless! The challenge? We can do anything – the possibilities are boundless.

The initial goal for the Writers Workshop was to provide an outlet for aspiring and seasoned writers to come together and share the writing experience in whatever way they choose. Some writers are looking for a community: a place to hang out with other people going through the same ups and downs, blocks, rejections, and joys of writing. Others are in search of a little inspiration and motivation, a “beacon” in the month that’s all about writing, or an “anchor” that keeps them focused on their creative aspirations. Many are hoping for some helpful feedback in the form of critiques – a common objective in writing groups. And some of us seek all of the above!

The last thing we want is for this monthly gathering to get in the way of your writing. The Writers Workshop is intended to enhance, expand, and encourage the creative process – not interfere with it.

As our next meeting draws near, perhaps we should begin to think about ways in which the Writers Workshop could be improved, so that everyone involved gets something valuable out of it.

See you next week!

Constructive Criticism

Here we go! We now have our first submissions for critique in hand, and it’s time to get started reviewing the material. But, first…

As you read, please keep in mind that the point of constructive criticism is to help the writer improve the work. The writer shouldn’t take criticism personally, and the readers should be able to deliver their comments in a way that isn’t insulting. Here are some suggestions that may work for you as you critique the first three submissions:

Balance the positive with the negative: As you read the work, please take the time to underline or place asterisks beside sentences, phrases, or passages that you think are well written or work particularly well. Similarly, if there is wording that doesn’t make sense or is unclear, indicate this in the text. This type of specific feedback will help the writer to better understand how well he/she is conveying the story, characters, plot, setting, themes, etc.

Ask questions: If the writer is not getting his/her point(s) across to the reader, let it be known. Otherwise, the writer will assume that everything is clear and well communicated and does not need any improvement. Clearing up any confusion now will save headaches down the line.

Make suggestions: If you think you might have a suggestion that would be helpful to the writer, please add it—either within the margins beside the corresponding text or in a concise paragraph at the end.

Obviously, we’ll have some time to discuss each piece at the upcoming Writers Workshop, but it’s especially helpful for the writer to have notes to take home and digest afterward. Please read slowly, carefully, and thoughtfully, even going over the pieces more than once if you have the time. Remember: it took the writer many agonizing hours and a bit of courage to present this work to you!

Note to writers: take every piece of feedback for what it’s worth, keeping in mind that this is the first time any of us has seen your work and that there are so many different genres in the mix.

If you have any questions about critiquing or constructive criticism, please leave a note in the “Comments” section below or e-mail me at Jen_McInerney@yahoo.com.

How Twitter Is Helpful for Aspiring Writers

So, I am a Twitterer. Some days it's the only writing I do. I must edit my thought down to its very basics, and this hones my skills, and breeds good writing habits. I have connected with fabulous writers, and follow them daily. Some are my favorite authors, some are my neighbors, some have just caught my eye by how clever they are. I don't just follow the writing industry, of course. I follow Pop Culture, Iranian freedom fighters, high tech innovators, soap stars, and my favorite Twitterer of all, Elizabeth Taylor. If you've never Twittered, but are curious what a writer could get out of the experience, I'm attaching an article below which lists what other writers are saying about Twitter. Try it, you might like it! And, if you need Twitter advice, feel free to contact me at heather@tillybud.com.


How Twitter Is Helpful for Aspiring Writers
Posted by Jane



At this weekend's Editors' Intensive, Alice Pope & I were trying to explain how Twitter works and how it can be helpful for writers.

There were many skeptics in the audience. So I posed the question to my friends/followers on Twitter: How has Twitter helped you as a writer?

I love the responses I received, so I'm sharing with all. Thank you for your generous tips—and if you have more to say beyond 140 characters, you have the comments to elaborate!

Twitter's let me meet writers, editors, & agents I might not have, & helped me understand all aspects of the business better.
@littlefluffycat

Contacts, sources and community - it's a digital moveable feast
@FictionMatters

I've met editors, agents, big authors, up & coming authors, spread the word about my blog, made wonderful friends!
@RachelJameson

The connection/interaction to other writers, editors, even agents has been hugely enlightening.
@jdistraction

Twitter helped me meet ppl I wouldn't have had access to otherwise. Casual format makes asking questions less intimidating.
@RocchiJulia

Twitter has helped me connect with other writers like me. We encourage each other--writing is no longer a lonely occupation.
@TboneJenkins

Twitter has helped me learn more about specific agents and enabled me to make a better decision on if they're right for me.
@HeatherMcCorkle

Twitter also keeps me updated on the writing industry & has helped me meet great writers I wouldn't have otherwise met.
@HeatherMcCorkle

Met many writers and authors I never would have met on Twitter.
@lafreya1

How has Twitter helped? Connected to writers, pubs, opportunities, promotion - gotten more readers on blog, my novel, etc
@tericoyne

Twitter helped me find an excellent guide in southern Austria on a research trip for my next historical novel.
@KarenEssex

Twitter helps me observe the minds of literary agents! I've discovered those not living in New York are almost normal, almost!
@kenkanten

Inspiration: microfiction and poetry at my fingertips, showing how much can be conveyed in 25 words.
@amgamble

Networking in a telecommuting industry. Editing for concise: make cuts and preserve meaning. Best clipping service ever.
@amgamble

Writing community with support and very imp. info re: today's publishing world.
@jessrosenbooks

Twitter gives affirmation of what I know and information about what I don't. Networking allows pub. & unpub. to come together.
@jessrosenbooks

I agree with everything @jessrosenbooks says about writers & twitter. Support, info & encouragement is incredible, even for a rookie :)
@CafeNirvana

I am learning a lot from twitter friends and people who share info through twitter. And I'm getting to know fantastic people.
@mariblaser

Twitter has taught me about platforms, promotion, community, and audience.
@alittlesandy

I've had hot scoops from tweeters in other countries, I've met ace journos i never would have otherwise ... I've been filming a Lisbon city guide using nothing more than my phone, mostly twitter, no printed research, guides etc.
@UKtraveleditor

Twitter helps me connect with fellow writers in a fun and collegiate way
@Debs1

Networking, research, discovering new things, calling attn to my blog has been ESSENTIAL to my work flow.
@jenzug

Learned of an online auction, bid for crit from my dream editor, won, got crit & a request for full!
@AuntBirdseed

Still learning Twitter, but like the opportunity to follow info on specific subjects from lots of sources in one place.
@meredithrmorgan

From @DavidRozansky:

I have acquired more than a dozen potential new authors for our house via Twitter pitches.

Linking to articles via Twitter has increased blog traffic by 900%.

Twitter keeps tabs on rival publishing houses & client bookstores.

By following industry experts, knowledge of books industry grows exponentially.

Links to books on Twitter results in increased book sales.

I've built platform of 2,600 Twitter followers in only 5 months, no gimmicks.

I run #scifichat, a weekly scifi books group discussion, Fri. 2-4 pm.

Twitter gives me ideas for books and marketing before competition.

Through Twitter, I am first to learn of trends and news in the books industry.

The best thing-I make friends with fab people in the industry, like yourself!

Why Wait?

Okay, okay—so it sounded better, neater, tidier on paper: “I manage to carve out some time for my writing each day.” The less-than-lovely reality is that sometimes that treasured time amounts to only five minutes scraped together between my daughter’s bedtime and a late dinner, when I can whip open my laptop and make a quick, but pivotal, edit that’s been stuck in my head all day. If I get to sit down in a relatively quiet room for more than 20 uninterrupted minutes to focus on the words in front of me, or the ones flowing from my fingertips, I consider myself among the most fortunate. I’m thankful for even the small, spontaneous, stolen moments.

I discovered years ago that there’s no such thing as write-opia: a large clutter-free desk in an airy, high-ceilinged room with warm sunlight and a delicate breeze trickling in through a wall of windows overlooking the shimmering ocean. At least not at this stage of my life. Maybe someday…but who can afford to wait?

Likewise with waiting around for inspiration to “strike.” Yes, it’s thrilling to feel tapped into some external force that’s guiding your characters, your plot, your dialogue. You want to hold onto that connection, squeeze out every last glorious drop before you turn back into a pumpkin. But have you ever noticed that oftentimes, when you reread your writing the next day, it’s not quite as “inspired” as it seemed at the time?

Sometimes, the most rewarding writing happens on the most lackluster of days, in short, desperate spurts…and without a roaring blaze in the fireplace or a wide-open afternoon schedule. Your writing is always there, just waiting for you.

(And, frankly, so is inspiration, but that's a different post for a different day...Heather and I invite you to comment on any and all of our posts -- share your thoughts and opinions!)

My Favorite Tool

Do you want a way to organize all your ideas and find them anytime you need to, just by typing a word? Add the ability to tag each idea, and search the tags. Wouldn't it be nice if in that same place that you keep all your ideas, you could drag anything from the Internet into it, and connect that information to one of your ideas as simply as you drag a word around in a .doc? What if you could link ideas,with one easy stroke, and then step back to visually see any patterns that form, as you build a story. Imagine if this was a simple application, and built into it was a screen that you can type in, for each idea, for each Internet item. And what if you could link documents to each idea. What if you could easily run reports to list those documents.

Well these are just a few of the extraordinary functions of Personal Brain. I've been using it now about 4 years, and it is the greatest single application I've ever found. I spent months looking for a program that would help me with all the above. If you would like to try the Personal Brain, you can use it free for a month. When the time is up, you won't lose any of your work. It just won't let you to add any more. The support from the company is phenomenal. They offer free weekly seminars on line LIVE, plus many more live presentations by a variety of users. And there is a users forum that is very helpful. If you have any questions you would like to ask, email me at heather@tillybud.com.

Unmoored, adrift, unsettled, to borrow Heather’s word from her previous post: that’s exactly how I feel if I don’t write on a regular basis. Fortunately, over the past few years, I’ve managed to carve out some time each day to devote specifically to writing. As a result, I feel a powerful sense of momentum in my writing – it’s physically easier to sit down and get right to it, plus my mind stays involved in the story when I’m away from the page. And it keeps me (relatively) sane.

What I’ve also found extremely helpful is being involved in writing communities, such as the Writers Workshop. There’s nothing quite like sitting in a room with other writers, sharing the successes and struggles we encounter along this nonstop, sometimes solitary, sometimes roller-coaster-like journey. As much as our families and friends try to sympathize, they can never truly empathize with the writer’s life unless they’re living it, too.

When we last met, several of you acknowledged that you’re either returning to writing after a long interruption or “finally” making good on your promise to yourself to sit down and write once you retired. Hopefully these monthly gatherings will help all of us get settled into the rhythm of writing, giving us goals and deadlines to shoot for, perhaps a little inspiration, and the all-important camaraderie and solidarity of communing with writers like ourselves.

Grub Street Writing Assignment:: Week One

Hi, Kids,
Here's my first Grub St. assignment, as promised. I actually did some writing this weekend because of it! For months, I've felt so unsettled. I just couldn't make myself write ANYTHING. It's embarrassing when you've told the world you are a writer, and then you don't write. You start to believe you are a fraud.....and that compounds the blockage. I think this new class is going to be good for me. We sat down, and the teacher had us take out a piece of paper. She told us to write down five reasons we haven't been writing. Then she said, "Now, scrunch your paper up into a ball, and throw it over your shoulder". and we did. "OK", she said. "In this room, right now, those things are done and gone. Now, let's write"! and I did!

Assignment One:

(1000 words max.)

Think of something that really annoys you about somebody that you love. This can be a family member, a friend, a spouse, or an imaginary character that you make up. Write a story (1,000 words max) that reveals that person’s faults and foibles, showing the myriad dimensions of love.

Don’t be afraid to draw from your own experience.

Your memories are a wonderful and vital place to start.

As always, have fun!

Write or Die

Hello, Fellow NRAS Writers Workshop! Heather here, with a little somethin' somethin' you might like.

Write or Die Dr. Wicked's Writing Lab to be found at: http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html is a web application that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing. Start typing in the box. As long as you keep typing, you're fine, but once you stop typing, you have a grace period of a certain number of seconds and then there are consequences.

Many people find themselves unable to write consistently. If you find yourself easily distracted, you may find the Write or Die site quite helpful.

A tangible consequence is more effective than an intangible reward.Write or die satisfies this need to be held to the fire.

Consequences:

• Gentle Mode: A certain amount of time after you stop writing, a box will pop up, gently reminding you to continue writing.
• Normal Mode: If you persistently avoid writing, you will be played a most unpleasant sound. The sound will stop if and only if you continue to write.
• Kamikaze Mode: Keep Writing or Your Work Will Unwrite Itself

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Thank you all for attending the first meeting of the NRAS Writers Workshop.

Dates of Upcoming Meetings:

October 20 -- Jen, Susan, and Kristine will present their work for critique.

November 17 -- Robine, Joan, and Heather R. will present their work for critique.

December 15 -- Buck, Heather S., and Donna will present their work for critique.