writing

Only One Rule?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

I have just returned home from an amazing Christian Writing Conference in Tempe, Arizona.

If you’re a conference goer, you know they schedule guest speakers who inform and motivate. Everyone needs a “shot in the arm” now and then!

Writers are constantly barraged with rules and they can be tough to learn. And the rules keep changing.

That’s part of the appeal of writing conferences—to learn new techniques and make connections with other authors. Helping each other muddle through is key.

At the end of conferences, there is usually time to wrap things up, evaluate, and do pre-planning for the following year.

In today’s wrap up, J. Tronstad said something memorable—something everyone is likely to remember for a long time. I truly do not know if this statement is “original” to her or if she was quoting someone else. But I do know it got a lot of laughter and head nodding. 

So, here you go. Something to brighten your day: ”There’s only one rule to writing. Unfortunately, no one knows what it is.”

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I’m No Stephen King, But–

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

“No, I don’t consciously set goals for each year,” my friend said. “I wouldn’t meet them and just end up feeling dejected and a failure.”

“But, how can you know you’ve reached a goal, if you don’t set one?”

Goals for weight loss/gain.

Goals for learning a new skill.

Goals for travel/education.

Goals for writing.

Here are my writing goals for last year, which may not seem quite so lofty. However, remembering that I needed to set aside time to be with my father in Memory Care, do my volunteering with Hospice, spend time in Bible Study, help my husband with renovation of a condo, and spend time with grandchildren, these are pretty realistic goals:

  1. Write and publish one more book.
  2. Attend one writing conference.
  3. Attend monthly Christian Writers of the West meetings.
  4. Take part in monthly critique groups (2).

Did I meet my goals? Absolutely.

And the only thing better than that is when one surpasses the goals they set.

In my case, I found that during the year, there was also time to take advantage of opportunities to write and publish a novella and five short stories, as well as take one online course.

These goals worked for me. 

No, I’m no Stephen King or Isaac Asimov. And certainly not a Mary Faulkner, who is known as the most prolific novelist at having written 904 books under six pen names.

But I am doing the best I can, meeting goals one-at-a-time. And learning to love life outside of writing, too!

I’m trying not to compare myself to my author-friend who wrote seven fiction books and battled Covid, herself, in 2020. She also helped home-school her grandchildren!

For sure, making goals helps one be productive and feel accomplished.

And that, after all, is the goal.

Reasons, Reasons, and More Reasons

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Reasons for Authors Using Pen Names Might Include:

  1. If the author’s real name is similar (or identical) to another well-known person, an author might want to change it so as not to be confused with the “other person.”

2) To keep their writing career separate from their “occupation.”

3)  To have a more memorable name.

4)  To make certain one has access to the URL and social media handles they want.

5)    If one’s real name is hard to pronounce or is easily misspelled.

6)   Writing under different names may help to avoid readers’ confusion if the authors writes in several different genres.

7) If they are writing about something controversial and fear reprisal.

8)  If their real name suggests something negative. (I remember being afraid of our family doctor when I was a child. His name was Dr. Slaughter!)

9) Just for fun!

When Is An Author Like a Mosquito?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

We’ve had more rain than usual this year in Arizona. And that means mosquitos.

So, I went online to see just how long these pesky critters might be hanging around—and making my life miserable. 

I googled Life Expectancy of the Mosquito. From what I read, it looked like they might be around for awhile.

But that got me thinking …

What is the life expectancy of an author? I’m not referring to the number of years they might live. Just how many years they will write… the total number of years they will practice the craft of writing?

I went to Google. I found information on how many books the average writer reads per year, how long it takes for the average writer to write a book, how much money the average writer makes per year, the average daily word count for an author—in other words, all kinds of information. But I didn’t find any information about how many years they write, on average.

So, I can only speculate that authors write as long as it is profitable for them, as long as they have interest in the craft, until they run out of ideas, as long as the circumstances of their lives don’t change and require their time to be spent differently.

Asking a few authors this question, most said one of these:

“As long as I can.”

“As long as people keep buying my books.”

“As long as I keep waking up each day with a fire within me that can only be quenched by writing.”

“Until I no longer enjoy writing.”

 As for me?

 Like the mosquito, I just may be hanging around for awhile.

Confessions of a Hybrid

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

A “pantser” is a person who writes by the seat of their pants. He writes with little to no advance planning of plot, characters, and so on. A “planner” does just the opposite. He/she plans out the plot, the scenes, the character arc—all of it—in advance. 

I suppose you could call me  a “hybrid.” I have a definite beginning and ending in mind for my books. I even have a rough idea of how I am going to get there. However, as my characters develop, I really do listen to them. If they can argue a good case for any given action, I can be swayed.

I am always willing to use the delete key any time they bring a better idea forward.

Case in point: In Runaways: The Long Journey Home, Charlie and Claire convinced me to allow them to remain at the “Summer House” longer than I had anticipated. They had valid reasons why this would be essential to the plot.

I caved. They stayed.

In Will’s Last Testament, I allowed Will to remain healthy longer than I originally had written because he defended his reasoning so well. The resulting timeline is much more satisfying.

I also listen to my critique partner and writing group. If they say they are confused by a scene or they don’t understand a character’s motivation, for instance, I reread my submission to myself and usually decide they are absolutely right. They are my “voices of reason” when I get so caught up in the story and so close to the characters that I cannot be impartial.

I’m a self-professed hybrid: a “plantser.” How about you?

Mom Loved to Read

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

My writing journey started with reading. I grew up in a home where my mother modeled the love of reading.

In elementary school, my teachers read to the class after lunch recess. (A perfect way to calm down a rowdy group after a lively game of volley ball). I looked forward to this time of day, as they read to us about children in other countries, cultures, and time periods. My understanding of the power of the written word to transport and inspire began in those classrooms decades ago.

It shouldn’t surprise you, then, to hear that I grew up to be a teacher and that one of the favorite parts of my day was reading to my own class after lunch. As I looked out at a sea of young faces , I could tell which ones were also caught up in the story and equally disappointed when we rejoined the present world and turned toward our math lesson.

When my own children were small, I didn’t have a lot of time for writing, so I wrote short stories, poems, or skits—just enough to satisfy my yearning to create. But, I definitely wanted more.

Once I retired, and decided to write in earnest, I found that writing fiction fulfills that inner longing to bring to life characters that others can enjoy. By the power of the written word, they live, breathe, and have a voice. 

And, yes, like most writers, I harbor that secret hope that some day they will live for all to see—on the big screen!

Please write and share how you started your writing journey.

Face Your Fear of Public Speaking

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Self-promotion is the name of the game. Even though we writers may say it is about the message in our writing (which, of course, it is) no one will “get it” if they don’t hear about us.

Blogs, Podcasts, Facebook, Twitter—these are certainly tools to accomplish the same thing. But none of these, alone, will accomplish what “in person”, face-to-face contact will do. Whether it is speaking at a critique group, local writing club or writing conference, our spoken words are powerful ways to connect to others.

Self-confidence  in public speaking is built by years of experience in snatching up speaking opportunities wherever, and whenever, they come along. If we don’t, we may very well be giving up our opportunity to be heard via our writing, also.

We can get over our insecurities and fear of public speaking by building our confidence in doing exactly the very thing we are most afraid of. Push ourselves to our most uncomfortable limit.

The problem is, even while I write these words, I can feel my heart rate escalating. I feel the all-too-familiar hives creeping up toward my neck…. 

You can run, but you can’t hide. You can avoid for years, but if we are honest with ourselves, it can actually feel good to face our fears.

Let’s get out there and do something about it.

There are opportunities to speak at schools, public libraries, even bookstores. We cannot make a difference in the world if we are not able to articulate our message, both in written and spoken speech. 

It’s going to take practice.

We’ve come too far to quit. We have so much to say!

Grab your phone. Dial the number for a public speaking self-help group in your area (Toastmasters may be a good place to start).

Remember:  in order to be a recognized name in the field of writing, one also must be a public speaker!

Have Fun!

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

“Write, write, write. It seems like that’s all you do, anymore. You should let yourself have a little fun, now and then!” A friend of mine commented. 

Yes, it IS hard work—and yes, it CAN feel like solitary confinement at times, but it really IS what I want to be doing. Because it IS fun!

I could be cleaning house, exercising, paying bills, doing laundry, shopping, reading, people watching, decorating…

But I like writing! It’s the act of digging deeper into myself, asking more and more of myself while creating characters that are exciting, whimsical, hilarious, endearing, and even scary at times. It is the telling of their stories—their hopes, disappointments, dreams, accomplishments— that is so compelling. 

The voices of my characters call to me. I see their faces. Feel their impatience.

So, I set aside my laundry, put something on the counter to defrost for dinner, and hope there will be enough time at the end of the day for a walk around the block. 

I warm my cup of coffee in the microwave and head for my home office, satisfied that I’ve made the right choice for my day. 

Remaining 2020 Online Conferences/Workshops

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

 

Covid-19 is changing the way that we have done things. One of the biggest changes is in group gatherings.

Yesterday, I attended my first online writer’s conference. Usually held in person in Arizona, the Desert Sleuth’s Conference was full of information. It was also free. I couldn’t pass up that deal.

They did a good job of everything, from their selection of presenters, topics, advertising, and making their audience feel included and valued.

For the foreseeable future, virtual meetings may be the way to go. So, I compiled this list of remaining conferences you might like to “attend”online this year. (I am sure if you research a bit on your own, you will be able to add to this list).

AGENT ONE-ON-ONE BOOTCAMP: September 22-25. How to Craft Query Letters & Other Submission Materials That Get Noticed Boot Camp.

AUTHOR ADVANTAGE LIVE:   9/24-26

Writing Day Workshops: 

Boston Mass. on 10/3

Philadelphia, PA  on 11/14-15

Washington, D.C. on 12/5

 

SELF PUBLISHING ADVICE CONFERENCE 10/17

JANE FRIEDMAN CLASSES:

Oct. 7: Blogging Strategies That Work in 2020 

Oct. 25: The Foundations of Getting Published 

She has many more affordable online courses available for

  individual study.

WRITERS’ DIGEST ON DEMAND WEBINARS (Sign up and choose your date). These are offered on many topics, including How to Write Short Stories, Writing the Historical Novel, How to Attract an Agent, and many more.

GOTHAM WRITERS’ WORKSHOP: Based in New York, see their online catalog for a listing of workshops and classes.

A Fun Interview

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

 

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Recently, my author friend, Jen Cary, interviewed me for her monthly newsletter. Some of the questions she asked got some buzz, so I thought perhaps you would find them interesting, too. I am including a few of them here:

Question 1:  Tell us something about yourself we don’t know.

My husband and I have  renovated 26 homes in 28 years. We also built our own log cabin. We are not flippers. We actually live in each home. At about the one year mark, with the work completed, we get the itch to find another house that “needs us.”

Question 2:  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think I was born wanting to write. I sidelined my love of writing to become an elementary school teacher. After retiring, I revisited my dream of writing a book. Runaways: The Long Journey Home, was published in 2015. So far, I have written seven others (three are Interactive Picture Books for Alzheimer’s patients).

Question 3:  If you could be anything—except a writer—what would it be?

I would love the chance to do a variety of jobs I find interesting. I think it would be fun to be a restaurant owner and walk around mingling with guests. I’d also like to be a cashier, a receptionist, a watercolor artist, a photographer, work at a carwash (yes, really), or work at the White House or other famous site as a tour guide.

Question 4:  What is the funniest thing to happen to you as an author?

Last year, when shopping at Goodwill with my sister, I ran across a copy of Runaways. I guess you’ve made it big if you find one of your books on their shelves. My sis bought the copy. (She’d loaned hers to a friend and it hadn’t been returned). We had our picture taken with the book in the store. I’m sure other shoppers wondered what these two crazy ladies were doing…

Question 5:  What do you do for relaxation?

I enjoy movies, shopping, and eating out. But my real passion is reading. I read a couple of books each week. I taught myself to read before I was old enough to attend school.

Question 6:  Cheetos, fried or baked?

Ah, a trick question. Fried, of course! (Tip: try them crumbled as a crunchy topping on scalloped potatoes or baked macaroni and cheese.)