E.J. Wesley, Author: A to Z Blog Challenge

Showing posts with label A to Z Blog Challenge. Show all posts

THANK YOU!!!! And news...

Hey, gang! I wanted to jump on here and thank all of you who pitched in for my W4WS efforts this week. It was an amazing few days of excitement, and was a good reminder for me that no matter what kind of ugliness the world demonstrates, the beauty of simple kindness always overshadows it.

It also once again left me wondering what I'd done to deserve the kind of support y'all continue to show me. You're fantastic, and if I had to do this writing 'thing' tomorrow without you or not at all, I think I'd choose 'not at all'.

Enough of my sappiness--how about some news?

First, blogger-writer-publicspeaking wizard, L. Diane Wolf, gave me a shout out on her blog--for being helpful to others, no less. I was thrilled to be mentioned with some of MY sharing role rolemodels in this writing-blogging scene, but was mostly just like, "You think I'm a helpful guy? You should see my friends!" *see above sappiness* You can read it HERE. (And follow LD if you don't already--she rocks.)

Second, one of my personal author heroes, Brinda Berry, shared me on her blog, not once, but twice this week! I think Brinda is awesome, but a little crazy for talking about me on multiple days. (We're trying to INCREASE traffic by blogging, B, not frighten folks off with talk of crazy, bearded people :D)

The first post mentioned my W4WS shenanigans. The second was for her A to Z 'N' day.

She chose 'New Adult Literature' (NA). As you all know, I'm fairly crazy about the subject, so I suppose it was fitting she threw my name/work out. But honestly, it mostly just surprised (and honored) the heck out of me.

Apparently, Brinda read my little story, Blood Fugue, on a recent vacation (yes, we're ALL jealous of you now, B) and reviewed it on Goodreads. In short, she enjoyed it, and was pleased to find a New Adult story that wasn't Contemporary Romance. (Note: The Moonsongs books are definitely NOT Contemporary Romance.)

Anyway, it was fitting, because my first post as an official member of the NA Alley Blog was also this week, and I basically blogged about the EXACT same thing.

NA is evolving into so much more than some kind of sexified, sub-genre of YA, and I hope I can reflect that a little with my writing and actions.

You can read my inaugural NAAB post HERE. (And I'd love for y'all to follow me over there, too.)

FINALLY, and also on the NA front, if you're at all interested in checking out what all the fuss is about, or generally want to pick some brains about the category, tonight is the night for you!

The first ever 'NA Super-Chat' is going down, and it's a coordinated effort to bring three of the larger online NA communities together: The New Adult Authors G+ Community, The NA Lit Chat Twitter group (yes, I'm still doing that thing, too lol), and NA Alley.

It'll involve a combination of a live G+ Hangout (with yours truly on air with others) AND the usual #NALitChat Twitter chat. If you take part and follow the Twitter discussion, you'll be able to ask questions and comment to the G+ panel in real time, and we'll be responding on air.

Cool, right? You'll find all the details HERE. But basically, just be free at 9 PM EST tonight, log onto Twitter and follow the #NALitChat convo, then hop over to the New Adult Authors G+ Community. (There'll be a link up there to watch/listen to the hangout.)

Would love to 'see' you all there if you have some free time. (Quit laughing... we all remember what free time was like. *scrunches brow pondering* It was fun... oh yes, we likes it, Precious.)

~EJW~

My A-Z Plans & New(s) Adult

Winner! Winner!

Congrats to Melissa Maygrove on winning last week's giveaway for a free eCopy of Julie Flanders' Polar Night! Julie will be in touch, and I hope you enjoy. :)

My A to Z Plan... or Lack Thereof

Hey gang! April is nigh, and that means the A to Z blogfest is getting ready to explode our inboxes and web readers. It's a great bit of fun, but an extremely nuts time for those who participate.

I've decided to abstain this year as I'm very busy preparing my third Moonsongs book for launch (coming very soon!), prepping my home and family to relocate across the country in June, and adapting to some exciting new blog/writing opportunities. (More on that below...)

So what's my A-Z plan, then? To support you all, of course! Almost every blogger I follow is doing A-Z, so I'm going to spend my time commenting on and sharing your posts. As a result, this blog will be pretty quiet in April.

But you'll probably still be able to find me around the blog world...

New(s) Adult

If you've been following this blog very long, it's no secret that I'm a fan of New Adult literature. I love the idea of creating stories specifically for the 18 to 20-something crowd. It's a time in life when folks are truly just figuring out adulthood. They're actively conquering life and, sometimes, life is conquering them.

Being that age often means struggling to find a career or an identity in the professional world. It can also mean a lot of exploration in relationships with a freedom and responsibility not experienced in the teenage years.

In short, it's a dynamic life stage. A stage that was very meaningful to me personally, and one I think deserves some real attention from both readers and storytellers alike.

I truly believe it's not a category of literature that simply should exist, it's a category that demands to exist. (And does now!) That passion is what led me into the New Adult community online.

How I got into NA

Just under a year ago I was totally floored to find this blog of New Adult writers and enthusiast called NA Alley Blog. At the time, I had no idea there was a name for the kinds of stories I mentioned above. I just knew I was writing them, and that I wanted to read more like them.

After visiting with NAAB, an idea was hatched to start a weekly New Adult chat on Twitter. So I did.

I honestly figured it would just be me and those enthusiastic ladies from NA Alley doing all of the chatting at these things. People in publishing circles were still very uneasy with the concept of New Adult, it seemed, and considering I'd just heard of the term myself, I couldn't imagine there'd be much interest.

I was very, very wrong.

The chat was an instant hit, and thanks to the support/knowledge of the folks at NA Alley, it became a real resource for the NA community. We had authors of all kinds, readers of all kinds, editors, etc. stopping in to chat with us on a regular basis. Word of mouth spread, and within weeks we were regularly trending on the BIG Twitter lists.

Amazing!

I'm proud to say that the chat is still going strong (we'll celebrate our first birthday in July), and has grown into quite a 'thing'. I still host most Thursday nights, but have been able to tap into a network of professionals who are eager to share their expertise with New Adult writers. So you never know who'll be around!

Meanwhile, New Adult has also become quite a thing. Publishers are eagerly looking for it, big time media is starting to investigate it, and readers are snapping it up.

And I truly think it only goes up from here.

My next role in the NA movement is...

That's why I was so thrilled to apply to be, and subsequently be accepted (last week!) as an official contributor to NA Alley Blog. These are the folks who got me into NA, the people I turned to for NA answers, and now I get to be a part of that for others.

As part of NA Alley Blog I'll have a special opportunity to share my--hopefully--unique voice with a diversity of writing and reading communities. I'll do my best to bring energy, fun, and encouragement as well.

I'll be blogging about NA centric things over there on a regular basis, as well as taking part in the various activities and initiatives on that front. I'll be sharing that stuff with you all, of course, but this blog will still be my own--for better or worse. :)

I'll be busy, and it may take me a while to figure out how to mange three blogs/endeavors (I'm still running the NA Lit Chat blog). But I hope you'll stick around to see where this latest adventure takes me. Who knows, maybe you'll even join me on the NA front?

A Special Thank You

I want to publicly thank Alex Cavanaugh and P.K. Hrezo for endorsing my application. If you know them (how could you not), you know they're special people in our writing community. They're great ambassadors for what we all do and aspire to do as writers online. They operate with a class, thoughtfulness, and spirit of community that is hard to find in my 'real life' relationships, much less from people I've never met face-to-face.

It's the spirit of people like P.K. and Alex I hope I bring to the NA community, so they were naturally the first people I approached to write me notes of recommendation for the NAAB position.

Just as naturally, I suppose, they said yes. :) In the end, they are more than role models, they are people I'm proud to call friends. And I hope they would consider me the same.

~EJW~

Blog Science: Blogging Less and Saying More

Hey gang! I know many, many of you are hip deep in A-Z madness, and I hope to make it to each of your blogs at least a few times over the course of the event. Really amazed by the creativity of everyone I've read so far.

Seriously, it's staggering to see how creative minds can use such an open premise to such great effect. Sure, there are plenty of 'My Favorite Cat Names' and other frivolous topics (still fun), but I'm mostly reading great poetry, clever short stories and genius writing tips.

So why am I not doing A-Z this year? Glad you didn't ask! I'll answer anyway: I had nothing to say. Yup, that's the dirty of it. And let's not kid ourselves, that is a

D (dumb)
I (irrational)
R (risky)
T (terrible)
Y (yucky)

thing for a blogger/writer to say.

It's our BUSINESS to have something to say. If we don't, we make it up. If we can't make it up we go find something, or poke someone until THEY say something, we can talk about. Why do we need to talk so much? Simply put, it's expected and it's part of the "formula" for success.

Do a quick Google search for top blogging tips. You'll find 'blog daily', 'blog frequently', or 'blog often' in the top ten of just about every list on the subject. While there is debate on the actual impact of post frequency on blog traffic, you'll certainly see a general consensus. If you're not posting, you're not getting hits. If you're not getting hits, you're not showing up in search engines.

Here's a nice rundown on the subject.

That doesn't even speak to the desires of those fickle followers out there. (Not you! Those other guys...) Some folks get a little antsy if you don't post often enough. How often is enough? Heck if I know, but I think it has something to do with Jupiter and Venus aligning, full moons, hormone imbalances and--suffice to say, it's important to some.

Important enough they'll drop you like a Bieber paternity suit if you cross that imaginary line. (I'm here all week! Sorry, hadn't done a Bieber joke in a while.)

Yeah, so, I'm ignoring all that.

BAD BLOGGER! *sticks out wrist--or bum--for chastising*

Yes, that's me being paddled by a leather-clad nun at a roller derby. Hey, it was in Austin, TX! If you've been to Austin this all makes perfect sense... My wife took the photo, so it was all above board. Mostly.

I'm ignoring all that for a good reason. It's for you. Honest.

There was time when I blogged when I had nothing to say. The book said you were supposed to blog on a schedule and blog often. That's what I did. You can go read those posts if you'd like, but your time would be better spent flossing the cat or thinking about the color blue. Those posts were that empty.

At some point in the last year (or so) that changed. I made the decision to post only when I wanted to say something. Revelatory, I know. Sometimes it's once a week, other times it might be four or five. My reasoning was pretty straightforward: I didn't want to bore you. Even if it meant turning my back on the blogging gods and turning off a few followers.

Sure, there were extenuating factors. Like me wanting to write more and blog less (they were beginning to cannibalize each other) and a shift in my perspectives regarding writing and publishing as a career endeavor. Basically, the game kind of changed for me, so I set about learning to play it in a new way. That impacted the things I wanted to blog about, and it impacted what I had to say.

I know this might come of as a little uppity or highhanded, but it really isn't about me thinking I'm bigger than the game or anything. Last I checked that follower count on the right said 300-somehting, not 3,000-something, so I more than realize I'm no bigger than a minute.

In the end, I guess I just respect time. The time you give me, the time I spend doing this--just time, really. Yes, I've lost followers, and I hate that. Yes, I do wish I was more connected with a lot of the other bloggers out there, doing all those fun blogfests and whatnot. I fully realize that's cost me more followers.

Still, I'm having more fun and feeling more in tune with blogging now then I ever did when I was trying to do everything right. A wise follower once told me it was called "slow blogging" and it really stuck with me. It also made me realize that I love bloggers who have something to say, even if they don't say it often.

What about you? Are you a stickler for the blogging 'rules', or do you go at your own pace?

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Theme & Ubiquity

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

T is for theme

Do you ever finish a great novel and wonder what made it so great? Most of the time I can quickly identify the source of my love for a particular book. Maybe it's the story. Like when an improbable hero wins the day against impossible odds (i.e. Frodo/Lord of the Rings). Or when the unyielding love of two people manages to endure inconceivable threats, only to end in tragedy (Romeo and Juliet). Other times it's a cast of extraordinarily diverse characters (The Great Gatsby), or a plot with such unexpected twists that you can scarcely catch a full breath in between paragraphs (Ender's Game).

Still, I occasionally finish a book that I've thoroughly enjoyed and struggle to understand what exactly it was that had me flying through the pages. After some consideration, I usually find my answer hidden in the themes of the book.

Themes are those underlying--often unspoken--elements to a story that resonate across the varied experiences and backgrounds of the readers. Like Good Vs Evil, love and loss, or death and life. Theme is an emotion or experience that is so simplistic that anyone can relate to it, yet so complex that it can only be defined in the abstract.

Theme is a persistent story element, like a river flowing throughout the chapters. Occasionally a theme is a loud and churning force in a story that forces the reader or characters to heed and cross it. More often, the theme is only a subtle bubbling spring under the surface, quietly pushing the story and reader along a path of self-examination.

Surprisingly, theme is often as indescribable and elusive a concept for me as a writer as it is for me as a reader. I tend to write scenes and characters first. It's only after I've finished roughing out a story that I become conscious of possible themes.

I tend to look at theme as a sort of story 'natural resource', or something that can be used and manipulated, but not artificially created. I think that's the way it ought to be, because a theme risks becoming a moral--or something preached and forced--if it is built into a story as opposed to something that grows out of the story in an organic fashion.

One thing is certain: themes are an essential aspect of great story telling. Are you aware of themes as you write and read? Do you try to accentuate them in your writing, or do you let them surface on their own in hopes that the reader will pick up on them?

U is for ubiquity

The idea of being ubiquitous, or everywhere and all-things at once, is a pretty unappealing concept for most writers. Most of us only want to be left alone with our thoughts and keyboard, and the less we are asked to partake in the various distractions of the world, the better. However, in the strata of modern publishing it seems authors are constantly being asked to be more than writers.

How are your PR skills? Do you know how to promote yourself and your writing? What about editing? I'm not talking about the grammar, either. Can you arrange a story? Do you have a good understanding of what readers want? Are you coldblooded enough to cut out your favorite parts for the sake of making a story better?

With the writing world quickly turning over to ePublishing, authors are being asked to become small business professionals as well. In the Indie model, you're your own accountant, publisher, distributor and press secretary. Did I mention you still have to write as well?

Truthfully, I'm not wild about all of that either, but I do think all of those things can be learned. We don't have to master PR, but we need to be proficient. I look at Twitter and Facebook like math in school; I was never fond of the subject, but I learned enough to get a few diplomas. My point is that authors need to know more than writing, and even if we don't enjoy that other stuff, we can learn enough to get by.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Sacrifice

"Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority." ~ Vince Lombardi

"I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice." ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
"It is not sacrifice if you love what you're doing." ~Mia Ham

"The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar." ~ Jimi Hendrix

"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." ~ Charles DuBois

"In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

"One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." ~ Sidney Howard

"To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else." ~ Bernadette Devlin

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Quiet Resolve

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

Q & R are for quiet resolve

Thanks for the birthday wishes, gang! I've had a blast the last the couple of days, and eaten WAY too much. (I've noticed that fun and food are directly correlated in my world, btw. @ BECK: no Papasitos this year, but it's one of my favorites!) It was really cool to see so many of you drop me a line. I truly appreciate it. Now back to your regularly scheduled A-Z post ... (yes, it's still going)

To resolve to do something means that you've come to a definite--permanent--and earnest decision about something. When I think of words like resolve, I often think about heros or heroic acts. I also think of unyielding stubbornness in the face of impossible odds.

Superman regularly faces unimaginable threats to truth and justice because he resolved to use his considerable power to protect them. By never giving up when all others seemed ready to, historical legends like George Washington were able to overcome great adversity to attain victories that they'd resolved to achieve at all cost.

But resolve doesn't always have be the stuff of legend. Quiet resolve means you've decided to do something without declaration or preamble. You don't qualify your actions, you just do it, and many times with zero recognition. When I think of the phrase 'quiet resolve' I'm most likely to think of my father.

Unlike Superman or George Washington, my dad didn't do anything worthy of books or stories. He didn't have a super-villain threatening to destroy our little town, nor did he have a cause so important that scores of people supported him. He simply went about his business every day with a singleminded purpose, and his business was taking care of his family.

While he's never once said so, I have no doubt that my dad made a permanent, life-altering decision when he married my mother and had his first child. Part of that decision meant that he'd get up every day (except for Sunday) and work for as long as there was sunlight, and sometimes when there wasn't. It meant he'd do the work he was able to do, which required back-breaking labor and a lot of dirty clothes. It wasn't glorious, and it didn't earn him much renown. (Unless you had an engine acting up, or a carburetor that needed cleaning, in which case you might think that he was a Superman of sorts.)

We writers need that kind of quiet resolve. We need the attitude of: I'm getting up and writing today even if not-a-soul knows (or cares) about it when I'm finished.

Too often I get caught up in the big rewards, or the big payoff, when it comes to the hoped-for fruits of my writing resolutions. I want to be known. I want to make some money off of my writing, if not a living. I can get distracted at times simply by hoping someone is going to someday read what I'm working on and love it. Occasionally I get frustrated that I'm not to that point yet.

That's when I need to reach into my writer's toolbox and find my quiet resolve. I need to remind myself that I'd be doing this everyday without a hint of notoriety, because I made that promise to myself a few years back. I resolved to give the development of my writing abilities my full effort for as long as it took, regardless of the obstacles and frustrations.

So tomorrow I'm going to get up, put on the coffee and hammer on the keyboard. I'm going to do the same thing the next day, and then the next. That's what it's going to take, and I'm the only one who can make that happen.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: NO

N and O are for NO

There are few more versatile words in language than the simple two-letter juggernaut known as 'NO'. With that one word we can deny or affirm the mightiest of emotions, make menial or life-altering choices, or simply abstain from any kind of complex thought that a wordier answer would require. Don't believe me? Think about the range of complexity involved in the following question/response examples:

You want cheese on your hamburger? No.

Do you love me? No.

Have you every tried to Polka? No.

Do you believe in God? No.

No is a word that can have as little presence as that of a fly on the backside of a hippo, or bare the conceptual weight and enormity of a mountain. In fact, I'd wager that this tiny word (or some variation) has started more wars and broken more hearts than any other word ever uttered. It's also probably one of the most commonly used words people use throughout a given day. (Ever tried counting? Don't, it'll make you crazy.)

Writers are in the business of using powerful words. They are also in the business of using only one word when one word will do. Consequently, NO should be an especially loved word for wordsmiths. But this Toolbox entry isn't about applying the word NO in our writing, it's about applying the word to our writing identities. It's about using NO as a governing principal in our writing life like a mantra of self-preservation and guidance.

I'm going to list several ways we can/should reply NO in our writing lives. Feel free to add some more in the comments!

Writers should say--

NO to that nagging thought that we aren't good enough.

NO to being afraid of sharing our work with others.

NO to people who don't believe in us.

NO to checking our e-mail, Facebook and/or Twitter more than twice a day.

NO to taking the easy way out. In good writing, there isn't one.

NO to that new idea when we haven't finished our first one yet.

NO to addictions other than writing.

NO to the friend who wants us to go to the movies when we should be writing.

NO to junk food when we're chained to our desks.

NO to the jealousy monster that wants us to resent our cohorts for their success.

NO to 'wanting' more than 'doing'.

NO to thinking we're ever 'good enough'.

NO to accepting NO as the final assessment of our writing abilities.

NO to the idea that there's only one type of success.

NO to EXPECTING people to love our writing when we should be MAKING them love it.

NO to neglecting our sanity for the sake of our writing.

NO to bad writing habits. (Adverbs, passive voice, clause boo-boos, etc., etc., etc.)

NO to thinking we don't need the opinions of other writers to get better.

NO to comparing our writing to other writers. We should focus instead on beating our OWN best efforts.

NO to giving up.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Music

M is for music

Those of you who have been with me for a while probably know how much I adore music. Especially when it comes to my writing. I'm always on the lookout for new 'writing' music, and my personal taste dictates that it should be mostly instrumental. (Too many words bumping around in my brain can distract me from the writing.) That's probably why I'm so fond of movie scores as writing music.

My musical choices don't always have to coincide with the type of scene I'm writing (action, drama, etc.) but it sometimes helps if I'm stuck. In fact, that's the reason I'm recommended that you put a few tunes in your writing toolbox. Perhaps the largest obstacle to becoming a career writer is the need to write every day, even when you don't feel like it. That's what it takes to move your writing from 'Serious Hobby' territory into the land of "I Bleed Words for a Living."

For me, it's hard to flip a switch when I'm not feeling inspired so I've developed a few artificial ways of getting in the mood. Ways to romance my soul, if you will. Music is the chief way I do this, but sometimes I'll take a movie break or go for a run or walk. I know some writers who light scented candles or do writing exercises. Regardless of how you do it, you need to develop ways to stimulate your muse even when she'd rather be sleeping.

I'll leave you with some of my current favorite writing tunes, and welcome any suggestions from the audience. Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Laser Cats

L is for Laser Cats (You should probably watch this to get the post.)

Ever have a BIG idea that fizzled upon execution? Who am I kidding? You're a writer, of course you have! :-) You spend hours working on a story or poem, then you spend more hours tweaking it, and then you give it to someone to read. You wait, your stomach twitching with excitement, as your reader inspects your child like some kind of evil step-parent.

"This is it," you think. This is the one that blows them away! This is the story that convinces someone other than myself that I'm fit to be called a writer. The awards will surely roll in and Stephen King will be on my doorstep ready to induct me into The League of Legendary Authors.

Then the reader puts your story down and says something along the lines of, "It was cute." Or they immediately point out the typo on page 57. Or they don't even smile when it was supposed to be a comedy. Or they tell you about how much they love this 'other' story by that 'other' writer. It happens. A lot.

I do it on this blog all of the time. (Today might be just such a day.) I get this cool concept for a post bouncing around in my mind. It's a little risky, and people might not get it. Still, I eventually grab ahold of it and type it up.

I read it back aloud. Sounds like awesome!
I hit the preview button. Looks like awesome!
I hit the publish button and wait for the first 400 comments and InterWeb infamy to pour in.

Three hours later and I've gotten one comment from a regular, one from a guy wanting to sell me Nike shoes directly from the warehouse--CHEAP!--and I've lost 4 followers. Like the guys who pitched the "Laser Cats" movie above, the reaction was not the one I was hoping for.

In my mind, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Deflating, maybe, but bad? Nope. Here's the thing, unless I explore a few things and take a few risks, I'll never figure out what I'm truly capable of. Blogging has taught me that it's OK to take a risk. Sometimes my posts go over like a lead balloon. Sometimes the ones that I'm sure no one is going to 'get' end up being the most popular. Plus, with every failed attempt I learn something new about blogging. Like how it's not always best to sacrifice clarity for sensationalism, or how it's OK to not love everything that every other blogger is doing and occasionally express that.

My 'serious' writing is the same for me. It seems like the more chances I take, the more I succeed. For every 1 "Laser Cats" (see also - really bad idea) I churn out, I produce 2 or 3 really good things.

So I'm starting to think we really need those Laser Cats. In essence, I suppose that's what drafting is all about. We flesh things out, make a few mistakes, and then hopefully build it all into something awesome. Then again, it could just end up being awful, but I think that's OK too.

So what about you? Do you ever have Laser Cat blog posts or stories? Have you ever created something that you were sure was going to be great only to have it be misunderstood or not met with the same enthusiasm with which it was created? Did it help or hurt you?

I leave you with MORE Laser Cats! (These are even funnier than the first, BTW. Did I mention there's a Christopher Walken cameo and a cute puppy?)

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: J. K. Rowling

J & K are for J. K. Rowling

Not even going to lie, I've been waiting for these two letters just so I could (once again) express my diehard fanboy love for the lady that inspired me to write. I know I'm not alone, as Harry Potter is perhaps the most successful series of books ever published. They define the modern 'crossover' phenomenon of books written for kids, read by adults and loved by both.

I believe that every current YA and Middle Grade series author (aspiring or otherwise) owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to JK. If not for the success of her books, the publishing industry might still regard kid-fiction as the lesser cousin to "serious literature". Instead, Harry waved his wand and opened doors (and eyes) to the money making juggernaut that is the teen consumer--and their parents. YA is now one of the top grossing and growing categories in all of bookdom and, as Twilight and so many other blockbusters have proven, there doesn't seem to be an end to that trend as some predicted. Alohomora, indeed.

Not only did Harry and Co. perk up the financial prospects of a dreary book industry, but they rekindled a love affair with reading for an entire generation of people. Kids put down there Playstation and Nintendo 64 controllers, if only for the few hours it took most to devour each book, to read. I've worked with teens for the last 10 years, and I can't tell you how many avid kid readers have told me that Harry Potter was the first book they ever read. Even more astounding is that I know loads of adults who had all but quit reading fiction until they stole their kid's copy of Potter. Now they read every Twilight, etc. that comes down the pipe just to keep the magical feeling that only a good book can give fluttering in their hearts and imaginations.

I'm not writing this as a 'Writing Toolbox' entry to tell you that we need to do all of those things to be considered successful authors. No, there will only ever be one Harry Potter and I'm convinced trying to emulate that in our own writing is more likely to give us ulcers than success. What I am suggesting is that we heed the example set by the woman who wrote the stories.

Jo Rowling didn't go to college to learn how to write a story about wizards and hippogryphs. As the daughter of two working-class folks, she went to school to attain a degree in something that might make her a living. Or so her parents thought. Perhaps she had even thought that herself at the time. Thankfully, she gave in to the weakness of every would-be writer, her imagination. She studied French and Classics, and admits that many of the themes and characters in Harry Potter owe their roots to the myths and philosophers she studied in school.

Upon graduation, she took a job working for Amnesty International. (Note that she wasn't writing full-time, nor was she using her education to any strict degree.) She credits that job with fueling much of the imaginary world (the darker parts) she created for the books. That job would seemingly be a highpoint as in the next 7 years after graduating college, she would get married, get divorced and find herself unemployed. She considered herself to be, "The biggest failure she knew." One thing she didn't do, however, was quit writing.

She eventually finished what would become Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. At this point, she had very little else in the world left to her but her family and her story. She managed to snag the attention of a literary agent, but the book was summarily rejected by 12 different publishers. Bloomsbury eventually agreed to publish the book, but they advised Rowling to get a day job. A few awards, several millions of copies sold and a mega-movie franchise later history was made.

The message for writers is clear: We can never, ever, give up. We must believe in our stories, and above all else ourselves. The writing must be our companion, because we may face a time when we're not left with much else, and at that time the writing has to be enough. Not the success that we may or may not have. Not the dreams that made us start in the first place. Just the words in our heads that flow to the paper/screen.

Furthermore, we must learn to use our experiences as writing fodder, regardless of how mundane and unrelated they may seem. Writers have to eat, we have to pay bills, and we have to make sure our families have a roof to sleep under. That might require us to do some seriously non-writing related tasks. We cannot let that stop us from striving ahead. We cannot let that keep us from the writing.

That's why J.K. Rowling needs to be in your toolbox.

Here's a video of J.K.'s commencement speech to Harvard grads. I've seen it a dozen times, and if you're a fan you probably have as well. If you haven't seen it, or if you've been feeling a little off your writing game of late, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch. It's long-ish, but it'll be the best 20 minutes you'll spend today.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Integrity

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

I is for integrity

The word integrity gets its roots from the Latin word for 'whole' or 'complete'. The English definition of the word essentially means to adhere to a set of rules or principals. Combine the two, and you come up with something along the lines of: to be completely devoted to a core group of ideals. It's the direct application of ethics.

There are different types of integrity, from artistic to professional. Authors, interestingly enough, are subject to most all of them. Professional integrity as a writer means you're not going claim the work of someone else as your own. (Plagiarism is bad, m'kay?) That means you're going to site references and credit others for their ideas, even when you embellish them. It also means that if you write about 'real' life and 'real' people, you're going to tell the truth. You can't alter the words or doings of someone else to fit your story or concept. Pretty straightforward, I think.

Artistic integrity is a slightly more nebulous concept. In basic theory, it means that you won't compromise or alter your vision, or the product thereof (writing), for the sake of profit or fame. I'd also include that it means you won't pull punches on the reader by committing any manner of writing skullduggery that includes: 1) Treating the reader like an idiot, or 2) The blatant use of gimmicks--shock and awe tactics--to draw attention to your story.

For a wonderful list of 7 Deadly Writing Sins (and a great blog) that if I found, you can go here.

The second aspect of artistic integrity I mentioned is probably the easiest to understand and follow. The first, however, can get a little tricky. Authors need to eat and buy iPads too, right? Furthermore, didn't I just post something about being an entertainer first? So how do we find a balance between being commercially viable and keeping it real?

I think it all starts with the original concept or idea. Are you writing a story because it's a story you want (or need) to tell, and one that you'd write if no one paid you a dime? If so, that's probably a good start. Then, once you've drafted that story, to what extent are you willing to alter the original concept in order to put a price tag on it?

My point is that I believe very few stories are truly ready for public consumption on the first few go-rounds. To be clear, I'm not talking strictly about grammar and poor writing mechanics. From a conceptual standpoint, stories need to be made reader friendly, so to speak. Plots shouldn't meander, loads of author embellishment probably needs to be cropped, the cast of characters might need to be shortened, etc. There is most definitely a level of consumer expectation inherent in all things that cost money, and even the best authors have hit on a few of them to be successful in the public arena.

Would you change anything and everything to see your story in print? If so, that might be a warning sign that you're on the wrong track. That being said, in my mind there's nothing wrong with wanting to be published, nor is there a problem with making a little coin in the process. I don't believe there's some magical sales threshold that turns you into a sellout.

Ultimately I'm not sure there is one concrete answer to how we can maintain artistic integrity, but I do think it's an important consideration. One that should be made early on in the writing process. In the end, perhaps it's a distinction between writing FOR an audience as opposed to writing BECAUSE of an audience?

I leave you with questions:

What do you think? Are all of the post-Twilight vampire books cashing in? Are you aware of a writer's intentions and audience when reading? Have you ever caught an author pandering to an audience? Do you even consider it a 'no no', or do you think the readers/consumers speak the truest voice?

~EJW~

A - Z Writer's Toolbox: Entertainment

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job m (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

E is for entertainment

Sometimes when I'm writing I forget all about the audience. There, I said it. Chastise away. *holds out wrist for slapping*

I know, I know. In the Writing Bible commandment # 8 very clearly states, "Thou shalt always know thine audience and never forsake them." (Or something like that ...) Still, sometimes I get so swept up in telling myself the story that I completely forget that I'm writing (at least partially) for the sake of sharing. Sometimes I forget that what makes me giggle--yes, I giggle--, grit my teeth in anger or shed a tear doesn't always resonate with other folks. In short, I forget that I'm an entertainer.

Now I know that there are literary purist (I'll refrain from calling it snobbery) that could care less about the reader's enjoyment. However, I'd argue that unless you're writing a journal or some other type of writing that is "for your eyes only", the audience needs to be considered. This is particularly true for writing that comes with a price tag. The way I see it, if you're charging it becomes a show, and you'd better entertain the folks who bought a ticket.

In a strange way, I think it's kind of liberating to think of myself as an entertainer. It makes me take chances with my writing. It pushes me to try to conjure the word that will make the reader gasp, or to compose the sentence that will make the reader push to the next chapter even though it's two hours past their bedtime.

So today I'm telling you to roll out the red carpet, flip on the spotlights and crank up the spectacle. Give your readers something they'll never forget, and make your story the ride of a lifetime!

~EJW~

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