What is Your Story?

What is Your Story?
by guest blogger, Annie Evett

The old saw, “write what you know,” is good advice. However, many aspiring writers shy away from exposing their private lives to the public. They mistakenly believe that nothing of importance happens to them and that other people’s lives are far more interesting. But consider this: what is pedestrian or humdrum to you will almost certainly seem exotic to someone else. Accept your past and embrace your experiences. They have shaped you. Don’t compare your story with others. Yours is unique.

Write first. Getting yourself published is not a concern at this time. Just write. Prove to yourself and others that you can do it.

To keep the creative juices flowing, you must write every day. But, beware! Ideas will dry up if you quit writing, even for a few days. Those who intend to write a book are everywhere among us. Far fewer individuals actually realize their vision so talk less and write more.

Write from your passions. Only bored writers write boring stories. Have the courage to dig down deep and bring out the real stories. Talk about your pains and joys and hide those tidbits of secrecy within your characters. That’s what people are interested in. To make an impression on your audience, make your writer’s voice clear, energetic and authentic. If you have a sense of humor, use it. If people don't laugh with you on a regular basis, don't try to be funny. If you like to talk about ideas, sprinkle them liberally throughout your writing. Be yourself. It’s important. Anything less will be unsustainable along your journey.

Writing is more than just sitting down and scribbling whatever comes to mind. To be effective, you must have some inclination toward sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Most people can write if they really want to, but learning the craft involves knowledge of plot, theme, and characterization, among other things.

Can anyone write or is it only for the chosen few? Perhaps it’s only for the persistent few who choose to continually hone their skills.

For more great tips, get The Writer's Choice Newsletter at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. Fear not. They won't sell your address or spam you.

WRITING TIP: Writing Syle, Brits vs. Americans

Writing tip: Semi-colons and Show, Don't Tell

Did you know it's all but a cardinal sin NOT to use frequent semi-colons in British writing? And did you know the Brits use far more telling than they do showing? So... who's right? The Brits or the Americans? It isn't a matter of who's right. It's a matter of who you want to sell to. Ever hear the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do?"

In America, you aren't likely to sell much (if anything) unless you use the Show, Don't Tell rule - which means you should paint a picture of the action and not say it outright. In other words, the art in showing is found in hinting at what you want your reader to imagine. For example, if you were to say, "She blushed," you would be telling the action. If, however, you said, "Shades of scarlet crept up her neck and into her cheeks," you would be showing the blush. Do you see how telling speaks it outright and showing hints at what you want the reader to imagine? So methinks the Brits take the easy way out on this.

When it comes to punctuation, Brits love to use the semi-colon; American publishers hate it; if you use one semi-colon in a whole story it's one too many; semi-colons skew the lines between commas and periods; the Brits rather like to run it all together; whereas the Americans like everything cut. And dried. Ker-chop.

So the conclusion is this: Know who you're submitting to, where they're located and what they want. Or... the secondary answer is, if you don't have a handle on "showing" and you're prone to filling your stories with semi-colons, peddle it to the Brits. For more great writing tips, get The Writer's Choice Newsletter here: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com

CHRISTMAS WRITING SALE - WRITING COURSES

Writing $ale Now in Progress!

Eight-week privately tutored writing courses, originally $200, now available at only $140 until January 15, 2011. Lowest prices ever! Your tuition will help scholarship a cancer patient in writing therapy. Lock in the price today and take your course any time in 2011. Classes are filling (12 per class) so hurry! * Conditions apply. See http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com

CHRISTMAS WRITING SALE - WRITING COURSES

CHRISTMAS WRITING $ALE

This is a great time of year to make writing a priority. Ask for money for Christmas and use it for a writing course. And speaking of writing courses, Creative Writing Institute is having the biggest sale on writing classes it has ever had. All prices are slashed to the bone. Hurry!

Eight-week, privately tutored classes are ONLY $140.
Conditions apply:

1. Sorry, no payment plan available for this sale
2. No Refunds
3. Lock in the price now and take classes any time in 2011
4. Students must select from courses available at the time of study
5. Twelve students per class

CHECK IT OUT at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com

Amateur Writing Contest Ends - On to the Judging!

Amateur Writing Contest

Our amateur writing contest was a huge success… small enough for good competition but big enough for… uh… good competition. :D Thank you one and all. On to the judging! We’ll notify you as soon as possible. Allow up to two months.

NOTE: I just changed the controls on this site so that you can comment without joining the site, filling in a code or leaving an email address. I know your time is limited and we welcome your comments. Quick and easy!

WRITING TIP: Writing is easier when you have the proper tools. I’m not talking about having fingers to type or write (although that helps). I’m talking about things that will keep you motivated such as joining a writing group, posting your work in those groups, giving and receiving comments, subscribing to The Writer Magazine (or some other) and getting a marketing book such as Writer’s Market. Invest at least $50 a year in yourself. Write 15 min. every single day – even if it’s only about the tidbits of life.

What questions do you have about writing? Just ask and we’ll answer. Please bookmark us, hit “like” and all that good stuff. Help us out and drop in for a visit at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. You can also find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Happy day!

AMATEUR WRITING CONTEST CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT

AMATEUR WRITING CONTEST ENDS AT MIDNIGHT. It's not too late to join in the fun. NO FEES. CASH PRIZE - Sure will come in handy for Christmas shopping. Hurry! There's still time! See guidelines at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com.

WRITING TIP: It's almost impossible 2 find a subject that hasn't been covered. How you build the characters and plot (angle) is what makes your story unique.

Character Development Challenges: Caring about your characters

Character Development Challenges: Caring about your characters

SHORT STORY WRITING CONTEST Ends Nov. 20, 2010

(See link at bottom for writing contest.)

REWRITING and POLISHING

As part of the re-write and polishing phase, read what you've written aloud. This will help you spot the sections that drag or sound choppy. Pay attention to the rhythm of your sentences. If there are too many short sentences or too many long ones, break them up or lengthen them so they vary in tempo. Don’t put your readers to sleep.

Remember that editors are experts at spotting multiple adjectives and adverbs. They scan the nouns and verbs and see how many modifies are attached to them. Commas that separate the modifiers are a dead giveaway. Multiple adjectives like “dark, cloudy, stormy, moonless night” is a sure sign of a beginning writer, and it's sure to put your manuscript in the deep-six pile.

It pays to focus your attention on the rewrite and polishing phase of your story/article. If you can impress the editors, you will impress the readers. If rewriting/polishing is your least favorite part of writing, rethink your commitment to be a writer.

Study hardest that which you dread most and when you master it, you will no longer dread it.

Be sure to join our AMATEUR WRITING COMPETITION, which ends Nov. 20, 2010. CASH PRIZE. NO FEES. What do you have to lose? Test your skills. Check http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com for guidelines. You may also sign up for The Writer's Choice Newsletter at the same link. For more free writing tips, see http://www.deborahowen.wordpress.com and http://www.writingtip.wordpress.com.

Caring about your characters

If you have no particular feeling for your characters, your readers won't either. You can have the most exciting plot with loads of action, but without memorable characters, your story will flag and go flat like a bad tire. Learn to love your characters, the heroes as well as the villains. Know what makes them tick. As a real life example, Richard M. Nixon, as president, did some very strange things. It is said that he had an overwhelming desire to be liked by everyone, which explains his motivation.

Know what motivates your charcters. People react in different ways to the same adversities. Some will carry a life-long grudge, others will take that adversity and use it as a challenge to better their lives. What will your characters do? Know this and you will be able to create good, solid characters whom your readers will remember.

AMATEUR WRITING COMPETITION - AMATEUR WRITING COMPETITION - AMATEUR WRITING COMPETITION - AMATEUR WRITING COMPETITION

CALLING ALL WRITERS – Did you know that 80% of the population has thought about writing a book? There’s a little writer in all of us. Pit your amateur talents against others like yourself in this AMATEUR WRITING COMPETITION. NO FEE – CASH PRIZE. Ends Nov. 20 – so hurry! See the guidelines at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and FOLLOW THE RULES. Good luck! Deb

Writer's Death

This was not a good day. My daughter's mother-in-law had a severe stroke and is near death. The doctors called the family in. She is responsive enough to prove that she hears us but does not appear to be conscious otherwise. Even if she survives, she may be severely handicapped for life - and she's way too young and way too active to have a thing like this happen to her.

It reminds me of a lot of writers. I can even remember when it was a picture of me. I was young and healthy but the writer inside me was dying a slow death. I did nothing to help it and responded only slightly when prodded. Somehow I survived, but found myself handicapped for life because I had stunted my own growth. I can never make up the time I lost. Never. Nor can you relive the time you've lost.

If writing is important to you, it must become a priority in your life. Don't give way to a writer's death. Make a list of your top priorities and make sure writing rates in the top three, then learn to focus on those three things. Become a growing writer.

For more writing tips, see my newsletter at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and also in my wordpress blog at http://deborahowen.wordpress.com/.

Thanks for dropping by. Return again and again for writing inspiration. Bookmark what you like best, and please recommend me to your friends.

Best writing wishes, Deb

Selling Your Rights

Most creative writers are so eager to sell their work that they don't stop to consider what rights they are selling. "Rights" refers to how a publisher can use your work. "Rights" has nothing whatever to do with what you are paid or the copyright of your work.

· First North American Serial Rights, or FNASR, are the most common rights purchased. The purchasing magazine has the right to publish the author's work for X amount of dollars, while the author grants the magazine permission to publish his story (or article) one time in North America. If you are offering these rights to a magazine, you will want to place "Offering First North American Serial Rights" at the top of the document.
· One Time Serial Rights – If you are simultaneously offering your story or article to several publications, you will want to place "One Time Serial Rights" at the top of the page. This grants the first magazine that snaps up your work the right to publish your story or article one time.
· Second Serial Rights – If you have previously sold the story or article, you will be offering Second Serial Rights to the next magazine. They will be able to publish your work once.
· All Rights – Unless someone is hiring you to develop a work for them, such as developing a course for a school, shudder at the sight of these rights. It means you are signing away "all rights" to whoever bought your work. You may never sell the work again, publish it, copy it, download it, or transfer it. You have no rights whatsoever left.
· Work for Hire – This is another "right" that you should shiver at. Work for Hire can only exist in two ways: Either you have created a document as an independent contractor and you are selling the rights to it, or you are being paid as an employee and your work was created during your work time – which gives your boss all rights.
· Non-Exclusive Rights – This one is not desirable either. Although the "rights" refer back to you after one year and you can sell it again, the original buyer may continue to use the work and reproduce it in syndication without sharing the profits with you.
· Exclusive Rights – If you sign these rights, you have given away the farm. An example of this would be Associated Content and other like places that assume full rights when they buy your work. You will not be able to reproduce it or sell it again. It's gone. Ker-plunk! Down the toilet.
· One-time rights – You can sell one time rights simultaneously to as many people as you want. Columnists use this right to sell their articles to multiple markets.

As you can see, there is only the difference of a hair's breadth on some of these rights. Keep this article in your safe and don't sign anything without referring to it!

There are many more types of rights as well, but this covers the most prominent ones.

Novel Writing is NOT for Beginners

Novel writing isn't for beginners, so why is it that every beginner wants to write a book about how rough their life has been? There's no use in attacking me. I already have 100 beginners standing at my door and waiting to flog me to death. By the time you arrive, there will be little left for the imagination. But… it would be nice if you wrote my husband and extended your sympathies.

Novel writing is something that should be left for someone who has AT LEAST had some experience in short story writing. And when I say, "some experience," I mean some experience in being published.

And now for the brutal, searing facts of life: no one cares what has happened in your life. Not unless it can be of practical use to them. The day for caring about what happens to your neighbor is nearly at an end. Can you even call six neighbors by their first and last names? I rest my case.

But this is not an article for ranting and raving. There are solid reasons why beginners shouldn't try to write novels. These are only some of the things they won't know:

· what a hook is, or how to make one
· how to build paragraphs with proper structure
· what a theme is, or how to find it
· what a plot is, or how to build it
· how to build a character, or how to give it warts
· what an arc is, or how to use it
· what resolutions are, or how to do them
· or how to write a properly crafted 2,000 word short story

So where does that leave all of you beginners who are reading this? How can you learn these steps? The obvious answer is a writing course. Start at the beginning and work your way up. Two classes will be all you should need, unless you also need a review course in punctuation and mechanics.

But if you can't do that right now, read every article you can find on writing and take notes! Take The Writer Magazine, which is the best on the market (and I have no affiliations with them). Write to people with writing websites and ask them specific questions.

Another thing you can is to join one or more writing groups. The one I recommend is Writing.com. They have a five-star rating system where you can rate other people's writing and they can rate yours. And before you get into a writing group, make up your mind that you will accept and act upon 95% of the suggestions and criticisms that you receive, and that you will not wear your feelings on your sleeves.

So how do you know which 5% not to accept? At first, you won't. As time passes, you will be able to discern that.

In closing, when you can craft a good 2,000-word story (the equivalent of one chapter), take a novel writing class. A novel is too much work to "try out".

What is Show, Don't Tell?

What is Show, Don't Tell?

What is Show, Don't Tell? The first time I heard of Show, Don't Tell, my first thoughts were, show what, and don't tell what? This is an advanced technique that takes considerable time to learn, so be patient, but start learning now.

All stories must have a certain amount of telling in them. You can't get around it. The idea, however, is to show as much as you can.

Instead of writing this flat statement, “He works out at the gym and he has a great physique,” we can show the man has awesome form with dialogue. One woman could say to another, "He came out of the gym wearing one of those tight muscle shirts. Wow!"

What is Show, Don't Tell? Let's take another example - that of a woman in the kitchen, piping mad. We could say, "Mom was as mad as I have ever seen her," or we could SHOW that she is mad like this:

"She stood stock still, right hand on hip, and one foot patting the floor. I was used to the pink neck and crimson red face, but when I saw the blood pulsing in her temples, I knew it was time to get out of Dodge."

More ways to learn showing:

* Read literature and pick out telling sentences
* Review your own work and look for telling sentences
* Observe people and make a telling statement about them, then change it to showing

Learning Show, Don't Tell will turn you into a professional writer. Whole books are devoted to this subject, so don't expect to learn it overnight.

Do you have questions? Would you like to see a certain topic discussed? Just write to deborahowen@cwinst.com and make your request. And may I invite you to stop in at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and take a look at what Creative Writing Institute, the only tutored writing school, has to offer you! Stop in today.

Writing Characterization

Writing believable characters can be tricky. First you must know your character. Make a list of 50 questions, and answer them. Where is your character from? What does he like? What is his favorite sport? etc. Then go through catalogs and find a picture of someone who reminds you of your character. Cut the picture out and tape it near your computer. Now that you know your character, you will be able to write him in a believable way.> Get many more free writing tips in The Writer's Choice Newsletter at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. FREE WRITING ANALYSIS. No Strings.

Characterization

Ok, folks. This is becoming an active blog as of now. It has taken awhile to get founded, but http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com is on the road. > To make your characters real, make a list of 50 questions, such as where are they from? What is their middle name? What is their favorite sport? etc. Then go through a catalog and cut out a picture that reminds you of your character. Tape it up near your computer. When your character is real to you, you can make your character real to others. Be sure to sign up for The Writer's Choice Newsletter where you can get lots of free tips: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com