A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Nanowrimo...

I did it! I've written my first "novel" as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)!

Of course, I'm using that term "novel" loosely. The work is not over. Not even close. But it's a first draft, and it's mine! And it feels good!

Here's what I did: I signed up in July. I set the goal that I would write 50,000 words of a novel in November. I'd never done it before, but I do know that I thrive on deadlines. I thought this would give me the impetus to write a manuscript.

That's the whole goal of NaNoWriMo: write down a draft. Get the muse out of your head. Just write. Every single day. If you write over 1600 words a day, you'll reach 50,000 by Nov. 30, and you'll no longer be one of those people who say "I want to write a book someday." Granted, your book may not be quality, but it is simply quantity you are looking for at first. Get the words down. Then you can spend the next several months rearranging the words.

Here's how I did it. A few weeks prior to Nano, I sketched out my idea in my head. Then I wrote it out into 30 plot points, with one thing happening every day I wrote. This would prevent me from getting writer's block, I figured. (That didn't totally work.) I also wrote out character sketches and wrote out my main character's speech she would give me if I met her. Then I geared up for the big day: Nov. 1.

But Nov. 1 here had trick-or-treating (crazy, I know!), so I actually started Nov. 2. I took a 1-week vacation from my nonfiction freelance writing biz. Pretended I was at the beach or something (except I had kids to pick up from school, feed them, hug them, pack lunches and check their homework). And I wrote. My fingers couldn't move fast enough on the keyboard, and I ended up writing 10 hours a day, which was coming in around 10,000 words a day. The days I couldn't think of any good story ideas, I still wrote. Five days later, I hit my 50,000 words.

Since then, I've been rereading this draft every day, but this time only an hour a day. I've started to edit and revise. Mostly, I've realized what enormous work it needs, and this may take a long time. I see holes each time I read it; I see an ending that needs to be changed drastically to make it satisfying to the reader. I see revisions, revisions, revisions in my future. Nanowrimo writing: 5 days. Nanowrimo editing: 500 days?

Of course, my main fear? That my word count thingy on my computer is off. When I go to upload this thing to the Nano counter site, I'm afraid it will tell me, sorry, you've hit 5,000 words, not 50,000. You lost. You don't call yourself a writer, do you?

Regardless, I've loved it. It needs lots of work, but right now, I feel exhilirated: me, little ole me, did it. I've written non-fiction my entire life--and I can now say I attempted fiction. Thank you, Nano people, for the great idea and program!

And you? What's been your experiences with Nano? Do tell!

Q& A with C. Hope Clark, founder of Funds for Writers!

I don't just adore C. Hope Clark because she published my article "Writing for Lou Grant and those dark suits" this week. I adore her because she's the founder and editor of http://www.fundsforwriters.com/, a site and e-newsletter which comes to my inbox every week, helping me find new markets. She is a wealth of information. I adore her even more because she took some time to answer my questions about writing, growing a readership of over 28,000, finding an agent and the steady work it takes to make it.

FundsforWriters.com is an online resource for writers seeking grants, contests, markets or jobs. The nine-year-old site has almost a million hits per month and has received the Writer’s Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers designation for each of its nine years of existence. Hope’s newsletters reach over 28,000 readers. She’s published nonfiction in commercial magazines and websites. She also writes mystery fiction, and her Carolina Slade series is in the hands of an agent, making the rounds of New York publishers. The highlight of her career, she says, will be publishing that series and proving how diligence and practice can pay for writers.

Q: Thank you for joining us, Hope! It is a pleasure to have you on my blog. Can you tell me a little bit about how you started FFW? And how you have nurtured it, so that it's grown to 28,000 readers?

Slow and steady wins the race, is my mantra. I started FundsforWriters almost ten years ago after speaking to a writer's group in Georgia. I was writing short articles online and doing book reviews back when Internet writing was brand new, and some writers were afraid of it. My talk morphed into how to make a living as a writer. Since I was then a grant and loan specialist with the federal government, I had some ideas that many thought unique. Emails started pouring in, so I created a newsletter to avoid repeating myself so many times each day. Once it hit 1000 members a couple months later, I realized I had a tiger by the tail, and I needed to take this FundsforWriters stuff seriously.

To keep it alive, I write from my heart and soul. I write sincerely, talking about what I perceive are issues, lessons to be learned and flaws in creating a writing career. People love the kick-your-butt approach I often take. Many love the no-nonsense website. I've always adored people who got to the point quick, so that's what I deliver. Staying current and providing a consistent delivery is the key, in my opinion. Being selected by Writer's Digest as a "101 Best Websites for Writers" for nine years has helped as well. I still love doing it, and I think that comes across to the readers.

Q:What's your top recommendations/advice for non-fiction writers trying to find legitimate, paying markets (in addition to FFW of course)?

Subscribe to Writersmarket.com or buy the book as a starting point. Subscribe to newsletters that post writers guidelines, like FundsforWriters. Go to the bookstore or library and devour magazines, to include the mastheads. Study the ads to know the readership being channelled. Note the flavor and voice in each publication. Don't just whip off a piece and shoot it to an editor without understanding the publication. I purchase articles for FundsforWriters, and I can easily tell when someone hasn't read the newsletter.

Be careful of the writer mills. They are the ones that promise to pay you per click, or pay pennies with promises that ad revenue and clicks will amount to an income. If a publication is easy to submit to and receive acceptance like these mills, it isn't worth having on your resume, because seasoned folks in the business recognize them for what they are. You only have one reputation.

I strongly suggest trade magazines to entering nonfiction writers. They are easy to correspond with, the competition is easier than the national glossies, and they are heavy into interviews and reviews, which are a great way to break into the business and learn how mags work. The pay runs $100-$400, usually.

Q: What's your advice for fiction writers trying to get published?

Read a lot! I have a mindset on fiction writing: write ten times more words than you keep, read ten times more words than you write. Fiction takes more practice, in my opinion, than nonfiction. It's more difficult to write to me. Some think the other way around. But competition is much stiffer for fiction writers. Fiction writers need to practice and practice without publishing. Writer's critique groups are much more important to fiction writers. In nonfiction you need a voice and easy style to make a clean delivery. In fiction, you need that and great characters, plot and setting. It's more complicated, and the more a fiction writer studies the craft through the eyes of those who have preceded him, the better he becomes. It's almost osmosis. Your eye and mind begin to recognize good and bad writing, a well developed plot or a rounded character.

Then once you feel you've become rather skilled (and that doesn't mean two weeks of writing), pitch your shorts to magazines and your novels to publishers/agents. Be prepared to edit them over and over. Be excited at editing them. When someone cares enough to say it needs editing but they still show an interest, jump all over those edits and be grateful.

But fiction takes a long time to turn into money. You can pitch a trade or online site and earn a clip in a matter of days. Fiction writers must be method artists -willing to take their time to perfect the craft.

Q: Would you recommend finding an agent? If so, what is the best approach?

Absolutely. I'm still not crazy about self-pubbed fiction. Sorry. There needs to be an editing process and professional eyes on a manuscript. And I believe an agent can aid a writer's efforts. An agent also is a barometer on how well your book is written. Some preach that conferences are the best places to find agents. I don't agree. I've been to enough conferences to see agents darting around, keeping appointments, and I know they don't have the time to seriously consider a writer. Most of them have a standard mantra of "send me a query and the first three chapters" to avoid a debate. You are pitching your writing. It doesn't matter what you say at a conference, the bottom line is that your writing has to speak well of you. I believe the best approach is a finely tuned query letter and highly polished synopsis. Study the agents you query. Know who they represent, what books they've contracted, what genre they prefer, where they live, what they like. Then personalize that query. It takes time and serious study and may take weeks to send out those queries, but it's worth it.

Q: How did you land your agent?

I studied agents like crazy. I had a spreadsheet indicating all the above items I mentioned. I even had a category called the ZINGER, which was the personal connection to that agent I needed to mention in the query. I sent out a dozen at a time, waited two weeks, then sent a dozen or more. Out of the first 40 agents I queried, I received responses from 39. I believe that was due to the professional query. Five agents requested and read the full manuscript. All rejected it, but with comments. So I stopped querying and did another compete edit on that manuscript, taking about nine months. Then I queried 32 more agents and landed one. I'd mentioned in the query that I was interested in mentoring teen readers like she did and explained my WritingKid newsletter. She'd also been a cop in an earlier life, and my novel is a mystery plus I'm married to a federal agent. Finding that connection is so important. We clicked as a result. I've helped her with her teen mentoring program as well. It's nice to have a partnership.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what you're working on now?

I'm editing Book Two of my Carolina Slade mystery novel series. Book One is being routed through various publishing houses by my agent. Book Two is written, but she asked me to shorten it 4000 words or so. I've started Book Three and have a general concept for Book Four. That's another lesson. After you finish one book and start querying it, start writing Book Two. My agent asked me about subsequent books in our first conversation. Luckily I had one written. But my mysteries are centered in agriculture, in rural areas. People don't realize there is agricultural crime and that the feds actually have a band of federal agents that investigate said crimes. I threw a lot of Southernisms in the work along with a bit of humor. It's fun.

Q: Who are some of your favorite writers, Hope?

Whoever I'm reading at the moment. I probably read about 30+ mystery novels a year. I like Lee Child, who's more of the thriller genre, Kathy Reichs (Bones TV show writer), Sue Grafton ( I have every book from A to T, some autographed), JA Konrath, Nevada Barr, Charlaine Harris (of Trueblood fame) and many more. I also like the lyrical phrasing of Jodi Picoult, and read her work periodically along with Pat Conroy. They help a writer learn how to write beautifully. But my tastes change with day's email. As I learn about a new mystery series, I have to grab a few copies. I love a series.

Thank you so much for joining us. You are such an inspiration to many of us when you arrive in our inbox each week! "Yay, new markets to try!"

My story about writing for the Feds on Hope Clark's site today!

I adore Hope Clark's site, www.FundsForWriters.com, and her e-letter, which goes out to over 25,000 writers. (Anyone who helps writers find paying gigs is near to a saint in my book!) Each week in her publication, I can count on ideas for new markets and contests being delivered right to my inbox. So imagine how excited I was when Hope picked my story--"Writing for Lou Grant and Those Dark Suits"--for this week's edition! It's a story about the experience you get writing for the government, and I do hope you'll check it out here.

And I'm even happier to announce that Hope will be my guest on Monday's blog, answering my questions--and hopefully yours-- on this life of freelance writing! Come back Monday!

Interview with writer and consultant John Ettorre

I just caught up with John Ettorre, a writer, editor, marketing consultant, blogger and writing coach. His bylined work has appeared in more than 75 newspapers and magazines--everywhere from the New York Times to Cleveland Magazine. His resume is impressive, but what's more inspiring to me is that he's been an independent writer since 1993, earning a living exclusively from his pen.

What's the secret? I interviewed him and he was more than willing to share his thoughts-- about writing, blogging, getting assignments and making connections.

Q: Your blog, "Working With Words," notes about writing, was recognized in 2006 by the Society of Professional Journalists as the best in Ohio. How long have you been blogging? How have you kept it up steadily? Any tips on successful blogging?
A: I’ve been blogging since late March 2003, which means I’ve been at it for coming up on seven years. Working With Words is now the third-oldest continuously published blog in Northeast Ohio, at least that I’m aware of. For the first three years or so, I was probably only writing an average of 3-4 days a week, and rarely on weekends. About three years ago I decided to make it a daily discipline, including weekends, and now I post nearly every day, with pauses to refresh my batteries perhaps twice a year. As a matter of fact, I just took a one-week rest. But otherwise, I’m as regular as a clock, with daily posts. That regularity is part of success, as is just sticking at it, and also engaging with readers who take the time to comment. I can’t understand how so many blogs leave comments unanswered. I try to answer every single commenter, generally within the hour, but just about always that day. I think the only way you can be steady is to be writing about subjects that not only interest you, but which go to the core of who you are. That’s your only hope of staying at it for a long time.
Q: You've been published everywhere from local parent magazines to the Christian Science Monitor and New York Times. How did you accomplish breaking into the national publications?
A: I think of it as akin to ladder-climbing. I first had to learn to write well. Then I had to get published regularly in local/regional publications, and it helped that I already made my living as a staff writer at a magazine. Once I got the hang of local/regional writing, I just kept looking at what was the next step above that. And each set of clips you have at one level gets you into the next door, though it still takes much trial and error and pitching. But you can target your pitches by simply educating yourself on the best markets, which is best accomplished through a blend of lots of reading, going to writers’ conferences and learning from the experience of more veteran writers. Mentors are crucial in every field, but I think doubly so in ours. And the dirty little secret of publishing is this: once you get in the door of one national publication, other will follow, because editors will assume (generally correctly) you know what you’re doing based on having cracked a peer publication. The trick is to get that first national clip, which might take a few years of ladder-climbing.
Q: Any tips or recommendations on obtaining freelance writing assignments?
A: I wish I could come up with some magic formula, but it’s really all about sweat and persistence. Getting assignments is as easy (or as hard) as this: earn a reputation for producing interesting, lively writing that meets deadlines. Also develop a rep for not being a prima donna who’s forever pestering editors but rather someone who solves editors’ problems and helps them do their jobs. Everyone likes those who reliably help them do their jobs and make them look good. Again, it takes some time to get in any particular door, but once there, pay attention to all the details, and especially to the human side of the equation between writing and editors. Always try to understand how the world looks from the editor’s standpoint. And remember, it’s not always just assignments that land you bylines. Sometimes the right unsolicited piece over the transom can work, too.
Q: You make the most of online connections, such as LinkedIn. How are you using these formats to fit in your daily schedule? How important is an online presence to a writer?
A: A meaningful online presence isn’t merely desirable or important for writers, but essential. If you don’t have a substantial presence on the web in 2009, 15 years into the Internet era, I would argue you’re not very serious about writing. And with free tools such as blogs, there’s basically NO reason not to be there. If you have a substantial part of your writing portfolio online as well, so much the better. As for connecting with people online, I’m a big believer in two things: being focused and doing it slowly and steadily. By focus I mean that I put my time and energy into connecting via the blog and Linkedin, and don’t spread myself thin like a lot of people I know who also use Facebook and Twitter. Many of them quickly burn out for reasons that aren’t very mysterious. I do a little bit every day, which really adds up over the years. Relationship-building ought to be something we all build into the day as a top priority, and by that I mean in person and virtually, the combination of which is really powerful. And it’s best done as a marathon, rather than a sprint.
Q: What do you think of the magazines and newspaper business--in decline and not using freelancers as much? Should freelancers be focusing their efforts instead on finding online work?
A: Freelance budgets for traditional papers and magazines aren’t merely in decline, they’ve collapsed. Let me cite just one example of many, for my home daily paper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I used to get op-ed essays published regularly, when it had three pages for op-ed. Then it went down to two pages a day, and now is at one page. Which means they rarely publish anything from outside their own staff or the news services to which they subscribe. Then I wrote features for the Sunday magazine. A couple years ago, that too went away, as most newspaper weekly magazines have. More recently, the paper, like many metro dailies, has been shedding lots of staff reporters, so there is almost no budget or space anymore for freelance material, except in very specialized niches, which are occupied by longtime contributors and thus not open to new writers. On the other hand, new markets spring up all the time, and while many of them don’t pay well, some do. You just have to really stay on top of the markets.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Part of why I took a recent blogging break is because I’ve had a crush of deadlines for websites I’ve either written or edited that have gone live. I worked on this one earlier in the year, but it only went live about a month ago:
http://www.gojo.com/ This site also went live about a month ago: http://www.ashton-group.com/ These sites have just debuted in the last week or so:
http://www.sck.net/
http://campusservices.case.edu/

Thank you so much John for taking the time to answer all these questions. This was very informative! Much success to you!

Tips from Mary Jo Campbell: Ready, Set, Nano!

It started! NaNoWriMo is here! Over 100,000 people are signed up to write 50,000 words this month! This post is written by freelance writer and past Nano winner Mary Jo Campbell. She joins us today to share her experience.

Last year, I took the jump and brought 12 kicking and screaming young writers with me.

Where did we fall? NaNo-Land - a magical place of characters, anxiety, disconnecting internet and IV's of coffee.

OK, I did not serve coffee to the kids. But, I did prepare them for the adventure of writing a novel in one month through small, but important writing exercises.

It's not too late to start now, unless you're reading this post in the archives and it's mid-November, then, I'd say: RUN Forrest, RUN!

The first step to surviving is NaNo is to have a plan. Besides letting your friends and family know that your November calendar is full, planning your what-you're-going-to-write is key to crossing that finish line.

Characters:
In my Young Writers' Workshops I teach, we begin with a character. A villain, a hero, even creating a sidekick can get the ideas trudging around your brain. I tell my students to know your character inside and out. But most importantly, know what they want. The more you know about their motivations, the more roadblocks you can throw their way!

Conflict:
Memorable characters make a story, but not by sitting around the pages looking good. They need some DRAMA and you're going to stir it up. Who or what will get in your protagonist's way of achieving that ULTIMATE goal? When you think the conflict is troubling enough, make it worse!

Plot:
Here's where you "outline" that famous little Beginning-Middle-End arc. Some argue that outlines take the mystery out of their muse. Usually I would agree. But, you're trying to write an ENTIRE novel in just 30 days, silly! You need a map or you might venture to the badlands. And they don't have coffee there. So, you can either draw an arc and write in the major plot points for the beginning (set up), inciting incident (point where character must move left or right towards their goal), rising action (everything that goes on until they reach the big battle, climax (brief but bold) where your character either succeeds or fails in a few powerful sentences, falling action (the wrap up of all loose ends) and the conclusion (happily - or not-so-happily-ever-after.)
OR - -
You can do the same as above, but write a few sentences of a scene for each point using 3x5 cards that can be rearranged for a more interesting storyline.

Details:
Remember to use your 5 senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch. Rich, descriptions using all of these add depth, realism and most importantly - lots of WORDS to your word count. Fifty. Thousand. Words. It's a lot, sister! Skip the brevity you may have learned in journalism class. Forget the contractions and abbreviations. Throw in a dream or flashback or a page of inner dialogue.

Community:
Writers during NaNo crave the support and crazed caffeinated look of fellow NaNo'ers. Get on the site. Complete your profile. Find a local NaNo group: From the My NaNo, go to My Regions. Search by region name and locate the region or regions you'd like to affiliate with, and click on the Join button in the column to the left. My Naperville IL Region hosts "write ins:" weekend gatherings where we all get together to "novel" and have "word wars." What's a word war? Go find out! Geez, do you want me to write your novel for you, too?

Celebrate:
With my young writers as my cheering squad (and I, theirs) we made it to the finish line, each with our word count goal met, each with a mass of writing that can be molded into a beautiful piece of literature, in December.

Award-winning freelance writer Mary Jo Campbell teaches creative writing to young adults. She founded the first Young Writers' Workshop in Downers Grove, IL and hosts free monthly groups where students can find their voice and experience peer feedback. This November, Mary Jo will be noveling again, with her class of 13 students and hopes to lure her inner editor back in December for some major revision. She can be found giving tips and inspiration at her two blogs: Writers Inspired and WriteLikeCRAZY (where young writers gather).

Note: I'm over at Mary Jo's Writers Inspired blog (above) today, where I share my "Confessions of a First-Time Nano'er."

Countdown to Nanowrimo...Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I took this picture of bats at the Columbus Zoo a few weeks ago. I took it especially for my Halloween post, because I certainly don't like looking at these things!

Anyways, not only is it Halloween, but the countdown is ON: 7 hours, 15 minutes from this post, Nanowrimo will begin!

I'll be toiling away tomorrow Nov. 1--along with over 100,000 of my closest friends---in attempting to write 50,000 words by Nov. 30. If you care to join us, please see www.nanowrimo.org!

And on Monday, Nov. 2, my blog hosts the writer Mary Jo Campbell, a Nanowrimo winner from last year, and who has her own blog, "Writers Inspired". She'll be my guest blogger and she'll give us some tips on making Nanowrimo work!

If you're looking for me that day, I'll be the guest blogger over at her blog, so I do hope you'll stop by and say hi!

Have a great day, and whether or not you're celebrating Halloween, I hope you're making some great memories today!

Interview with Author Sara Morgan, "No Limits"

I've just finished the book "No Limits: How I Escaped the Clutches of Corporate America to Live the Self-Employed Life of My Dreams" by Sara Morgan. Sara's book is for those who are thinking about becoming self-employed. Sara's book is about what type of person is suited for self-employment, what physical and emotional things you need to let go of, and what resources you need, all things a freelance writer should know--especially one who's jumping from "writing once in a while" to striking out on their own full time!



I contacted Sara, and she was more than happy to answer a few of my questions about her journey! Here, she shares with us her tips on creating your own career.



Q: Thank you for joining us, Sara! Can you give us a brief background that brought you to creating your own life?
A: Sure. I am a former corporate web developer, who became independent 4 years ago. Prior to that, I worked for large and small companies in several industries, including health care, finance, retail, robotics and information technology. I earned several Microsoft certifications, wrote six technical books and in 2007 was awarded the prestigious Microsoft Most Valued Professional.

I made the jump to self-employment by accident, when the job I was working at became intolerable and so I quit without having anything lined up. It was tough going at first, and I do not recommend doing it that way, but in the end it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I am finally able to create my own destiny. Being true to oneself is necessary for real happiness.

Q: What are you doing now?
A: For the past 6 months, I have been writing, producing and promoting this book full time. This has meant no money is coming in, but a lot is going out. Luckily for me, I had built a nest egg and that is what I have been living on. It will run out soon, but in the mean time, I think of this as an investment in taking my career to a new level as a professional writer and speaker. I figure it is a much better investment than the stock market.


Q: I liked when you said "Thoughts are very powerful, and when you think extensively about something you want, you will soon begin to see that something start to develop." Can you explain how that fell together in your career?
A: I recognized this connection a few years ago on my own, but it was not until I stumbled upon a book and movie called The Secret that I knew for sure it was real. It is based on a thing called the law of attraction and it essentially means that your thoughts control your reality.

If you think the world is bad, you are a loser and everyone is out to get you, then that will happen. But, if you think the best of people and especially yourself and never give up, anything in life is possible. There are no limits really.

Q: I especially liked when you discussed "letting go" of many things. What are some of these?
A: Oh tons of things. We all live in mental cages and most of the time the only one that is holding us back is ourselves. You have to let go of things like fears that are just wrapped up in your own insecurities. You also have to let go of blaming others and thinking like a victim. It is not easy to let go of these things, but it is necessary for you to be truly happy and successful.

Q: You have a section on "Where to Start." You also have a section on "Good Advice." It is sound, such as developing a website, trusting your instincts, getting feedback, etc. What in your opinion is the BIGGEST piece of advice you can give a writer in starting up his/her own business?
A: Write about what you know and love, and write as often as possible. The more you do it, the better you will get. Also, develop a thick skin and learn to appreciate and solicit feedback whenever you can.

Q: You talk about making a little over $5000 with your first book, and seeing you put 600 hours of effort into it, your hourly rate was $8.33. Yet, you say it was worth it. Why? What should writers be looking for when they evaluate their plans?
A: It was worth it because it opened up all sorts of doors for me. Without that first book, my independent consulting business would have been harder to maintain all these years. The first book also made publishing the next six books much easier. The hardest one is always the first.

Q: Any other important advice for writers trying to decide if they're going to quit their day job and do this gig fulltime?
A: I would hesitate on quitting my full time job to become a writer until you are well established. I had already written and released my first book and it had been out for months prior to my jumping ship. I also had more than writing to fall back on. It is hard to make a good living writing, but if you can pull it off, it is the most rewarding thing you will ever do.

Q: Thank you so much Sara for joining us, and I wish you much success. Stop back and visit often!
Thank you Kristine! Also, can you mention that I am hosting a free teleseminar on Monday, November 2nd at 1:00pm (central time) called, “What the small business owner should watch out for when establishing their web presence”. Anyone interested in attending should visit the following web page (http://www.nolimitsthebook.com/nolimits/teleseminar.aspx) and register for the free event.


Q: I just did. Thanks Sara, I'm looking forward to the teleseminar! ##