"Contests and Dialog"

Leave "said" alone. Don't be tempted by the muse of variation to permit characters to "opine," "elaborate," "chortle," "cajole," or "laugh." Roy Peter Clark "


The Rant 'N' Rave Section

"Dialog, Say it like it is!"

Have you ever picked up a novel, started to read it and stumbled over the stilted dialog of the characters? I read lots of first drafts and rewrites and one of the sure signs that I'm reading someone's first or second attempt at writing is the absence of contractions in their characters speech. Red flags go up at once. The following are examples of what's certain to detract from any good story.

"Bill, will you hand me the knife please? I cannot reach it."

"Okay, just one minute and I will give it to you."

All I have to say is "OUCH". Stilted, stilted stilted. Now let's try it again using contractions.

"Bill, will you hand me the knife please? I can't reach it."

"Okay, just a minute and I'll give it to you."

That reads much better, doesn't it? Good dialog should never read or sound artificial. Always, always avoid stilted, contrived, wooden or too formal dialogue. The only exception to that is if your character is stilted, formal and contrived.(HA) If you are unsure of your dialog, READ IT OUT LOUD! Yeah, that's right, go ahead and feel like a fool. That's how I felt the first few times I did it. I always read my dialog out loud; of course I'm alone when I do. That protects my fragile ego from the unabashed assaults of uncontrolled laughter. Try it! It won't take long for you to find out what a valuable tool reading aloud is.

Well, that's it for this issues Rant n Rave section, on to Tidbits.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"TIDBITS"

Every time I post a new Rant on my blog, I like to share my thoughts on any Tidbits or morsels I've found that might come in handy for new writers. These "tidbits" take the form of any articles, websites, software programs or other things that might be beneficial. Last time I discussed a writer's websites and the reasons it's a good idea to have one. This time it's all about contests.

If your serious about writing and getting published it's imperative that you use every avenue available to put your work in front of readers and editors. One such avenue is contests. Some contests are free and some have a small entry fee. I started out by just entering the free ones. There were two reasons for that. One was that I didn't have much money and the other was that I didn't have much confidence in my writing ability.

After I won my first little contest however, (see below) my confidence factor jumped. Now when I write a short story, my first thought is to see what contests might be out there waiting for my submittal. The only caveat to paying a fee that I have is that the R.O.F. (return on fee) must be worth it. If the fee is $10.00 and the first prize is only $20.00, forget it.
The contest I've highlighted below, for example, has an entry fee of $10.00 but the first prize for writing is $500.00. Well worth the investment. Not only will contests get your work "out there", they'll also give you important little morsels of accomplishments to add to your "Bag-o-Tricks."

You do have a "bag-o-tricks" don't you? You know, a writers bio that lists all of your successes. A brag rag that lets the world know you're the greatest. If you don't, contests are a great way to get one started. There are tons of contests out there. Contests for poetry, short stories, novels, best beginning chapters and more. The first contest I won was the "Authors Unlimited Readers Feedback Contest." This wasn't so much about writing a story as it was about giving my opinion about the website and the authors listed on it. I tried to make my article as interesting as possible and, to my delight, won second place. That was back in 2005 and it gave me just the added spark I needed to continue on.

Needless to say, my "Bag-o-Tricks," has grown quite a bit since then. The last contest I entered carried a $5.00 entry fee with a 1st prize of $150.00. Now I didn't win first prize BUT, my entry was chosen to be printed in the newest edition of The Creative Writer put out by J.D.Vine Publishing. That is well worth the entry fee. By the way, J.D.Vine's newest contest is now open for submittals. See the link below in (Sites to see, places to go and groups to join.) Now, if you check out the "Good Stuff" page on my website you will (ooops, no contraction?) you'll find a continually updated list of contests to enter.

A contest that you won't see on that list is one that I just heard about from the contest administrator. It's the Dream Quest One Poetry and Writing Contest. "WOW," what an enticing name. Makes me want to sit down and write a fantasy short story. Here are the details:

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest.

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to everyone whether experienced or not. This competition is open to all and anyone who loves to arrange words into beautiful art or write a short story that is worth telling everyone. And to all who have the ability to dream. Write your best short story or poem for a chance to win cash prizes. All entries must be original.

Guidelines:

(1) Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject or style, single or double line spacing, neatly hand printed or typed.Or(2) Write a short story five pages maximum, single or double line spacing, on any subject or theme, creative writing, fiction and non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary and journal entries), neatly hand printed or typed.Deadline: Deadline: December 31, 2007.Winners will be announced on January 31, 2008.Prizes: Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize is $250. Third Prize $100.Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize is $125. Third Prize is $50.Entry fees: Writing Contest entry fee is: $10 per short story.Poetry Contest entry fee is: $5 per poem.To send entries by mail: Include title of story or poem, your name, address, phone#, e-mail, brief biographical info. (tell us a little about yourself) on the coversheet, add a self-addressed stamped enveloped for entry confirmation. Mail entries/fees payable to: Dreamquestone.com.

To enter online: Go to http://www.dreamquestone.com/.
Dream Quest OnePoetry & Writing ContestP.O. Box 3141Chicago, IL 60654Visit http://webmail.tds.net/do/redirect?url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.dreamquestone.com%252F for further details, to print out an entry form or to enter online.

So what are you waiting for? Write something! Enter-enter-enter! Needless to say, I have a submittal or two to send in, who knows??
On to Last but Not Least….



Last but Not Least

"I didn't know that!"

Well, I've taken up so much space with the Tidbits section this time that I'll keep Last but Not Least brief. Did you know? That Jack London's pseudonym was John Griffith Chaney? That his father deserted him? That his spiritualist mother and his stepfather raised him in Oakland, Calif.? That he was a hobo? "I didn't know that!" He was also a seaman, before educating himself and gaining admission to the University of California at Berkley. London, a noted Socialist, also once ran for mayor of Oakland California in 1901 under the Social Party ticket. He wrote `Call Of The Wild', amongst other stories. Well, that's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf


Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

My Writing Friend: writingfriend@earthlink.net

Nick Daws Writers Circle: Nick Daw's Writer's Circle.

Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/

J.D.Vine Publishing: http://www.jdvine.com/

Tennessee Writers Alliance: http://www.tn-writers.org/

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.
Copyright © 10/01/07

The dreaded "C" word.

"Proof Reader (n) A malefactor who atones for making your writing nonsense by permitting the compositor to make it unintelligible." Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) From The Devil's Dictionary…

NEWS FLASH: My short story, "Anasazi Moon", has been accepted for publication in the next issue of: "The Creative Writer"
series of books. The publisher is J.D.Vine Publishing

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

"Commitment!"

So, you think you are a writer huh? When did that happen? At what point did you say to yourself "I'm a writer," and believe it? Has that little voice deep down inside stopped laughing at you yet? I can't say it enough; keep writing, as much as possible, as long as it takes. Know in advance that some of your work will be junk. I write junk, you write junk, we all write junk. Don't be discouraged by it, be grateful for the time you put into it. Buried in that junk are covert treasures. Each word, each sentence and each completed chapter is a step closer to the day when you open an email or a letter and it starts off with "Congratulations, your story has been chosen for publication."

It can be a long and lonely road from wanna be writer to published author. What is the one common thread that keeps all new writers on the sacred path to published-dom? Commitment. Yeah, that's right, the big "C". Fingers bloody yet? Finished your first story? Well send that work out! Not just to one publisher or contest, oh no, send it to as many as you can. The more you have out there, the more likely it is that one of them will find a home. Publishers say that sending out multiple submissions, "shot gunning it" is a no-no. Well, that's just fine for the publisher, but what about you. Your job is to get your work in front of as many potential buyers as possible.

Some publishers take six months or more to review and reply to submittals. If it took you a year to write and submit your first story and it's been rejected twice, you've just blown two years and only put your work in front of two possible buyers. On the other hand, if you submit to multiple publishers you will start getting rejects pretty quickly. Sooner or later, among them, will be that magic acceptance letter. First come, first serve, so say I.

If you are committed to becoming a writer, you must also be committed to doing whatever it takes to get your work in front of as many potential publishes as possible. That's what advertising's all about. (See tidbits section) That's why I write short stories. It only takes me a month or two to write one. If you do the math that means that in the two years it took for the aforementioned novel to be submitted to one publisher at a time, I have approximately twenty-four short stories out in the world. Who do you think will get published first?

Speaking of which, I just received one of those magic congratulation letters for a short story I wrote called "Anasazi Moon." The acceptance was from J.D.Vine Publishing and the story will be published in the next edition of "The Creative Writer" series of books. I'm always thrilled when that happens. It does, however, create an instant flurry of activity on my part. I instantly send out letters of withdrawal to all the other publishers I submitted to. What a delightful problem to have! As always, this is just my opinion and after all, I'm still a newbie……….

For all you kindred newbie writers, pay attention to this. J.D.Vine is looking for good stories and poems. For more information on how to submit your work, go to http://www.jdvine.com/.


Well, that's it for this issues Rant n Rave section, on to Tidbits.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"TIDBITS"

Every time I post a new Rant on my blog, I like to share my thoughts on any Tidbits I've found that might come in handy for new writers. These "tidbits" take the form of any articles, sites or programs that might be beneficial. Last time I discussed a great little website called Wridea. This time it's about writer's websites. Nick Daw's (see link below) originally planted the idea in my head in an article he wrote regarding freelance jobs he's been offered through his website. I read quite a few pros and cons about having one and finally decided to "give it a go." Following is a most informative article by Stephanie Chandler that I found on the net which should give you a good idea what a website entails.

Websites for Writers – Why You Need One and How to Get Started
By Stephanie Chandler
It may seem like the publishing industry’s equivalent of Beanie Baby madness- everyone is talking about writer’s websites. Freelancers and authors everywhere are jumping on the bandwagon, publishing sites to promote themselves and their work. This craze leaves many writers wondering if it’s just a fad or if it’s really worth the expense and effort. While it may seem like an overwhelming or frivolous endeavor, there are some solid business reasons why you should consider setting up your own website.

¨ Editors like Writer’s Websites. When querying an editor for the first time, you can add credibility to your writing resume by referencing your website. Instead of attaching clips, you can provide a link to clips on your site. This minimizes paperwork and lets you avoid sending email attachments that can get scrubbed or cause your email to be routed straight to the trash bin. It also makes the editor’s job easier-, which could cause them to reward you with a new assignment.

¨ Your Site Can Save You Time. When you put your clips online, you avoid having to copy them over and over again and instead just upload them once to your website. Your clips file can be as current and as varied as you want it to be. This can streamline your query process and ultimately make you more productive.

¨ Writers with Websites Get More Work. Writers with websites will tell you that they get more assignments as a result. When you start listing your site in writer’s databases, job boards, on your resume and in directories across the Internet, you inevitably catch the attention of people who do the hiring.

¨ Your Site Can Promote Your Work. Whether you are writing freelance articles, books, eBooks, copy for corporations or offering editing services, you can use your site to promote your offerings. Corporate clients will be impressed by a thoughtful website with samples and testimonials. Your site becomes a reflection of you and your work and can impress editors, agents and publishers. The more you work to advertise and market your site, the more attention you can expect to receive.

Setting Up Your Website
It’s relatively inexpensive to start a website and often the biggest investment will be in your time. You can hire someone to help you get your site up and running, or you can take this on yourself.
If you want to have the flexibility to manage your site and change the contents frequently, it would be worth it to learn how to do it yourself. Microsoft Frontpage and Dreamweaver are two of the most popular software programs for website design. If you don’t want to design it from the ground up, many companies offer templates that you can purchase for as little as $15. You can then customize the template to meet your needs.
If you decide to hire a website designer, there are many to choose from. The best way to find one near you is to ask writer friends or business owners in your community for a referral. You can also ask someone whose site you admire to share their designer with you.

Website Hosting
You can opt to use a free website hosting service like the one offered by Geocities, but keep in mind that you won’t have your own domain name. Instead, your URL would look something like: www.geocities.com/mywebsite.html.
For a truly professional site, you can register your own domain name and have your site hosted for as little as $12 per month through providers like Yahoo. Yahoo Small Business also offers free tools for website design, so if you want to create a simple site with just a few static pages, their tools may be enough to get you up and running.
Though I use FrontPage for designing my business website, I found Yahoo’s Site Builder tool easy to use and was able to design my writer’s website in just a few hours. Check out the result at http://www.stephaniechandler.com/.

Getting Your Clips Online
If you don’t already own Adobe Acrobat PDF Creator software, you should give it some serious consideration. You can use the program to easily convert scanned files and Word documents to PDF format, making it easy for readers (more importantly, editors) to view your published clips from your website.
The software also makes it easy to publish your own eBooks and other files that can be used for all kinds of business needs. Adobe allows you to create you first three PDF documents for free. You can also sign up for a subscription based service or bite the bullet and purchase the full software package.

Merchant Card Services
If you want to accept credit card payments online, you can attempt to get a merchant services account. Unfortunately, these are difficult for new businesses to obtain from the big banks due to the amount of fraud in the small business arena. There are many merchant brokers that provide credit card services, but keep in mind that you will have to pay a monthly fee in addition to the percentage per transaction. Luckily, PayPal has come to the rescue and now offers credit card payment services that are surprisingly easy to implement and do not involve a monthly fee.

Marketing
Once your site is live, you need to let people know you’re there. There are endless opportunities for marketing your site on the internet. Here are some possibilities:
¨ List your website with all associations where you are a member.
¨ Trade links with other websites.
¨ Write articles for publications and reference your site in your bio.
¨ Write a blog and reference your site with each entry.
Website listings with the major search engines are calculated based on a number of factors. One way to improve your rankings with the search engines is to make sure you link is listed on as many other websites as possible. In addition to the marketing ideas above, make sure to submit your site manually to all the major search engines. You can access a free list of sources at http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com/submitsite.htm.

Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow…
If you’re still not convinced that you need your own website, join some online discussions and talk with your writer friends. I have yet to meet a writer with a website who didn’t agree it is a valuable tool. For more information on building a website and the publishing industry visit: http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com/publishing.

About the Author:
Stephanie Chandler is a small business expert and the author of FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR: MAKE MONEY WITH BOOKS, E-BOOKS AND INFORMATION PRODUCTS. She is the founder of www.BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs and www.ProPublishingServices.com, a custom writing business specializing in electronic newsletters, information marketing, and sales copy for websites and brochures.
*This article can be reprinted in full provided the author resource box is included with the publication.
Needless to say maintaining a website also involves the dread "C" word, commitment, but then that's the cornerstone of success, isn't it? On to tidbits….

Last but Not Least

Well, I've taken up so much space with the rant section this time that I'll keep Last but Not Least brief. I just read an article by Alan Alda called "Learning to Write with a Sledgehammer." I get tons of email from sites I've subscribed to. This article is posted on the WRITER GAZETTE WEEKLY UPDATE http://www.writergazette.com/. I think you'll find it interesting reading and why not subscribe to Writer Gazette while you're at it?? That's it for this time, see ya later gater…..Aelf


Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Aelfbooks: http:www.aelfbooks.com

My Writing Friend: writingfriend@earthlink.net
Nick Daws Writers Circle: See link on this page
Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/
J.D.Vine Publishing: http:www.jdvine.com

I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.

Copyright © 09/19/07

"Don't Sweat the Details"

“Nobody ever committed suicide when reading a good book, but many have while trying to write one.” Robert Byrne

NEWS FLASH: My new website is up and running,
Check it out at http://www.aelfbooks.com/

The Rant 'N' Rave Section

"Don't Sweat the Details!"

Oh yeah! How may times have you heard that? How many times have you agreed with it? I've always believed that the saying "God is in the details," is so true. If it weren't for details we'd all be driving cars that had a frame, engine, brakes, steering wheel and lights. No fancy body, no leather interior, no shock absorbers, no detail. But, there's a time and a place for detail and starting a new novel is NOT one of them. That's right, chuck the detail, trash it, throw it, bury it, save it for later but don't get stuck in it. The first and foremost thing you as a new writer should be doing is setting up your story line.

That's right, the whatfor, whyfor, wherefor, whenfor and whofor! Until you've got a firm grip on where you're going with your story, details will only slow you down, down down. You'll find yourself wandering down dark alleys that lead nowhere, following bits and pieces of illusive details on the web in search of tidbits of facts like when did the Maya first appear or what was the name of the street that Jack the Rippers first victim was found on.

How in the world do you expect to reach a grand climactic ending that will thrill your readers if you get lost along the way, mired in the quagmire of deadly details. Or worse yet, how do you expect to send out dozens of manuscripts every year to be published if it takes you six months to write a chapter? Ok, Ok, enough about the details already, you say. What about the plot? Ah yes, the story line, what about it.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could plot out our stories using one or two crisp, concise sentences to cover each action scene, each event, each failure and each triumph.

Well, that's what you should be shooting for. Once you have a map that you can actually read without getting lost in extraneous verbiage, then and only then is it time to go back, pick up all those little detail buggers and start planting them in your story line. That's when you'll see God in the details. That's when your work will shine like a newly waxed car on a Sunday afternoon. Well, that's it for this issues Rant n Rave section, on to Tidbits.

"TIDBITS"

Every time I post a new Rant on my blog, I like to share my thoughts on any Tidbits I've found that might come in handy for new writers. These "tidbits" take the form of any sites or programs that are inexpensive or free. I usually try them out and, if I find them to be usefull, I add them to my Blog the next time I post.

This time I've stumbled into an online little freebie program that seems quite useful. It's called Wridea. (I may have stumbled on to it on Nick Daw's site) Like most writers, I've got scraps of paper everywhere. They're on my desk, tacked to my corkboard, taped to my monitor, stashed in my file, and cleverly hidden away where I'll never be able to find them again. Then, when I suddenly remember one of them and need to refer to it for a story I'm working on, I can't find it! HA! What a surprise.

Bet that's never happened to you but if it has, Wridea might just be your ticket back to sanity. I recently ran into this great little program on my daily flight across the Net. Its concept is simple. If you have and idea, a flash of inspiration or just a scrap of knowledge you want to hang on to, post it in Wridea. You can create your own categories, post your ideas in them, and then whenever you wish, you can view them, print them or edit them. I've just started using it and find that all of a sudden, I can actually find those elusive notes.

As an example, I set up a category titled "Creatures". The other night there was a brief story on the news about an odd animal called a "Chupacabra", a semi mythical canine like beast with the habits of a vampire bat. Needless to say it's now posted in my "Creature" category. I might not look at it again for months or even years, but you can bet that the next time I'm casting about for ideas for a horror story, I won't spend hours wondering where I put that note. That makes one less thing I have to waste time hunting down. I've posted a link to Wridea at the bottom of the page, check it out. Better yet, post a plot, scribble a thought, insert an idea or record a reminder.

Last but Not Least

Now to my Last but Not Least Section. I've just started reading a book that I got on a trial basis, you know the kind, "keep it for a month, if you like it, buy it, if you don't, send it back." Well, I don't usually fall for that old come-on but the title sounded interesting and I thought, "Why not give it a go?" The book is called "Word Magic for Writers" by Cindy Rogers. Now I've only read the first fifty pages so far and haven't actually done any of the exercises at the end of each section but, almost by osmosis, some of the language devices she discusses have found their way into my writer's voice and into the latest short story I'm writing.

I've got to say I'm impressed. My writing has taken on a bit more zip, snap and sparkle while the fun factor of writing has increased. I can't wait to get to the next few chapters. At this time I'm quite sure I'll be adding this book to my reference library.

Sites to see, places to go and groups to join

Aelfbooks: http://www.aelfbooks.com/

My Writing Friend: writingfriend@earthlink.net

Nick Daws Writers Circle: Click link on this page.

Wridea: http://www.wridea.com/


I’ll be adding to the above list as time goes on and I find more newbie friendly sites.

Copyright © 09/03/07