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Grist for the Muse -- Issue #30 August 2004
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Michael Wilson
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Aug 19, 2006 15:10 PDT
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Grist for the Muse -- Issue # 30 August 2006
In this issue:
• Musings
• Writing Jumpstarts
• Shameless Self Promotion
• Article—Getting Cramming It Into Your Day
“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right
the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”
-- Robert Cromier
MUSINGS
I’ve been having a lot of technical difficulties over the past three
weeks trying to get the August issue of Grist out to you. When I send
the pretty, HTML version it now bounces for some reason, simply doesn’t
get sent, and I don’t get an error message at all. So we are going
generic this month, and since it is almost September, it seems silly to
call this the August issue. I’ll continue to work with Topica to
figure out this mess.
But, summer has been crazy (all of my own doing), and I screwed up the
numbering of Grist in June, (putting #31 before #30… oops…) so this is
my attempt to get things back on track for September and the rest of the
year. This is long delayed, considering I wrote Part 1 of Musings over
the 4th of July, part 2 at the end of July, part 3 last weekend, and
part 4 I wrapped up just now. But I did want to wait until I had all of
the fall class dates finalized before sending this out, and get things
together by buying a new LAPTOP, which has given me enough horsepower to
keep the writing projects going for the foreseeable future, and the
announcement about the future of the B&N Fiction Writers Group was too
important to wait for.
I have great things planned for the upcoming months, including a
makeover of flashwriting.com, the long-delayed launch of
jumpstartjar.com, and I’m thinking of taking Grist for the Muse into the
Blogosphere. So stay tuned… hopefully next month Grist will be back and
in full color.
Part 1: Greetings from Maine
We are up at the College of the Atlantic, just outside of Bar Harbor,
Maine near Acadia National Park participating in their family nature
camp this week, and soaking up some of the wilderness around me as well
as relax and catch up on some reading and maybe a little bit of writing.
So far we’ve walked along the rocky Maine coastline, seen beavers (from
a great distance) and gotten a tour of the park from a knowledgeable 8th
grade science teacher from Maryland. There is much more in store for
later in the week, but tonight we are awaiting the big 4th of July
fireworks display from Bar Harbor which we hope to watch from the rocks
along the shoreline. This area of the state has a rich literary
history, the most notable of which, is the small town of Bangor, Maine
the home of the infamous best-selling author Stephen King, as well as
some summer “cottages” for some famous authors. And I can easily see
why they choose to live here, even if only for a couple months out of
the year. You get the fabulous breeze off of the ocean, along with the
comfortable warmth of a summer day. You also have hundreds of miles of
scenic beaches, mountains and coastline to walk about and think. What a
fertile land for inspiration.
Let’s talk today about recharging the batteries. That’s what vacation
is all about. Giving yourself time to do nothing but relax, read crappy
novels, lay out in the sun, eat lots of food that is bad for you, and
stroll around with no strict schedule or agenda. You need this to
energize yourself. Taking a day off here or there doesn’t count. There
is too much temptation to reorganize a closet or clean out the gutters.
You have to get out of Dodge for a while, go to someplace new and soak
in some new experiences. Do something you have never done before. This
week, I went ocean kayaking, explored a sea cave, and even saw a Minke
Whale on a coastal hike. I started a couple of books and finished one,
and now I am at last ready to start my next major writing project. I
reconnected with myself and feel energized to start another year of
projects. So if you are really stuck, take a vacation. Go to a place
that inspires you, or explore a new one. I highly recommend Acadia
National Park. Here you can climb a mountain, hike along a coastline,
find hundreds of miles to hike and bike, and enjoy some of the best
seafood that you’ll find anywhere. Artists and writers alike have been
inspired by this area for decades.
Part 2: Getting the House Back In Order
One of the things that I find almost impossible to do is write when
things are out of order. Now I’m not saying that my house has to be
obsessively clean or that the push pins on my bulletin board must be
arranged by color, but I do find it hard to write with a messy desk… and
for those of you that know me, you know that this is the normal state of
not only my desk, but of my life. But every once in a while, I need to
“clear the decks.” Shove all of that clutter in a box somewhere out of
sight, vacuum up all of those scraps of paper and dust bunnies under the
desk, and organize some of the documents on my laptop so I can actually
find them without an extensive advanced search function in Windows to do
it. Every year I promise to do better and every year I fail… so I have
to just go with the flow and settle for brief bouts of calm and order
surrounded by a hurricane of paper, misplaced tools, overflowing email
and piles and piles of books. One day I might find something that works
perfectly for me, but until then… I’ll embrace the chaos.
Part 3: Transitions
I’ve been beating my head against a wall now for over 3 weeks trying to
figure out why my Grist for the Muse can’t seem to be distributed by
Topica. Tech support has made several suggestions and up until now,
I’ve not had any luck or insight into what has changed with my
distribution system for the newsletter. So since this has taken so
long, this is officially the September edition of Grist for the Muse,
and you will see the October issue on the week of Sept 24th. I bought a
new laptop and have been having some trouble sorting out all of the
email configuration issues, but slowly I’ve been figuring them out, so
if you’ve been emailing me and I have been slow to respond (slower than
usual that is) please bear with me as I get things together. Feel free
to resend anything to me that you need me to respond to and you are
afraid that you have been “lost in the shuffle.”
Part 4: Nobody Should Work for Free
I received a phone call from Roxanne Martin at the Barnes & Noble at
Easton yesterday, and she regretted to inform me that B&N will no longer
be “subsidizing” the Fiction Writers Group. There is a new store
manager in place and she doesn’t want to spend budget dollars to support
these types of programs (such as this group and Nita’s Writers
Roundtable). What this amounts to is that they will no longer be giving
me a $25 B&N gift card in exchange for my presentation each month. This
might not sound like a big deal, but to me, it is. Roxanne has been
nothing but supportive over the past 3 years or so in the face of
growing opposition from corporate. Originally she paid Nita and I $50
per presentation. By the time the Fiction Writing Group was up and
growing, she was already asked to stop giving cash in exchange for
presenting the program. I negotiated to get a $25 gift card and an
employee discount (30%) during the night of the presentation only. Since
the money being spent would only go back into the store, I saw this as a
win-win, and it worked fine up until a couple of months ago, when she
informed me that I couldn’t have the 30% discount because they wanted to
boost the sales numbers of their membership cards. I sighed and just
kept doing my thing. I can’t think of too many things that I’d rather
do more than hang out with other writers and talk shop. But Roxanne,
who has fought to keep Nita and I presenting at B&N for the last year,
has now been forced by the new manager to stop subsidizing our
presentations, for whatever reason. It is Barnes & Noble’s loss. We
bring in writers, and all writers are readers and many of them buy the
books that we recommend.
But running a retail bookstore is hard. They get squeezed by the
discounted rates and fast shipping by Amazon on one side, and getting
competition from other bookstore chains, used book stores, and large
“generic” box stores like Wal-Mart on the other end. I’m sure the
manager is just doing what he thinks is necessary to survive in the
cutthroat book selling market. I appreciate the support that the B&N at
Easton (and their staff) have given me over the years, and especially
that of Roxanne Martin. So join me for the Fiction Writer’s Group’s
last hurrah on Thursday, September 14th at 7pm. I’ll be giving away
several books (to clean out those that I have just gotten from Writers
Digest) and saying goodbye to the many wonderful people I’ve met at this
event over the last 3 years.
--Michael
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ARTICLE: Cramming It Into Your Day—Finding Precious Moments with the
Muse
The statistics are in. We work longer and harder now than we ever did
before. Two-income households, the difficulty of balancing work and
family life, information overload, and more all suck time away from our
writing. But guess what? The best-selling pros faced the exact same
time crunch as you do now, and here’s how they worked around it.
Write early in the morning
Drag yourself out of bed a half hour early everyday and write. This
will give you three hours and thirty minutes of writing time a week.
Many famous authors have taken this approach.
Anthony Trollope woke up everyday at 5:20am before beginning his
full-time job at the post office, and wrote 250 words every 15 minutes.
He regularly produced over 40 pages a week. According to the book _About
the Author_ by Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner (Cader Books; 2000), after
her husband died, Mary Higgins Clark wrote from 5 to 7am, before her 5
children woke up for school. Anne Tyler, the author of The Accidental
Tourist and Breathing Lessons, also used this approach.
Write at night
If your energy level is high enough, try staying up a little later each
night after everyone else has settled down for the night. This was the
preferred method of Dostoyevsky. Colleen McCullough worked as a Research
Assistant during the day, and wrote two drafts of The Thorn Birds at
night. She wrote these drafts in 3 months, averaging 50 pages a night.
Write during coffee breaks
When your co-workers are taking their coffee breaks or smoke breaks,
stay at your desk, or find some place where you can write in a notebook.
If you get two 15-minute breaks a day use one of them to gain an extra
hour and 15 minutes of writing time a week.
John Grisham used this approach while working as a lawyer. Whenever he
had a few minutes, he would write. He wrote during court recesses,
while waiting for client meetings, whenever he could squeeze it in.
Write when the kids nap
J.K. Rowling often let her baby sleep while she wrote about Harry, Ron
Weasley and friends at a local coffee shop. Try to flex to the baby’s
schedule or write a couple of times a week during the kid’s “quiet
time.” All kids should have a little bit of quiet time during the day… a
time when they can read quietly on their beds, or draw, or do any other
quiet activity that doesn’t involve adult interaction. Set a timer for
30 minutes or an hour and tell them not to bother you unless the
aquarium catches on fire or
Go into the office early or leave a little bit later and write
I try to do this a couple of days a week, and it seems to work well. Not
that I am any sort of a famous writer or anything, but taking 15 minutes
at the beginning of my work day really does help get some writing done.
Use a tape recorder and dictate your work during a commute
Barbara Cartland, one of the most prolific novelists of all time,
dictated most of her novels using a tape recorder. They probably were
not dictated during a commute, more than likely they were dictated
lounging on an elegant divan, with a couple of foo-foo dogs on her lap…
but you get the picture.
Schedule writing office hours during a weekend or day off
I get up early on weekends. An hour later than when I would normally
wake up for an average work day, but when it is still quiet around the
house. Two books: _The Weekend Novelist_ and _The Weekend Novelist
Writes a Mystery_ by Robert Ray explore how to write using the weekend
hours to produce a novel in one year.
These ideas, combined with a few unique ones of your own, should help
you find at least 3 to 5 hours each week to get that writing project
done. What are some of your tips and tricks for finding time to write?
Send them to mu-@flashwriting.com.
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SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION
Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center— Fiction Writer’s Group
The Fiction Writers Group is a facilitated writing group that meets at
Barnes & Noble at Easton Town Center on the SECOND Thursday of each
month at 7:00pm and is hosted by writer and teacher Michael Wilson. This
event is free of charge! This is the FINAL meeting of the B&N Fiction
Writing Group, see Musings above for details.
September 14th, 2006 – 7:00 p.m. To 8:00 p.m. - Mezzanine: Fiction
Writers Group: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE FICTION WRITERS GROUP
(FAREWELL!)
This is my farewell event for Barnes & Noble. We will have an open Q & A
session to answer your fiction writing questions, and discuss other
support resources for writers in the Central Ohio area. Be here for the
final big blowout! Pick up extra copies of handouts that you might have
missed and I will have several books to giveaway. I will also be
selling copies of Flash Writing for $12.00 and JumpStart Jars at the
farewell sale price of $12.00 for 1; $20.00 for 2. So if you want to get
the best price ever on a copy of my book or a JumpStart Jar, attend the
farewell meeting!!
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Columbus Writers Conference
I’ll be presenting at the Columbus Writers Conference Again this Year!
Here the details about my presentations:
FLASH FICTION FOCUS
What do flash fiction publishers want to see in stories submitted to
them? Join local writer Michael Wilson, the author of Flash Writing: How
to Write, Revise and Publish Stories Less Than 1,000 Word Long, to learn
about the common problems with rejected flash fiction stories and how to
avoid them. Also learn how flash fiction writing techniques can be used
in longer fiction writing projects.
WRITER BEWARE! (SELF-DEFENSE FOR WRITERS)
Writers must be smart consumers for writing-related goods and services.
Learn the differences between self-publishing, print-on-demand (POD) and
vanity presses, and what to expect from book doctors, agents, and
writing contests. This session also features information about basic
publication rights and how to handle common problems with publishing
contracts.
Here are the details about the overall conference:
The Columbus Writers Conference, scheduled for Friday, August 25, and
Saturday, August 26, 2006, at the Fawcett Conference Center, 240
Olentangy River Road, Columbus, offers a wide variety of writing topics
presented by writers, editors, and literary agents. Keynote speaker is
Ted Kooser, United States Poet Laureate 2004-2006.
The conference features one-to-one consultations with literary agents
and editors; a literary agent panel; an editor panel; and for writers of
mystery and other genres, a panel of experts in the fields of criminal
investigation and forensic science. Also featured are open mikes for
fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
This fourteenth annual event presents more than 40 sessions on fiction
and nonfiction topics, including the novel; nonfiction book; short
story; writing for children, tweens, and teens; memoir; poetry;
biography; finding and working with a literary agent; author/editor
relationship; query letter; nonfiction book proposal; book promotion;
pitching the novel; copyright and contracts; publicity; and freelance
writing.
The Columbus Writers Conference draws attendees from throughout Ohio and
the United States.
Early bird registration must be postmarked July 31. For more information
or to receive a brochure, e-mail conference director Angela Palazzolo at
Angel-@aol.com; or call 614-451-3075; or write The Columbus Writers
Conference, P.O. Box 20548, Columbus, OH 43220. Details are also
available at www.creativevista.com.
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Classes at Upper Arlington Lifelong Learning
POEMCRAZY: BUILDING DESCRIPTION THROUGH THE CREATIVE USE OF WORDS
Many writers have the lifelong dream of seeing their work on a bookstore
shelf or on the pages of their favorite magazine. Writing for
Publication provides critical information that can help make this dream
a reality. This class covers the publishing business, how to prepare
your manuscript for publication, how to write a good query letter, and
options for publishing your work. The class also provides information
about copyright, trademarks, publication rights, finding an agent,
contracts, the publishing process and much more! This class is a must
for anyone who wants to be published! The class fee includes workbook.
TIME: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday
DATE: October 7
LOCATION: Lower Level Conference Room
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR)
THE 15-MINUTE WRITER
TIME: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday
DATE: November 18th
LOCATION: Lower Level Conference Room
COST: $45.00(R), $49.50(NR)
There are three ways to register for classes at UA Lifelong Learning:
• Register online using your MASTERCARD or VISA, click the following
link: https://parks.uaoh.net/VSIWEBTRAC.HTML
• Fill out a registration form here:
http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/lifelong/registration.pdf and mail it to
or drop it off (with a check or money order) at Lifelong Learning &
Leisure, 3600 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
• Call (614) 583-5333 between 9:30am and 3:30pm weekdays to register
using your VISA or MASTERCARD
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Classes at the Decorative Arts Center (the Reese-Peters House) in
Lancaster, Ohio
Writing Flash Fiction: Writing Stories Less than 1000 Words Long
Audience: Fiction writers of all levels.
Cost: $32 for members and $40 for non-members
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
This is an eight-hour writing workshop where you learn how to write very
short stories. Learn how to generate ideas, write a first draft, and
polish and shape it for publication. The goal of this class is to have a
completed flash fiction story ready for publication by the end of class.
This class features a lot of in-class writing (using writing topics
generated by the class). This class is fun, self-contained, and focuses
on getting you writing. The class textbook: _Flash Writing:
How to Write, Revise and Publish Stories Less Than 1,000 Words Long_
(ISBN: 1589396375) $14.95 or can be purchased from the instructor for
$13.00 (price includes sales tax) on the first day of class.
Class 1 -- Sept 19th
Class 2 -- Oct 3rd
Class 3 -- Oct 17th
Class 4 -- Oct 31st
Character. Conflict and Chaos: The Essentials of Fiction Writing
Audience: Fiction writers of all levels.
Cost: $32 for members and $40 for non-members
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
This class teaches you how to create realistic, three-dimensional
characters, establishing interesting situations for them, and unleashing
chaos upon the world you created for dynamic fiction. Some of the
topics explored in the class: creating character sketches, using
character motivation to generate conflict, and keeping your story
moving.
Class #1 -- Nov 14th
Class #2 -- Nov 21st
Class #3 -- Dec 5th
Class #4 -- Dec 12th
To register: call (740) 681-1423
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WRITING JUMPSTARTS (COURTESY OF JUMPSTART JAR)
Quick Topics
• Cold light
• My old job
• Last gasp
• Hall
• Catching up with
• Creeps up
• Knocks the wind out
• Blue glow
• patch
• Flowerpot
• Tucks
• Make you pay
Story Starters
• We can always eat them…
• I was there…
• There is only one…
• I would kill him…
• She’s sick…
• Do you feel like…
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THE FINE PRINT
TO SUBSCRIBE: If someone you know would like to check out Grist for the
Muse have and possibly subscribe to it, go to the web at this URL:
http://www.topica.com/lists/Grist_for_the_Muse or SUBSCRIBE via email by
sending a BLANK email to: Grist_for_the_-@topica.com
OR – If you do not want to join Topica, send an email to
gri-@flashwriting.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the header. Make sure
that I am added to your address book or your “safe” list.
SUGGESTIONS or COMMENTS: Please feel free to e-mail me with ideas,
suggestions, questions, or smart alecky remarks. I love to get feedback,
and I do give all comments serious consideration. Send them to
gri-@flashwriting.com
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Please click here:
http://topica.com/help/unsub.html.bWt3aWxz or send a BLANK email to:
Grist _for_the_Muse-@topica.com
SUBMISSIONS: Do you have an event you want to promote? Do you want to
see yourself in print? Send me a short article or writing exercise
ideas. I can’t pay you anything yet, but maybe someday soon. Please send
an e-mail with date, time, place, cost and contact information to
gri-@flashwriting.com with SUBMISSION in the subject line. Editor
reserves the right to revise submissions.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: Michael Wilson has been teaching creative writing
classes and facilitating writer’s groups for almost a decade and was an
award-winning Contributing Editor for The Writer’s Block at
Suite101.com. He has a BA (with Honors) in English from Ohio University,
and has been a featured guest speaker at the Thurber House, the Maumee
Valley Writer’s Conference and the Columbus Writer’s Conference. He is
also the publisher and editor of Grist for the Muse a free monthly
creative writing e-newsletter. His first book: Flash Writing: How to
Write, Revise and Publish Stories Less Than 1000 Words Long, was
published in October 2004. You can get additional information about him
at www.flashwriting.com.
Copyright 2006 Michael L. Wilson. All rights reserved.
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