I didn't realize the term procrastiwriter was a thing.

I thought myself very clever when the word popped into my head this morning, my first day back to work after a two-week beach vacation. My little bloggy light bulb, dim for many weeks now, burst into magnificent brilliance. Bam, I thought, I'll do a blog about writing procrastination ... something I struggle with every year, right about this time when I'm packing my bags for somewhere relaxing.

Alas, when I googled procrastiwriter (while putting off actually writing the blog post) it was already in the urban dictionary. I didn't come up with anything original. I guess there are plenty of us.


Anywhoooo ... back to my beach vacation. Summer is about sun and surf and swimming. During vaca season it can be harder than ever to commit to writing every day. The three weeks leading up to my beach trip were spent scrambling to complete several freelance projects, including a walking tour script for a new tourism business, Walk Erie Tours, in the Marblehead/Port Clinton, Ohio area of Lake Erie. My brain was filled with historical data and lighthouses and interesting characters from our past. Along with my sunglasses, I packed my final edits for the script, which I did turn in within a couple days of my beach arrival. Good for me! I'm proud to say I never procrastinate when my writing includes a paycheck.

On the other hand ...

In addition to an obscene number of swimsuits, I ALSO packed the second draft of my current women's fiction work-in-progress, "Charlotte's Choice." Ambitious, I know. I had the perfect excuse for putting off another edit. I was on vacation. There were sandcastles to sculpt. Tan lines to cultivate. Cocktails to drink. Sunsets to enjoy. My brain, I told myself, needed a break. A chance to re-charge.

I could have left the manuscript at home but didn't want my personal writing to come to a complete standstill. I was in the zone in May, you see, tweaking my plot and trying to get my most recent draft revised so my husband Mike, always my most loyal fiction beta reader, could experience "Charlotte's Choice" for the first time. I envisioned me completing an almost clean draft, printing it (yes, I packed my small inkjet printer and a ream of paper), and presenting it to my hubby in a 3-ring binder (yes, I packed that, too). I pictured him reading it by the pool, so engrossed by his first exposure to my twisty plot and quirky characters that the cool depths of watery goodness would go un-rippled.

Honestly? That would have taken a miracle.

Procrastiwriters, listen up ... this is what happened instead.

I didn't touch my manuscript for more than an hour or two in the first week.

BUT ...

- I read a women's fiction novel with a similar style to my own writing.

- I finally breezed through about half a dozen back issues of Writer's Digest and The Writer magazines I'd received in recent months. Granted, they got a little soggy. I did most of my reading in the hot tub.

- Enjoying some ocean breezes from a deck chair, I critiqued several fiction pieces for members of my monthly critique group. Reading their work always gives me ideas on how I can improve my own writing. Doing this on vacation allowed me to absorb their submissions more fully and provide them with a thoughtful critique. I had nothing else on my usually full calendar to take priority.

- I read back through comments I'd received from those same critique partners, over the course of several months. I'm usually so busy, I don't always grasp the little details or intent of what my partners say during our monthly sessions. SOMETIMES I don't even agree with them in that moment. By stepping away and coming back to those comments, weeks later, their valuable input is clearer to me. Doing this on vacation allowed me to absorb their comments, digest them, analyze them, and better decide what suggestions I wish to implement in my manuscript.

- I pulled out my story board, with a title and description of each chapter, and spent some quality time re-arranging the order of my chapters, so when I was ready to commit to another manuscript edit I'd be better prepared to tell the story in the best possible way.

- While digging my toes into the sand, I watched my "characters" pass by in the form of a tall, young woman looking for seashells, a sun-burned dad playing catch with his son, a young couple on the next towel over, clearly in the early stages of their relationship.

Week two of my beach vacation ...

I was so re-charged and ready to get back to work on my manuscript, I got up early one morning and dived right in. I spent an entire rainy day re-reading the first 100 pages of "Charlotte's Choice." I made changes as I went ... shuffling the order of my chapters, honing my characters' voices, implementing changes my critique partners had suggested (only the ones I truly agreed with, mind you).

I may be a procrastiwriter, but sometimes it's during the procrastination stage that I actually ... subconsciously ... get a heck of a lot done. As a result, my rainy day edits were some of the easiest, clearest edits I've ever done to a manuscript. My ideas had solidified during my brain break. Intentional or not, my summer vaca became my writing friend instead of stalling my writing progress.

I feel invigorated. Excited. Determined. I'm back in my little office, typing away at my bloggy blog about writing procrastination (perhaps avoiding editing the other 200 pages of "Charlotte's Choice" still remaining?)

This morning I also organized a kitchen drawer. I'm pretty sure one of my characters loves to cook.

This is research, my fellow procrastiwriters. Research. ;)

#amediting #amwriting #WIP #writingblog #blog #fiction #procrastination #procrastiwriter

I haven't been to a writing retreat for many years, but I highly recommend the experience. Typically held over a weekend and with a much smaller number of attendees than a writing conference, the retreat atmosphere lends itself very well to getting to know your fellow writers (and their writing) on a much more personal level. It can also provide a more intimate, focused critique opportunity, as most retreats provide critique sessions and/or "down time" to create your own sessions in a cozy corner with other writers.

Lakeside, OH—near and dear to my heart and the Lake Erie setting for my current work-in-progress NaNoWriMo 2019 project "Charlotte's Choice"—is just about the most beautiful location I can think of for a writing retreat. I have debated coordinating one of my own retreats in this quaint, step-back-in-time Chautauqua community, which sports cottages of climbing ivy, a sailing club, shuffleboard courts, and a stretch of waterfront dubbed the "most beautiful mile." Until I get my act together, I would be remiss to not blog about the upcoming Word Lovers Retreat, May 31 - June 2, to be held at the Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast.

WORD LOVERS RETREAT—LAKESIDE, OH

Claudia J. Taller, coordinator of Igniting Possibilities, stages the 23rd Word Lovers Retreat at Lakeside, OH. Held May 31 - June 2, at Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast, the event welcomes two Columbus writers, Trudy Brandenburg and Sandra Gurvis, as presenters. According to Taller, Trudy created the successful Emma Haines Kayak Mystery Series, teaches writing classes, and writes for magazines and newspapers. Sandra Gurvis is the author of sixteen commercially published books and hundreds of magazine articles. Her titles include Day Trips From Columbus, 3rd ed.; Ohio Curiosities, 2nd ed.; Careers For Nonconformists, which was a selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club; and America’s Strangest Museums.

Weekend Lineup

(per Taller's website)
Creating Fictional Characters: In this fun and interactive class led by Trudy, you’ll use a simple magazine picture to create your fictional character. This easy technique helps keep your characters true to themselves. You’ll craft a bio, complete with background, personality traits, and unique quirks that will bring your character to life. You’ll leave this class with a useful writing tool and the zeal to write! No writing experience necessary.

Bird Walk: From her kayak and on walks, Trudy’s an expert at hearing and seeing birds. Lakeside is on the Lake Erie migratory route, and attendees will take advantage of her expertise and love of birds on a walk around Lakeside.

Turning Personal Experiences into Viable Prose: “Everything is material,” or so the saying goes. But how can you turn life experiences into salable writing that readers can enjoy and relate to? This workshop with Sandra will focus on using anecdotes, memories, and observations to craft salable stories as well as how to distance yourself to avoid losing perspective and to protect yourself legally as well as the privacy of others.

Inventing (and Re-Inventing) Yourself as a Writer: No matter how many years you’ve been at it, writing is a continual process of discovery. Aimed at both novice and experienced writers, this workshop with Sandra helps explore the many ways you can use your skills and experiences to boost your career. Participants will get a chance to evaluate their present and future aspirations, along with finding new ways to earn income as a freelancer.

Critique Session: In small groups, participants will discuss what works and what doesn’t work in participant's work.

Open Microphone: With wine in hand, attendees will be entertained by fellow writers.

Registration

For cost and additional information, visit the Word Lovers page on Taller's website, www.claudiajtaller.com. To register, send an email to Claudia.taller@yahoo.com. 

#writer #amwriting #WIP #SCBWI #writingtip #writingretreat #Lakeside

The resources available to those of us clicking away at the keyboard, as we write the next great American novel, are, frankly, a little overwhelming. A writer could spend a month of Sundays exploring writing websites (some more reputable than others). I'm grateful Writer's Digest magazine does the legwork for me and puts out an annual spring issue featuring "101 Best Websites for Writers," which I lap up like a thirsty dog every year. There are websites that offer support, that provide information, that challenge us to push our limits, and so on.

Of the Writer's Digest offerings, below are my favorite baker's dozen of new finds I'll personally be utilizing a lot in 2019.

1. blog.NathanBransford.com - Previously a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd., writer Nathan Bransford provides tons of free advice on everything from getting an agent to self-publishing.

2. FightWrite.net - If you're a true crime/mystery/thriller writer, or the like, this website is seriously helpful. With hands-on information provided by paramedics, a Justice of the Peace, coroners, gunshot victims, etc., the website gets down to the specifics — the blood, guts, and gore — of crime scenes and weaponry. It may be just what a writer needs to make that murder scene more realistic.

3. LanguageIsAVirus.com - Great for fiction writers and poets, this site provides writing prompts, games, and other writing exercises to get those creative juices flowing. Excellent resource for Language Arts educators.

4. CareerAuthors.com - "write. sell. repeat." is the tagline for this resource for writers wishing to make a career of words on the page. There are helpful tabs about specific genres, marketing, craft, publishing, etc. I find the Young Adult tab particularly useful.

5. Aliventures.com - Ali Luke's blog posts are for all writers and specifically hone in on both novelists and freelancers. With lots to look at for free, she also offers purchasable online/self-study courses.

6. Well-Storied.com - Kristen Kieffer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources, offers a wealth of bloggy writing information and even a number of free e-courses on her Well-Storied site (formerly She's Novel). I love that she even includes tips/tricks for using Scrivener, a writing app that takes a bit of a learning curve to master.

7. WriterUnboxed.com - In my opinion, the big draw is the number of industry professionals and published authors who offer advice, posts, etc. An "UnConference" is also sponsored through this site, and the WriterUnboxed Facebook page is self-promotion free, so it's a very uncluttered writing community resource.

8. AAROnline.org - Association of Author's Representatives, Inc. - Provides a database for writers looking for an agent who represents what they write. Agents who are members of this professional group must meet high standards and follow a canon of ethics. The site is very easy to use, allowing searches based on name, genre, etc.

9. JetReidLiterary.blogspot.com - Literary Agent Janet Reid, the Query Shark, will chew up your manuscript query and spit it out ... all while giving great advice on the query process. Soooo many good things about this site. Personally, I go straight to the query pitfalls section and Query Letter FAQs.

10. BehindTheName.com - spend hours researching names for your characters/places. Offers a cool lesson on literal meaning, history, etc.

11. Archive.org - The Internet Archive is like a mashup of Wikipedia and Pinterest. Plug in any topic and a slew of pictures and articles pop up. This is a great resource for anyone who needs to travel back in time to a different era so that story set in the 60s-70s really rocks those go-go boots with realistic details.

12. SwoonReads.com - Macmillan Children's Publishing Group provides an opportunity to upload a young adult novel manuscript and have the readers decide what grabs their attention enough to publish. Writers wanting a chance for reader feedback and shares ... this could be the ticket.

13. TheFreelancersYear.com - Freelance writer Lindy Alexander blogs about everything freelance, including travel writing, corporate writing, writing about writing, etc. Being a freelance writer myself, I expect this will become one of my favorite go-to sites for inspirations in 2019.

Hope these websites help! Now, go explore ...

#lindyalexander #macmillan #queryshark #janetreid #kristenkieffer #writerunboxed #aliluke #nathanbransford #amwriting #amquerying #writertip #WednesdayWisdom #WednesdayWriter

As writers, how do we find our people?

Writing is often a singular existence. It's just me and my computer, most of the time. Although I've been a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) for many years, connecting with my peers beyond an annual writing conference and my intimate monthly critique group wasn't something I thought much about prior to January 2018, when I decided to up my digital game.

Over the years, it's become clear a web presence is almost a requirement, if a writer wants to be taken seriously when querying agents/editors. Though many writers cringe at the idea of using social media (I feel your pain), the Internet is a fabulous source of information and support from other writers.


Want to skip my ramblings? Jump down to "Writing Organizations."

A history lesson

My Facebook account has, for years, allowed me to keep up with high school/college friends and distant relatives, some strung from coast to coast. Prior to 2018, my posts usually centered around my private life. Early on, it didn't dawn on me Facebook could provide writers (me) with a web-based "tree house fort" where minds could meet like minds.

Then came Twitter. I made fun of it when my children, in their teens at the time, started tweeting. My youngest daughter's senior year, I created my @HaasBren account ... with plenty of grumbling. One of my teen's activities required a parent join, as group announcements would be Twitter blasted to the masses. Within minutes, a surprising number of my housewife peers friended me. I laughed ... and promptly tweeted that no one should get too excited. I swore I wouldn't be tweeting. Despite my pronouncement, I ended up with 14 followers. That number didn't budge for over a year, nor did I expect it to. I hopped on Twitter rarely, NEVER tweeted (as I had promised), and never explored what the platform had to offer.

In 2018

I began regularly blogging on my website. I also added a dedicated writing Facebook page (@writerbrendahaas) and started sharing my blog on specific writing Facebook pages. Breaking my promise to never tweet, I dived into posting my blog on Twitter using writing #hashtags. I also added an Instagram account (@writerbrendahaas), which points back to my website.

I noticed a trend. I gained writing friends/followers and new website clicks almost daily.

Fast forward to 2019

Though I'm still not savvy at using Instagram (I find it cumbersome and inconvenient, as it doesn't allow adding a direct link to my blog posts within an Instagram post), I HAVE gone from just 14 Twitter followers in Jan. 2018 to over 1,000 Twitter followers just 14 months later. Modest, I know, but still a big jump for a writer who doesn't tweet more than a couple times a week and hops on Facebook communities only when there's a spare minute in the day. I have met SO many new writing peers and even picked up critique partners, through my social media use.

Below are a list of helpful genre-focused writing organizations, writing Facebook pages, and writing community Twitter/Instagram hashtags. No doubt, there are MANY great ones I don't know about or have neglected to include, but this is a jumping off point for those of you writers looking to use social media to improve your writing and "meet your people."

In a future blog, I will touch on my favorite writing websites of 2019.

Writing Organizations

• Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), for authors and illustrators of children's and young adult books.
 
• Mystery Writers of America (MWA), for published and aspiring mystery/crime writers, associated professionals, and readers of crime fiction.
 
•American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA), professional association focused on independent nonfiction writers.

• National Association of Science Writers (NASW), science writers, editors, educators, and students aiming to improve craft and promote good science writing.
 
• Poets & Writers (PW), resource for poets and literary writers ... includes magazine.

• Romance Writers of America (RWA), promoting professional interests of career-focused romance writers, through networking and advocacy.

• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA), for authors, artists, and allied professionals. Group deals with agents, editors, anthologists and producers in non-print media.

• Sisters In Crime, combats discrimination against women in mystery field and promotes professional advancement of women who write mysteries/crime.

• Western Writers of America, Inc. (WWA), organization of freelance writers of Western fiction and nonfiction.

Facebook pages worth checking out
(Barely scratching the surface here. Keep in mind, there are pages for just about any genre of writing)

She Writes
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month ... and its plethora of subgroups)
Fans of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)
Writers' Group
Writers Helping Writers (and its "beta readers and editors" group)
YA Fiction Writers
How Writers Write Fiction Community Group
Writers Write

Popular Twitter/Instagram Writing #Hashtags
(# before just about any genre will help you find info & other writers. Examples: #romance #thriller #SciFi)

#WritingCommunity
#WritersLife
#MSWL (manuscript wish list used by agents/editors who post their "wants")
#WIP (work-in-progress)
#NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)
#WriteChat
#AmWriting
#AmEditing
#AmQuerying
#AmRevising
#SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)
#WritingTip
#WriteTip
#PubTip
#AskAgent (if you have a question, you may get lucky and an agent will answer)
#AskAuthor
#AskEditor
#IndieAuthors (for independent authors)
#ASMSG (Authors Social Media Support Group)
#SelfPub (for/about self publishing)
#WriterWednesday
#WritersBlock
#WritingPrompt

NOTE - the following are particularly popular on Instagram, but many #hashtags are interchangeable between Twitter and Instagram.

#writersofinstagram
#wordporn
#writingparty
#writingsprint
#write
#writingblitz
#wordgasm
#writersnetwork

Good luck, my writing friends. Hope this helps. Maybe we'll chat on Writers Helping Writers!

Artwork by Michelle Haas, https://www.instagram.com/mhaas_art/

My daughters, now 20 and 22, used to love watching cartoons when they were young. Often, Kim Possible would end up on the screen. The titian-haired teen crime fighter with the bare mid-drift, and her naked-mole-rat-loving sidekick Ron, cared a lot about everyone and everything.

Kim and Ron had hope enough for hundreds.

Writing for the young adult market can be tricky, particularly if you're well beyond having that youthful optimism—that blossom of hope all teenagers have at the core of their being.

Yes, I said hope. If you're a parent with a couple of teenagers in the house, I apologize if coffee just spewed out your nose. Cough it out, dear. You'll get past it.

Despite what you may think, I am NOT crazy for believing teenagers have hope. I turn 50 on Wednesday, but I remember. When I was a teen, I cared about EVERYTHING. I usually tried to act like I didn't care about anything, but I cared. Almost as much as Kim and Ron.

Hope. Hope. Hope.

As a writer of young adult fiction, I do find myself writing grittier for today's readers. Death and sex and drugs and alcohol are no longer entirely taboo. Still, no matter how saucy or dark or dire the subject matter becomes, I strive to write with hope at the heart—the core—of my YA story.

But what's hopeful about teenagers? Aren't they angsty? Don't they get upset about everything? Aren't they prone to moodiness and indulge in end-of-the-world syndrome when they get a hangnail?

Perhaps. Some. But even those stereotypical teens who are angsty and upset and moody have hope. The best tip I can offer writers of young adult fiction is to remember that teenagers who see the world as conspiring against them HOPE there is something better just around the corner.

I may be turning 50, but I remember.

I hoped I'd get a prom date (I did, but my boyfriend broke up with me two weeks before the big day). I hoped I'd get a pony (I did, but he was a mean little thing and bit me). I hoped I'd get a lead in the school musical (I did, but I flubbed a song when the cute piano player in the pit smiled at me). I hoped the popular girls would accept me and stop making fun of my prominent nose (They did not. The pretty, little bullies called me Beaker).

I remember being very angsty and upset and moody. If Hal gets a zit on his lip and the entire football team dubs him Herpes Hal, it's a big deal. These are life-changing, world-crushing problems for a 16-year-old.

Fortunately, I grew up and got over my seemingly minor life-changers. At the time, though, I was convinced everyone was conspiring against me. Secretly, I HOPED for better. Any day that didn't end in tears was a day of hope. One good day could lead to two good days, then three days, then four days strung together to make a good week.

We've all been there.

A YA writer must connect with teenage readers by stepping back in time to their own days of being angsty and upset and moody. Just like Kim and Ron and teenagers across the globe, we writers must have hope.

Lots and lots of hope.

###

Artwork by Michelle Haas.

#YAFiction #YAWriter #amwriting #WIP #fiction #SCBWI #WritingCommunity #MotivationMonday #WednesdayWisdom

For some, it is all about perseverance. Being your "personal best"—whether a writer, a dog walker, or an accountant—is about the choices you make and the ability to push through adversity.

Today's blog isn't about how to use "they're" or "their" or "there." It has nothing to do with setting or plot twists. It doesn't even have much to do with ability (or lack thereof).

It does have bunches to do with character, though.

I'm not talking, "Sally's raven hair whipped about her face, the scar at her temple a shadow of her past" character.

I'm talking about personal character—STRENGTH of character—the type of character in one of my favorite childhood stories, "The Little Engine That Could," by Watty Piper.
 
We'll call my writing critique buddy, Laurel Houck, The Little Writer That Could. She's not only little (cute as a button, really, and feisty as they come), but just about the most determined writer I know.

“I once had an agent tell me, ‘You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.’ It wasn’t meant as a compliment. But it has proven to be true,” says Laurel.
 
Laurel is talented. REALLY, really talented. I've been listening to her stories for years, always just a little envious of how effortlessly her writing seems to leap off the page. As a critique partner, it has been hard for me to find something, anything, to improve upon. Instead, I get so lost in her words that I forget to take notes. But, effortless as her writing seems, I know just how hard she works at it. She puts in the time. An incredibly prolific writer, over the years she's produced a historical YA mystery set in a graveyard, a snarky middle grade, beautifully lyrical picture books, a heart-wrenching story set in a Nazi concentration camp, an epic YA trilogy, and so much more. ALL of it ... great stuff.
 
It wasn’t easy for her to get here, but I am thrilled to see Laurel's first ghostly, romantic, angst-filled YA, "The Girl With Chameleon Eyes," now available for public consumption.
 
About the book:
Summer is “The Girl With Chameleon Eyes.” She knows that she’s a ghost, and that something in her past has prevented her eternal rest. But what she did and how to expiate that guilt is a mystery—one that must be solved by her seventeenth birthday or she will roam forever. Kota, unhappy and at odds with everyone, feels an instant attraction to Summer. She recoils at the mere sight of him. Yet they are drawn together in a dance of mutual need, choreographed by the ages. When both of their lives begin to unravel and intertwine, will love be enough to save them? Or will evil consume them both?

For Laurel, getting a novel published has been years in the making. Often, even the most talented of writers must face unexpected obstacles. The ins and outs, the ups and downs, of Laurel’s personal writing journey are not for the faint of heart.
 
“My first sale to a major publishing house, a YA trilogy, made me swoon,” says Laurel, who saw her dream turn south when the parent company overspent on a well-known author’s latest book. “We unknowns were cancelled because they needed to save money.”
 
Laurel’s next sale, again to a major house, was a co-authored MG series. When edits were almost complete on book one, the editor decided to remove Laurel from the project and retain the other author. Laurel’s partner, also a member of our writing group, refused. The two writers (both equally talented) sold it to another big house.
 
“Same scenario, except this time they wanted him off the project,” says Laurel, who also refused to leave her partner in the dust. The series has never found a new home.
 
Over many years of putting her work out there, Laurel has had the ubiquitous rejection letters and the increasingly popular no response at all. She has been agented and un-agented. She’s experienced hate tweets on what some considered non-PC subject matter. There have been promises made and broken and even a fellow writer who tore her work apart in front of an editor at a writing retreat.
 
“A rare occurrence,” says Laurel, “but there you have it.”
 
And yet, through it all, here she is. Still writing. Still doing her thing. Still putting out wonderfully crafted stories like, “The Girl With Chameleon Eyes.”
 
She is grateful to Melissa Keir at Inkspell Publishing for this opportunity. And for the many friends and family who have believed in her and been supportive since the beginning of the journey.
 
Every writer has a different idea of what his or her personal best can be. Anyone who wants to see success at the end of the journey may have some uphill battles to get there. And the downhill plummet from the top may not be as easy-breezy as one would expect. The key is to put in the time, work your way up that hill, and take the plunge. If it is something you feel committed to, persevere.

“I’ve had no special knowledge or thoughts that someday I would certainly be published. But for whatever reason, I simply kept on keeping on,” says Laurel.
 
Indeed.
 
Be Laurel. Be that Little Writer That Could.

Congrats, my friend.
 
Laurel has been writing since the age of six when Crawls the Caterpillar inched across her wide-lined yellow notebook paper. She has published magazine articles in Skipping Stones, Westsylvania Magazine, The Tribune Review, The Loyalhanna Review, and SEAPC magazine. Blog posts have appeared on All the Way YA and at seapc.org. In addition to The Girl with Chameleon Eyes, Inkspell will publish her next YA novel in March of 2020. She lives in the Pittsburgh suburbs with her husband and their fur baby, Mable. And she’s the world’s biggest fan of chocolate milkshakes.
 
Website:       laurelhouckpages.com
Facebook:     Laurel Houck
Twitter:        @laurelhouck
Instagram:   laurelscottage

Amazon link to order The Girl With Chameleon Eyes.

#MondayMotivation #WednesdayWisdom #SCBWI #WIP #YA #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #amquerying

I have a love/hate relationship with giving and receiving writing critiques. Regardless, I feel a writer should not write in a vacuum. I've been a member of a writing group for years (and years and years) and have learned a lot about the writing process through the input of my peers. I've also listened to so many critiques of my own work, I've picked up a few tricks to help me when critiquing other writers.

Done right, the critique process can be a lovely give and take that benefits both parties.

Tips for Giving Critiques

• Be positive. First and foremost, we're here to help each other.
• Use the sandwich method. Start with what you like. Sprinkle in some constructive criticism. End with something else you like. 
• Own your opinion. Say “I thought chapter two was boring” rather than “Chapter two was boring.” If you're not willing to stand behind your opinion, then you probably shouldn't offer it. Keep in mind, too, the writer does not have to agree with you.
• Be specific. If you found chapter two boring, explain why. Too slow? Not descriptive enough? Not enough action? Why? Why? Why?
• Offer solutions. If possible, offer solutions to problem areas, being careful not to change the fabric of the writer’s tone, point of view, perspective, etc.
• Back off. If you feel a change should be made (and possibly it should), recognize the writer has final say over his or her work. You’ve given your opinion. Sometimes an opinion is dismissed. Don't keep circling back around to why you are right. It's not worth an argument, and it's not your project. Let it go.
• Be kind. Even if you hate the writing, the writer has invested his or her time and has shown vulnerability by allowing you to be part of the process. This is a brave and often scary act with unknown outcomes. Be polite and respectful. Phrase your suggestions in a way that wouldn’t offend you if you were on the receiving end.
  

Tips for Receiving Critiques

• No draft is perfect. Whether the first or 50th draft, it might still need improvement. Don't panic if a critique forces you to rethink and revise. Fresh eyes tend to catch problems you never noticed.
• Don’t take it personally. Criticism of your work does not equal criticism of you as a person. You sought an opinion. He or she gave it. That does not mean you have to make changes. If you don’t agree with someone’s critique, let it go.
  
• Clarify. If someone’s critique raises questions, don't hesitate to clarify. Although this may well resolve the issue, it may also throw a serious spotlight on any holes in your story. That’s good. Filling those holes will raise the level of your writing. 
• Recognize the majority. If more than one critique partner has the same concern about your content, it's probably time to take a hard look at what you’ve written. Consistent comments may equal necessary changes.
• Everyone has an opinion. You might think it’s perfect. Another may think it’s too long. Another may think it’s too short. Keep in mind what your end goal is when wading through all those opinions.
• Be open-minded. The ultimate decision is yours, but don’t dismiss suggestions that seem harsh or difficult to implement. Listen to the point behind the criticism. Look at your work from a distance, gaining perspective through the eyes of other readers. Sometimes the hardest advice to hear can be the most worth following.
• Wait. After receiving a critique, let your project sit for a day or week or more, before revising. Only make those changes that still ring true to you after you have the chance to "sleep on it."

Remember, your work is your own. Listen to what critique partners feel does not work, and then figure out how (OR IF) you want to make changes. It’s your work, your choice, your decision ... until it makes it onto an editor's desk, but that's a whole different blog post:).

Happy critiquing, my writerly friends!

Artwork by Michelle Haas https://www.instagram.com/mhaas_art/

#amediting #WIP #writingtips #writingtip #SCBWI

When I first tell someone I'm a writer, their initial reaction usually includes a glimmer of doubt and a smidgen of "cool" and perhaps a fleeting “I wish I could do that” then I see them catch up with their thoughts and suddenly they give me that hesitant, weird side-eye and I can tell they are thinking "is she a delusional-starving-artist or someone-famous-I-don’t-recognize?" and they really want to ask but hesitate to ask but really, really want to ask but don't want to be rude if the answer is "no" and, and, and …
 
That’s when I usually blurt out "unpublished" just to get that over with, because, well, I don't like to make other people uncomfortable.

Like I am, in that moment.

Uncomfortable.

I can’t yet tell this new acquaintance what they expect to hear. Some people—many people—seem to think a writer is a novelist who can pull a published book, with a cover and title and "by Brenda A. Haas" and bound and everything, from the depths of a very large purse (which is overflowing with multiple spare copies and also holds a high-quality writing utensil in case someone wants an autographed first edition on the spot).
 
Some people—many people—seem to think a book-signing event is going to break out at any moment.

That's what a real writer is, right? An author with a published book? And book-signing events?
 
Yeah. Not always.

I'm a writer. A real writer. But I am not what one traditionally thinks of as a real writer.
 
For about five years, I worked as a staff writer for a Pittsburgh newspaper. Before that, my personal essays had been published a number of times in various Pittsburgh papers and a North Carolina magazine. I also owned my own communications business, for a time, handling public relations and marketing for a number of non-profits and small businesses in the Pittsburgh and DC metropolitan area. The work was steady and relatively lucrative.
 
With the exception of the news writing, for which I produced hundreds of articles under my byline, much of the writing I've been paid to do has not had my name anywhere on it.
 
No credit. No book signing. Just $$$.

Currently, I call myself a freelance writer, blogger, and www.powerofpages.com webmaster. A lot of what I do now revolves around web content and social media, but I’ll write whatever comes my way, if I’m able, from home and usually in my pajamas.
 
Over the years, I've paid for vacations with my writing. I've helped put a down payment on a house with my writing. I've put clothes on my children's backs, bought new sheets for my bed, paid a vet bill or two, purchased a college dorm rug, and even bartered a gutter cleaning service for my home ... all with my writing.

Yes, most of the writing I do—the writing that has actually seen print and garnered that $$$—is not what many people consider “real” writing. I'm not a published author, folks. Not yet, anyway (and for no lack of trying). I'm a marketing/advertising/public relations/news writing/essay slinging/web content Girl Friday who knows how to make non-writers look good in the public eye. And THAT'S how I earn my paychecks on any given day.

While I write for others, I also work on my own fiction projects, any of which might see print someday. Or not. Who’s to say?
 
Still, I'm a writer.
 
Perhaps not a famous-ish, bestselling, book-on-a-Barnes-&-Noble-shelf-autograph-signing type of writer, but a real writer.
 
—And maybe a little uncomfortable.

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Facebook writing account: @writerbrendahaas
Twitter: @haasbren
Instagram: writerbrendahaas

Artwork by Michelle Haas https://www.instagram.com/mhaas_art/
 
#MotivationMonday #MarketingMonday #MindfulMonday #WIP #amwriting #writingtip #writinglife #SCBWI #writer #writingcommunity
 
 

Sometimes it's nearly impossible to find "the end."

The FINAL draft — re-named "2019 Final Draft" or "Final Draft 2" or "The Other Final Draft" or "Final Final Final Draft" or whatever you choose to call it when you save the thing again after making yet more changes — can keep coming back around like that bean soup you had for dinner.

Honestly. A final draft can practically clear the room. Toot. Toot.

I'm notorious for never quite calling a project officially "done." Even when I've worked for a newspaper, and had to stop self-editing and hand over my completed articles to make weekly print deadlines, I would read the published version three days later and make minor changes in my head.

Some would say I'm a little obsessed. I would say I'm thorough.

Yeah. Hate to break it to you, but that final draft might still not be the final draft. And, like the soup, it might give you a hearty case of gas.

Is the inability to commit, to formally remove all those final versions and leave just one, shining FINAL draft in your desktop folder, a good thing or a bad thing?

Let's discuss.

For me, final is never quite final, and that is a good thing. Although I do a ton of editing to my work, I am always open to the input of others. As much as I may think my writing is polished, many eyes are better than just my two. Let's be honest, if any of you reading this blog are on your game, I'm sure you'll find a mistake in here somewhere (even though I edited this a gazillion times before posting).

I also take full advantage of being a member of a critique group and always try to have more than one beta reader give me substantive input at the final draft stage. Are my characters believable? Are there plot holes? How is the pace? Done right, this process takes time, something many writers don't want to allow themselves. Be patient. Take that time. It's soooo worth it in the end.

My goal is to present the cleanest finished product possible, so checking and checking and re-checking my grammar and punctuation is a must. When I step away from a "final" draft, and come back to it months later, I am always surprised (and a little annoyed) when I notice something I'd like to change for the betterment of the writing ... again. Still, I make those changes.

Ultimately, I strive to perfect each sentence and each paragraph and each chapter. I also strive to present "error-free" work. That is what is expected during the submission process.

For me, final is never quite final, and that is a bad thing. Not truly considering one's work to be "finished" can be a serious problem if the goal is to see a 300-page manuscript make it to print. One of my biggest goals for 2019 is to get past my need to keep editing. At some point, a manuscript must be ready (enough) to put it out there. It simply cannot sell itself while sitting in a folder on my desktop.

There is also the fear that editing and editing and editing might remove some of what gives the words, strung together in just my voice, the personality I wish to convey in the first place. A manuscript could become a sterile, lifeless thing if stripped down too much.

Furthermore, never putting a manuscript to bed—never saying "I'm done"—makes it next to impossible to move on and fully commit to a new project.

So, about my current "final draft" --

My young adult mystery, "Something Strange at Water's Edge," has been a journey. I won't say just how long I tinkered with the manuscript (way too @!% long), but it was my first novel ... my first foray into fiction. I cut my teeth on those first 67,000 words and learned just about everything I could from the dozen or so "final drafts" I saved over the years. That's not to mention how much time I put in on the early drafts.

While returning, again and again, to that final draft, I did manage to move on.

I have two completed picture books ready for submission. My WIPs include two other picture books, and I'm about 150 pages into a YA dystopian novel, 100 pages into a literary fiction project set in a summer camp in the 1980s, 200 pages into a women's novel centered around father/daughter relationships and Alzheimer's Disease, and 50 pages into a follow up YA mystery using my "Something Strange at Water's Edge" characters.

That's a lot of WIPs. I'm hoping to finish first drafts on two by spring. Final drafts? Eventually. I AM much faster now at the entire process. Loads of practice.

Hopefully less gas.

In 2019, I WILL submit. Sample chapters of my YA are currently with an awesome lit agent from an agency I covet and an interested publisher, both of whom requested during the Dec. #PitMad, a Twitter pitch event. Of course, before I sent those first few sample chapters, I had to re-read the entire manuscript (again) and made just a few minor changes (again).

Yeah. I did.

That final draft you've got sitting on your desktop? You're probably not done yet. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to find "the end."

You might need a Final Final Final Draft. The manuscript will be better for it.

Would you like some bean soup with that? Toot. Toot.

Artwork by Michelle Storm Haas.

#amediting #amwriting #WIP #SCBWI #WednesdayWisdom #writer

artwork by Michelle Haas

New Year's resolutions aren't something I typically cheer about. I end up frowning at the mirror a month later, wondering why those five pounds didn't melt off while I was eating my weight in carrots. That doesn't mean I never make writing goals for myself ... a little nudge, shall we say, to keep me writing all year long. With 2019 just a couple days away, here is a list of writing goals to incorporate in the new year with hopes of improving not just one's writing but one's chance of publication in 2019. Cheers!

Write daily. What I learned from participating in the 2018 NaNoWriMo challenge, and writing 50,000 words in November, is that I must set daily writing goals to truly immerse myself in my writing. It's fine, and even healthy, to take a day or two off between stages of perfecting a manuscript, but it helps to keep that bus a movin' as consistently and often as possible, so as not to lose touch with your characters and plot. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to backtrack and re-read much of your work, just to get back into the rhythm of the story.

Query. As a staff writer for a Pittsburgh newspaper, I really didn't take the time to do much querying of my fiction work over the past several years. I plan to rectify that in 2019. Though the (exhausting) process requires researching viable agents/editors, perfecting the query letter/synopsis/pitch, making sure the submission is truly error-free and follows submission guidelines (which vary widely), etc., it's important to remember that the manuscript or personal essay or poem isn't going to publish itself. If the goal is to publish, you HAVE to eventually take that leap of faith and put it out there.

Organize. With three completed young adult and picture book manuscripts ready for submission, plus an additional three young adult WIPs and one women's fiction WIP, I'd be a dolt not to organize my queries. Don't annoy your favorite agent by inadvertently sending a second query, for the same work, because you didn't keep track of your submissions. There are many ways of organizing your queries. I used to use a basic notebook, handwriting in every submission with contact info, date, response, etc. This past spring, I developed an Excel spreadsheet that allows me to keep a digital record. Here's my query template. Feel free to use/alter. Writer's Digest has also created a number of excellent writing tracker spreadsheets, available for free download here.

Save. Saving your manuscript only on your computer is risky business. My husband finds it hilarious that I have a sizeable box of USB flash drives with every copy of everything I've ever written. I keep one such flash drive in a location outside my home. Another option, something I intend to do in the new year, is to upload files to an external hard drive or cloud storage using Google Docs or Dropbox or the like. Periodically emailing recent copies of WIP files to yourself, or a trusted other, may also suffice. I've done that with recent work, but none of my older files. Again, risky business. If your home office goes up in flames or computer crashes, you want to be able to retrieve your work digitally, somehow.

Read what you write. In 2019, I plan to read at least two books a month in my writing genre. Since I write mostly picture books, young adult and (just recently) women's fiction, I must make time to read books in those genres. Read. Read. Read ... what works, what doesn't work, and everything in between. You will be a better writer for it.

Write what you love. I love reading epic fantasy but have never tried my hand at it, because the world-building seems like it would be beyond my capability. If you love reading a particular genre, but have never given it a go, maybe 2019 is the year to get out of your comfort zone and write what you love.

Finish. I won't lie. Two of my WIPs began their journey over five years ago. I'm about 150 pages in on each of them. Sometimes it's easy to start a new project but also easy to give up when the words stop flowing. I am making it my goal, in 2019, to really take a good look at what I've got in my WIP folder and determine what is worth finishing. Then do it. Just do it. If you have multiple projects that got off the ground quickly but stalled, maybe they are worth another try. Finishing takes work. If it didn't, everyone would be a published author.

Rah, rah, ree ... Kick 'em in the knee. Have a fantastic start to your new year, my writerly friends. Hit your goals and make 2019 something to cheer about! I'm rooting for you.

Artwork by Michelle Storm Haas.

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