A Chicago Freelance Writer's Guide by J.R. Williams
Nina
I am passionate about words, about affecting children's lives for the better, about music, hope, and support. I love working with creative people who want to use their gifts to challenge and change the world in a positive way. I love independent magazines and detailed, custom design. I love to surround myself with beautiful things.
I recently came to the realization that I can no longer call myself young. Maybe it’s my growing appreciation for animal prints and comfy flats and using words like “comfy” that has me convinced. The truth is I’m getting wiser and looking the part. Things they are a-changin’.
And even though getting older scares me, there are a few things about aging that I appreciate. I am grateful for the experiences I’ve had over the years and for the time I have left. I value who I am. I trust myself and most importantly, I’ve learned who I want to spend my time with and what I want to spend my time working on. The truth is time is priceless. It’s worth more than money and more than any singular object.
I’ve squandered away so much time worrying about the past. So far, it’s had no benefit on my life. In fact, it’s inhibited me from following through and moving forward. I want to create, see new places, and learn new things, but the more time I spend worrying about things I can’t control, the more control I lose over my life. So you know what? I’m not worrying about things I can’t control anymore. I’m living for myself, not for obligation.
About the only thing I can think of worth more than my time are the quality relationships I’ve created with that time. Nothing can take the place of a great confidant or a soul mate. It’s the good relationships that make life worth living.
When I was a child, I used to the think the key to life was happiness. I now think the key to life is living. Living for yourself and making the most of your time, whatever time you have left.
The Third Writers’ Platform-Building Campaign by Rachael Harrie is now underway. I implore you to check it out and sign up. It was great last year and I expect it to be even better this year. To learn more about this campaign, please visit: Rachael Harrie’s Blog.
One of the best things about the online writing community is the ability to connect to one another through websites, forums, blogs and conferences. Yes, I said conferences, ONLINE conferences! In case you haven’t heard, there was a huge conference going on this past week called, The WriteOnCon.
The WriteOnCon is a free online writer’s conference held every summer. This summer it was from Tuesday, August 16th thru Thursday, August 18th. There were lit agents and editors abound. They provided several tips on the process of writing, how to professionally conduct yourself online and the future of the publishing industry among other things. The amount of information available was incredible.
My favorite parts of the conference were the live chats, the vlogs and the articles. So basically, I loved the entire thing.
Watch this awesome vlog:
The live chats provided several insider tips for writers. Here are some of my favorites:
Michelle Andelman said, “Use the query letter to pitch your project. Use social media (in the background) to pitch yourself.”
She also said, “Reliance on dialogue tags is a common prose issue I find with lesser known writers, reliance on them to reveal emotion where characterization should be doing the trick.”
“Opening on dialogue often jars me.”
According to Emily Meehan, “Amp up your online presence. Make friends, but good friends and don’t say anything you will want to take back!”
Jim McCarthy says, “I’m cribbing someone else’s tip. I have a number of clients who do three, sometimes four books a year, and for obvious reasons, they end up dealing with writers’ block from time to time because of that. I love my client Victoria Laurie’s approach which is that if you get stuck, you keep writing anyway. Because you can delete anything you come up with, but the chances are better that you’ll come up with something that clues you in to where you should be going if you’re writing something than if you’re just staring at the page.” Also, “I’m not seeing horror, in spite of my regular requests for it. I’m also not seeing a lot of comedy (possibly because I’ve been asking for so much horror). But voice driven, comedic novels are a thrill for me.” McCarthy also believes that the genre he’s been seeing too much of lately is dystopian. He says, “I love dystopian books, but if another derivative novel about the apocalypse and a love triangle crosses my desk, I will actually be rooting for a nuclear holocaust.”
“Can’t stand anyone who opens with waking from a dream or any discussion of the weather.”
“I desperately want to find brilliant LGBT fiction for any age group. Whether it’s fun and commercial like Rainbow Boys or literary and lovely like Luna.”
According to Jim McCarthy, a bad cliché in writing is “not every cheerleader needs to be a bitch. But also, you don’t have to spend a whole novel showing us how unlike stereotypes your characters are.”
Annette Pollert’s tips for revising:
“As I edit, I am always asking:
1) Why are you telling me this? (relevance)
2) Why are you telling me this now? (placement)
It’s helpful to ask these questions on a chapter/paragraph/line-by-line basis as you revise. It keeps a narrative tight, and helps to build tension and drama (on the page that is).”
“My favorite novels begin with conflict. And I will add to Jim’s answer by saying, waking up in bed at sunrise is one of my least favorite places to start.”
According to Annette Pollert on bad clichés in writing, she says, “How frequently do you gaze into someone’s eyes/register someone’s eye color when you first meet?”
In reference to traditional vs. self-publishing, Sara Megibow said, “There are LOTS of good reasons to traditionally publish – editors, support, marketing, cover, placement in bookstores, reviews, print run, but there are also lots of good reasons to self publish – turn around (meaning finish the book to release of the book), control over content and price point, artistic vision and access to ereaders.”
She also says, “There are a few bad reasons to traditionally publish… if you’re someone who simply wants to hold the book in their hand doesn’t probably understand how long and how hard it is to break in to NY. They can learn, but, simply to publish isn’t a big enough reason to tackle the beast. There are a few bad reasons to self publish… namely, those writers who simply want to flip off agents and editors for passing on their book – this is NOT a good reason to self publish.”
“The name of the game in traditional publishing is (supposed to be) quality and professionalism. The name of the game in self publishing (supposed to be) is get yourself educated on what’s involved before doing it – editing, cover design, placement, uploading to different kinds of devices, marketing, promotions.”
“The selling point for many writers right now is “because I can.” If you self publish – get educated. Find out what it takes, follow authors who are successful at it and make it about quality and successful sales, not just about because you can.”
Those are just some of the quotes I found inspirational. To learn more about the participants in the conference, please check out the WriteOnCon faculty here.
I also learned the following:
1. Get a composition notebook. Title it, “The Idea Page.” Enter all of the ideas you have for future works in progress. You’ll do this to honor your ideas and it will also help you to not forget.
2. If you add 500 words or less to your work in progress in a single sitting do not look at that as failure. It shows that you are committed to writing and that there will be a time when you will finish. Go with your instincts and trust yourself.
3. Ask yourself questions as you are writing your wip including, is this better in first person or third and what if the character did this or that?
Here are some excellent articles from the WriteOnCon:
What I’ve posted is a small part of the conference. If you’d like to look over some of the pre-recorded live chats, view more vlogs or read more articles, please visit the site here: http://writeoncon.com/.
I want to thank everybody who worked to get this conference up and running. Your hard work showed and I am now inspired to take action.
I’ve been enjoying this Chicago summer with my two favorite buddies and it’s been great. There’s something about sitting outside and sucking down a gluten free beer that’s just absolutely delicious.
I also love checking out new and old Chicago festivals. They remind me of why I love this city so darn much! This year I went to Burger Fest (the new) and ate several veggie sliders. Tasty! I also visited the Puerto Rican Carnival, the Printer’s Row Book Fair and the ever-so-popular, Taste of Chicago (the old) and they did not disappoint.
Another festival I couldn’t miss even if I tried was the Wicker Park Fest as it was right outside of my window. It was certainly a good time.
If you get a chance to visit Chicago in the summertime – DO IT! There’s always something to do, see or try.
Check out what I’ve been doing this summer:
Just so you know (as if you couldn’t guess) this song does not belong to me. It belongs to the fabulous Lily Allen and it’s called, “Take What You Take.” Isn’t it lovely?
The last Crusader challenge has fallen upon us and here it is:
Show Not Tell Crusader Challenge: In 300 words or less, write a passage (it can be an excerpt from your WIP, flash fiction, a poem, or any other writing) that shows (rather than tells) the following:
you’re scared and hungry
it’s dusk
you think someone is following you
and just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: shimmer, saccadic, substance, and salt.
Here is my entry:
Her eyes grew wide, her face hot, her heart pounding. A growl roared from her stomach. Shut up, shut up. She darted forward and stepped ever so carefully on the cracked floor. Reaching an icy brick wall, she placed her cheek next to it letting the cold sink in before licking. She cringed at the saltiness and wiped the disgusting taste from her tongue.
A boom shook the place; the vibrations ran through her body like a subwoofer. Did somebody push over a dumpster? She spun around, her foot caught. She pulled on her ankle. Rubber soles slapped the floor. She yanked it out and ran.
“Who’s there?” she screeched.
The hairs on her forearms stood up as the edge of the doorway made its way under her fingertips. She reached down. A cold, metal knob saluted her. She twisted. The door flew open. Darkness dripped from the hallway. She sprinted down the corridor; her hands shaking, her eyes saccadic. She grabbed her chest and felt around the pockets of her pants. Her inhaler was gone. There was a wheeze, a misstep, a fall. Get up dammit!
A light shimmered in the shadows. She used her last bit of energy to pounce like a panther and push.
It was dusk, but the streetlamps illuminated the downtown sky. A congested sidewalk filled with laughing tourists passed. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she rushed across the street, bumping into people along the way.
“Watch where you’re going moron.”
A smile crawled on her face. She was alive and still in Chicago. She took a deep breath. It smelled like rain on top of hot concrete.
It was the substance crazy dreams were made of.
***
The end for now. To learn more about the Crusade, please visit: Rach Writes.
A month is all it took to get 103 followers. That’s it – one month. I now know the secret to getting blog readers. All it takes is, wait for it, wait for it, PARTICIPATION. I believe that joining online events, commenting on other people’s blogs and re-posting your blog links on Twitter and Facebook increases your readership. And as much as I like to pretend that I don’t care who is reading, the truth is that I do. I want readers and I want people to comment. So, I want thank all of my followers to date. Thank you, thank you!
This week I’ve been thinking about self-belief and how so many people are scared to take the next step. Well, I say don’t let fear halt your life.
I have fallen victim to the fear monster as recently as last year when I started doubting myself and my writing. I was in a funk and I needed to get out of it quick if I was ever going to create again. And then one day I had an epiphany. I know who I am and I know what I need to do. Two weeks before the New Year, I took action and made a list. Here’s what was on it:
Join writing societies or associations
Meet more writers
Attend writing conferences
Find a mentor
Get my short stories published
Go to more Chicago literary events
Publish my collaborative children’s book
Finish my middle grade novel
I’m happy to say that I’ve already completed some of these goals including joining the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Through the SCBWI Illinois Chapter, I was able to attend a writing conference/workshop in mid January. It was all about creating your own marketing plan. There was a lot of pertinent information, but one of the most important things I learned was how to generate potential sales for your children’s book. I wanted to share some of these with you. Please note that I have not tried these, but I believe they are useful for any writer.
Here are some ways to generate sales for your book:
Network at events, through writing groups and conferences and through social networking sites like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Create relationships/connections through your personal website or blog and get blurbs written about your book.
Ask blog owners and other authors if they are interested in interviewing you about your book and offer to do the same for them.
Call bookstores and schedule readings and book signings.
Be there for the book sellers as much as possible.
Join professional or trade associations.
Go to American Library Association (ALA) Conferences.
Guerilla market through t-shirts, postcards, bookmarks, etc.
Use word of mouth to promote your book.
Talk about your book to librarians and teachers and see if they’d be open to you scheduling a reading.
Schedule 30-40 school visits per year.
Create a swag bag for school librarians and teachers. Include a copy of your signed book and postcards of your fellow author friends that are also doing the library/school visit rounds. Think about karma and the idea of what comes around, goes around.
Find connections. Can you co-market your book with another product?
Try to get your book on Tag.
Put your book on amazon and have it formatted for the Nook and Kindle. Your publisher may already do this.
Use keywords on your web site and blog to help promote your work.
Send info to local chapters (Mondo Times).
Follow up with people constantly.
Write a press release about your book and submit it.
Contact children’s indoor playrooms and schedule a book reading/signing.
Think about promoting through: http://www.authorbuzz.com/kids/
Promote your book on home schooling and mommy web sites by purchasing ad space.
What are some other ways you can think of to generate sales for your books?
I’m also attending another conference/workshop this month and I can’t wait.
As far finding a mentor goes, earlier this year, I contacted an old professor of mine, Mark Costello. He is somebody I respect and one of the best teachers at the University of Illinois. He is a great writer and gives excellent writing advice. Most importantly, he believes in the craft.
Through our letter writing exchange, (who does that anymore?!) he reminded me that you can’t let anybody dampen your writing spirit, you need to self-teach and you need to go forward. It reignited the fire in me and for that I will forever be grateful.
I realized that although it would be nice to have a mentor, I can be my own and so can you. You just need to believe in yourself and your work. You need to keep reading, writing and submitting and you can’t stop. If you get the opportunity to mentor another writer and you have the time, I say do it. It’s always good to pay it forward.
In other news, I’ve been doing a lot of reading, writing and submitting. I have a series of short stories that I am editing and two are out and about looking for homes. I have also found a trustworthy and incredible editor for my work, which will help me to complete the rest of my short stories in a timely manner.
Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:
Join writing societies or associations Meet more writers Attend writing conferences Find a mentor
Get my short stories published Go to more Chicago literary events
Finish and submit my collaborative children’s book
Finish my middle grade novel
That leaves me with half of the things to complete by the end of this year. Will I do it? I can’t say, but I’ll try.
I wanted to leave all of my readers with a few words – make a plan, take action and keep on truckin’ no matter what. Like Mae West said, “you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
The husband and I have a small place; just over 1,000 square feet, but we love it. Often times, I’m trying to figure out where to put things and normally I find hidden crevices in our cabinets. But most often, I find spots under our bed or in our already cluttered closets. Recently, I noticed that when I work, I spread out and this is when the piles grow as tall as Jack’s beanstalk. Okay, not quite so tall, but tall enough for me. What’s a Chicago gal to do? Move and find a bigger place? Only in the land of make believe my friends.
This brings me to the Writer’s Crusade. In our last post we were supposed to reveal a lie, which I most certainly forgot to do. So here it is – yes folks, I have clutter, piles of clutter. *Hides in shame.* Look, it’s not like I’m messy. There is a difference. My piles are organized. I know exactly what’s in them. I just haven’t gotten around to them okay. :S I’ll get around to them eventually. Sheesh. You’re starting to sound like my mother.
In any case, I wanted to bring you some images. Enjoy!
In light of going through every crusader’s blog and following them through Google and Twitter, I thought I needed a break. Something tells me you need one too. This is why I took a few minutes to create a Writer’s Quiz called You Are What You Think. It’s a celebration of how much alike we all are as writers. It’s all for fun though, so don’t take it too seriously. You can check out the quiz here: The You Are What You Think Writer’s Quiz.
This year is going much differently than last year. It’s as if the universe opened up and is showering me with gifts or maybe my outlook on life has changed. Whatever it is, I’m grateful. I asked for support and I got support. Lots of it came through the crusade, which has been a blessing for me. So, kudos to you R. Harrie for recognizing that we all needed that writer connection.
I’m sorry crusaders, but I haven’t had a chance to buckle down and read more than one or two of the posts on any given blog. Adding everybody has been intense and taken quite some time. It has been my life for the past four days. I will eventually make the rounds again to read and comment on some of your posts.
Thank you to everybody that is following my blog or following me on twitter. I wish you all well with your writing endeavors.
· one secret
· one lie
· one interesting quirk
· one annoying habit
· one of your best character traits, and
· one of your favourite things in the whole world.
The post can be in any format, including poetry (for those poets among us), but must include the random words, “bloviate,” “fuliguline,” “rabbit,” and “blade” (tee hee).
Finish your post with something along the lines of, “I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?” (this last bit isn’t included in the word count). And don’t forget to tell us the answer in your next post!
So here is mine:
Some days I feel like a fuliguline, swimming around the sea of life, darting from one edge to the next, unable to stop and enjoy the sunset. There are so many things to read and write and so many projects to take on, but not enough time to do it. I wish there were more like forty hours in a day. Those extra hours could make a huge difference. Though I wonder, where does the time go?
A few minutes here and there adds up quickly. Fortunately, I have great organizational skills and a knack for multi-tasking. I’m not trying to bloviate, but I am quite good. You will never find multiple piles of paper or magazine stacks in my abode. I can’t work if my house is a mess, so I am crazy about organization. It’s that whole clear house, clear mind thing.
Some days, I take a seat at my desk and ponder about life. If I’m lucky, my muse will come out to play. Speaking of muses, I think mine is a stylish rabbit that wears a tuxedo because he doesn’t believe in saving his good clothes for special occasions. He drinks out of a flute and collects peculiar accessories like vintage letter blade openers and old typewriters. He also has a collection of monocles for editing purposes. I’m not sure where I’d be without him.
Now some facts about me, I love candy. It is one of my most favorite things in the world. I also love talking, but often times I ramble. As you might expect, this can be rather annoying. But I’m working on just simmering down and listening. As with most things, it’s a work in progress.
And by the way, I may have revealed something about myself that isn’t true; can you guess what it is?
“There are so many of us out there. Aspiring authors, bloggers (whether established or beginning), industry peeps, even published authors, all of whom want to build their online platforms. We write insightful posts and articles, actively blog within the blogosphere, take part in challenges, competitions, and contests galore.
We have the passion and the drive to make it, but…we could all do with a bit of support.
So I started thinking. What if we link all these people together? What if we create a way to meet people in a similar position, people who genuinely want to help build our online platform while at the same time building theirs? People who want to pay it forward in the spirit of writerly writerness and blogging beautificity (and see it come back to them in turn).
And so my Writers’ Platform-Building Crusade was born.”
