Daily Blog 4: Write and Wrong Writing Advice

The Best - and Worst - Writing Advice

Not all writing advice is good, or should be heeded, but some can be invaluable.

Some of the best advice I received (like not broadcasting a character's actions ahead) helped to fix those pesky bad writing habits that you often don't see, and keep repeating, until someone points them out.

Other advice that was invaluable came when it was time to edit Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery. Writing is one thing, I found; editing is entirely different, especially once you go over it several times. After awhile, even correctly spelled words look wrong. Thank goodness for editors and publishers who aren't afraid to use that red pen (or red track changes) and have the patience of saints.

Here's what a few other authors had to say about the best - and worst - writing advice they ever received:


Cracking the Writing Whip



Cynthia Polansky, author of FAR ABOVE RUBIES, says her worst writing advice was to "get up at dawn to get your daily writing quota out of the way. Even if you don't write more content on the book or story you're working on, write something. Just get into the habit of writing first thing in the morning."

She got up every morning at 6 a.m. and wrote, but not on the book she was working on. "I wrote letters to friends. I wrote long, newsy letters on beautiful specialty paper using various handwriting-like fonts. I was a great correspondent, but a poor author. By the time I finished a letter and was ready to start writing for real, it was time to get ready for work."

She finally went back to her tried-and-true method of writing: when she felt like it. " It may have taken me four years to complete the novel, but at least I was writing productively!"


On the Other Hand…



In contrast, Betty Webb, author of DESERT CUT says she's an every-day writer, "whether I feel like it or not," based on advice she received from thriller writer David Morrell, who said, "write every single day... writing is a skill that can decline with disuse."

The worst advice she received? "Write only if you have something unique to say! Believe me, I ignored that advice and followed David Morrell's instead. Uniqueness (also known as "inspiration") begins to happen ONLY after you've written for a couple of hours."


Join a Group,or Two


Terrie Farley Moran says her best writing advice came from Jeremiah Healy, author of the John Francis Cuddy P.I. series and the Mairead O'Clare legal thrillers.

Terrie says she'd spent several years "pounding away on my computer and barely coming out for the light of day" when she accidentally heard about the 2006 Sleuthfest Writers Conference being held near where she was living.

Being a fan of Healy's, she impulsively signed up. Beyond all the great information he gave, she says one thing he said stood out: "If you do nothing else for yourself and your writing, join Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.' Until that day I didn't know those groups existed. I joined both and never looked back."

Within a year, her short story "Strike Zone" was accepted for publication in the SinC NY/Tri state chapter anthology, Murder New York Style .

She received excellent support through the MWA-NY mentor program, including a critique of her novel. Her latest short story, "When A Bright Star Fades" is published in the final online issue of Hardluck Stories.

Terrie now believes in passing on that same advice to other writers - find a group related to the genre you like to write. Follow it online if you can't attend meetings. "Two years ago I didn't know the first thing about the writing industry or the writing community," she says. "Today, I have a cadre of friends, supporters and advisers, thanks to Jeremiah Healy pointing me in the right direction.


So You Think You Can Write...


For a different perspective, authors Mary Reed and Eric Mayer of SEVEN FOR A SECRET share a funny moment in their writing lives.

"The comment that lives on in legend for us is from a fellow who addressed Eric as Mr. Big Shorts and told him his writing sucked," Mary says. "Unfortunately, no helpful advice on how to correct the problem was included in the communication so we never got the chance to see if it would work."

Let that be a lesson to critics.

** Any good or bad writing advice you'd like to share?

Daily Blog 3: Writing, Inspiration & Sense, Five Tips to Making Characters Real

Day 3: Inspiration and Making "Sense"

Writing, I've heard, is 3 parts inspiration and 1 part perspiration. Or is it the other way around? One thing it isn't or shouldn't be - automatic.

Sure, there are supposedly writing/computer programs that will "write" for you. But a program or computer can only do so much. It can't "feel" as we do (please, no computer geeks telling me otherwise- computers are still not human); they can't sense as we do; they don't process memories as we do.

Good writing touches the senses. To care about a story or book, the reader has to care about the character and that means making them real by giving them quirks and using the senses.

Sometimes when you write it's easy to forget to include all five senses - (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing).

Author Karen Duvall is doing an excellent series on the senses at her blog. Made me think.

Funny thing, I remember someone mentioning their pet peeves with words – wafting was one. But I like that word and I've used it; more than once, in fact. I'll have to see if I used it in Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery. I think it's a good one for the sense of smell. Sorry, if it's one you hate.


Five Tips to Making your Characters Real

Most of these tips are old hat - (oops, cliche! Ok, old sombrero :>) ) to experienced writers, but sometimes a reminder doesn't hurt.


1. Remember less is more. Effective use of the senses means adding texture to your writing. A little description goes a long way in making writing more real to the reader and making the character come to life. Example: Describe what the characters sees and feels (the slick yellow tablecloth instead of just the tablecloth) or what they taste: The apple reminded her of honey.)

2. Think light drizzle, not typhoon. Don't drop your descriptions all in one place. Drizzle them in so the story isn't overwhelmed.

3. Try something new. I know, I know, don't use clichés. It's mom's fault, I love those old sayings. You can use them – but make them your own or your character's. Maybe the character has a memory problem and likes to mix her metaphors, which can have some humorous results. And if at first you don't succeed, forget it. (Sometimes that's better than try, try again, right?)

4. Write what you know? Most writers have heard that one over and over. Better yet – write what you don’t know. Forget those old term paper nightmares. Research can be fun. Really.

5. If at first you don't succeed…. Start over. Sometimes, a book, a story, etc. simply won't/doesn't work. Some writers give it the 50-page rule; if it doesn't work, they start over. I'm stubborn. I hate to think I wasted all those words! But yes, sometimes you have to scrap the pages, redo them or rearrange them.

** Your turn: Have a favorite writing reminder or word of your own?How about a word you feel is overused or that you hate? I'd love to hear yours!

The Daily Blog: Improve Your Writing 2: Promotion

Day 2: So far, this is fun. (Talk to me on day 10-something. ha!)
If you're interested in participating in upcoming topics, see my question list at the end of today's (long) post.

---
Promotion:

Listening to my publisher, Karen Syed, at Echelon Press, is like listening to the trainer at the gym. They both repeat things over and over. And guess what? Sometimes it gets in through the cobwebs and sticks.

One thing Karen harps on repeatedly is Promotion and Using the Internet.

There are tons of tools available for writers and authors - social networking sites, book groups, author groups, email groups, the dizzying amount can have you pulling your hair out. With publication of Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery, I soon learned that dirty little secret most writers don't truly comprehend - you can expect to spend more (and more, and more…) time online promoting, posting, answering emails... argghhh!

Prioritize

Unfortunately, you soon find tons of new sites or people send you links for others. You can't be on them all. Some sites I simply put my basic information on and don't follow actively. It's too daunting to do them all. A lot of this stuff may be old hat, but I hope I've come up with a few things that are new to you.

Pick the Best

Tools like Bookmark are timesavers that allow you to easily take your latest blog post and repost it on other sites. Most blogs have RSS feeds also and let you add subscription links so your readers can link to you. On Delicious, you can post your bookmarks and grab from others.

Social networking is like a big herd - be online long enough and you'll be able to hear the crowd of footsteps leading to the next hot site. The current big thing (of the moment) is Twitter, my site is twitter.com/chrisverstraete - broadcasting your news or what have you in only 140 characters. Simple, though I know I could care less that someone is brushing their teeth or just ate a whole pizza. Posts hopefully should be meaningful, useful or creative. I've found that too many marketers clog it up with constant boring ads.

A new one I discovered and heard mentioned is Plurk, which I may try next. The interface is appealing. It looks fun.

I also use Facebook and Myspace, though I tend to be more active on Myspace, maybe since it was my first site, so I'm kind of loyal. And it just seems easier to use sometimes.

A fun site I came across is Link Tiles. Fun little tile pix (see my cover for Searching For A Starry Night with the Dachshund under Prose or click tags like book or mystery.) Neat idea.

Business

Another more business-oriented site is LinkedIn. Writers can use a number of sites, such as Author's Den and Book Place.

Writing and Hobbies

If you like to share your writing or hobbies with like-minded souls, then there are online communities and email lists galore.

Pick a hobby or interest and Yahoo Groups probably has a group for it. For writers, groups like BlogBookTours, which initiated this month's Daily Blog Challenge, provide inspiration, information and sometimes a good kick—in-the-butt. (** Check the BlogBookTours blog for links to all participating blogs.)

Readers can share books, review them, talk to other readers and put "bookshelves" on their websites or blogs through sites like GoodReads.com or Shelfari.com.

Tired, yet? Ha! That's just the start. I’m sure I've missed a few and more sites pop up every week, it seems.

Results

The result is the more sites you are on, the more your name, book title, etc. is picked up and spread around. It's cheap promotion - and it costs nothing. Yes, all this posting, tweeting, linking and what-not can be a major time-suck. But it also beats the lonely-author-in-the-attic (home office) routine. Just pick what you like and ignore the rest. So get posting, but make it interesting and creative!

Use Common Sense

In the fever of posting or trying new things, remember to not let your common sense get lost in the shuffle. Don't put anything online you don't want someone to see or know. Don’t post personal information like your address, phone, or birth date on any sites. Most sites don't need that information and there's no reason to give it to them. And never ever post a social security number anywhere. Glitches happen; things can show up online without you knowing it, or sites can be hacked. A business can post an address if it's necessary, although a p.o. box may be a good idea if the extra cost isn't a problem.

** If you have a favorite site or heard about something new, feel free to share it. I'd love to hear if anyone has had any special experiences as a result of posting online or being active in any of these groups? Please share them!


Upcoming Topics - Please contribute!

If you'd like to participate in the blog in coming days, please email me your answer to the following questions, plus your name, book title and website link (and send a small book cover jpeg if possible). (Send to: chrisATcverstraete.com or go to the website contact page)

* What's the best writing advice you ever received? How did you use it (or not?)

* What's the worst writing advice you ever received? What did you do instead?

* Opening sentences - what's your favorite and why? How'd you change it to get it to what it is now? (include name of work and publisher, and link if online)

* Meet What's His/her Name:
How do you make your characters come alive? (give me a character, tell me about them and their "quirk.") What's the best thing a writer can and should do in characterization? What did you do?

* Writing Rules -
Which rule did you break - why and how? Give an example. (include name of work, publisher and link)

* Unsticking Writer's Block -
How? What do you do it? Does it exist?

* The Best Writing Preparation
How to avoid procrastination? What do you do when it's time to write?

The Daily Blog: Improve your Writing - Tips and Writing Advice

I and several other authors in the

BlogBookTours group are participating this month in a writing challenge to post daily to our blogs. You can find the full blog list for the August Challenge at the BlogBookTours blog.

I'm one who can't turn away from a challenge, so I accepted.

Some things I plan to share this month include, tips on improving your writing, how to grow as a writer, thoughts on My Life as a Writer, and more.

I plan to share some insights, writing tips and tidbits from other authors, as well, who will talk about character development, writing a good first sentence, and other "writerly" things, so be sure to check back. (I hear your sighs of relief that it's not just me blabbing away. ha!)

Glamorous, it ain't. Useful? Hopefully.

Hammering It Out

What's the hammer got to do with writing, you wonder?

Well, if you thought being a writer was like Hollywood - parties, glamour, etc., guess again. For a few who've worked their way to that level, maybe it is. Parties aside, for most of us everyday writers, it's a job. Like a construction worker, a story is produced by hammering out the sentences, pounding out the phrases, connecting the words, until you get a finished product.

Bad analogy or not, be prepared to work, even when you don't feel like it and even if it's hard - and sometimes it is, no matter how long you've been writing. But it's worth doing.

That's Tip #1: Find out what you like to write and keep at it.

As a journalist, I'm used to writing every day. It's a habit. Don't wait for a muse. Just put butt to chair, fingers to keys, and start typing. Something will happen, words will appear. It can be magical. Enjoy it.

Miniature of the Month: The Vet's Office

They may be porcelain, but the dolls created by South African doll artist Debbie Dixon-Paver are so realistic that sometimes you'd swear you saw them move.

Debbie, who's been creating miniature dolls for 14 years, does use commercial molds, (her favorites are from Stacy Hoffman, Doreen Sinnett and Parker-Levi), but it's the way she poses her dolls and the realism of her miniature scenes that makes her creations stand out.

Her enthusiasm for miniatures is especially interesting since the hobby is still not as well known in her small city of Port Elizabeth, also known as "The Friendly City" of South Africa. "There are two mini groups in our city but miniatures in general are not 'very big' here!" she says with a laugh.

Given Debbie's artistic background - she taught art in schools, and her father painted and drew as a hobby - it's not surprising that she is driven to create, despite the challenges.

"My biggest challenge is finding supplies; virtually everything I use has to be imported, so I end up paying probably twice what American doll makers might for porcelain, molds and fabrics as the postage and customs into South Africa are really high," she explains. "Our recent power cuts have been a real pain and caused me to lose considerable doll making time.

A New Job

Retired now after 20 years of teaching, Debbie is happy to have traded her schoolbooks in to work on her dolls full-time. Her daughter, whose birth originally inspired Debbie to try her hand at miniature dolls, is now a young lady who enjoys seeing what her mother has made and gives "very helpful critiques," Debbie says.

It all began with Debbie hoping to build a dollhouse for her daughter to enjoy when she got older. And of course, it had to have dolls.

"I ordered some dolls through a mail order catalogue and was SO disappointed with the quality of them when they arrived that I vowed that I was going to make better ones," she says.

She switched from making larger dolls and has never regretted it, falling in love with the doll making process all over again. "The mini dolls are so much easier and quicker to complete than the big ones and they take up less room," she says.

Inspirations and Fantasies



Debbie has since created a variety of dolls, many fashioned with a certain theme in mind or inspired by history. The fun is seeing what she comes up with, from a series of dolls inspired by well known songs and a series of characters for a western town, to the incredible "People from the Past" series featuring Henry VIII and his wives - which includes the ladies as young girls to adults - and the series which fit Candid Canine best called "Waiting for the Vet!"

As with her other series, "Waiting for the Vet!" tells a story without words. It is a busy afternoon at the local veterinarian's office. All the seats are filled with people concerned about their pets, or who've come in for routine shots and a check-up.

With such a backlog of appointments, the office has little room for people to be fussy about where they sit.The little girl doesn't seem to be too concerned, though, even if her kittens are between two dogs.



The Corgi, however, seems to have something else within his view.


And that other naughty dog? That lady is going to have quite the surprise when she wakes up!



On the other bench, nothing seems to disturb the lady with the Poodle, although the woman with the Yorkie seems a little concerned, doesn't she?






Noah's Ark in Miniature

In this Noah's ark of a vet's office, there are other animals, as well, and they all appear to get along. (The exception is that frisky little Jack Russell Terrier. See the group photo.) I'd imagine the retired sailor (see group photo) has other things on his mind, or maybe the parrot is squawking in his ear again? (Debbie made her Macaw from an amazing miniature parrot tutorial by IGMA Fellow Kerri Pajutee.)

Of all the characters, the little boy appears to be the most anxious about his favorite pet rat (is it named Ben?), doesn't he?



The scene is so full of life, it makes you want to make one of your own, doesn't it?

You can see more of Debbie's work for sale at her CDHM website.

As always, I'd love to hear your comments. Have you done any scenes with dogs and other pets? Feel free to post a comment and email me about posting the photos.

Cooking in Miniature

(Pictured: The Southern Heritage Cookbook cover in miniature by Chris Verstraete)

It's no surprise that some of my best "cooking" is done in miniature.

As an avid dollhouse miniatures creator and collector, I enjoy making different things, but I'm always amazed at the realism of miniature food made from polymer and air dry clays. (Less calories too. ha!)

I am nowhere near as good as some of the more skilled artisans (see some of their incredible work at the Mini Food Blog.) but I enjoy trying new things and am pleased (usually) with the results.

For fun, Terri, the list owner of the Miniature Collectors Club at Yahoo Groups, decided to hold a contest called The Cookbook Challenge. In it you were to duplicate the page or cover of a favorite cookbook or scene.



I found the Southern Heritage cookbook at a flea market for $1. As I'd made some of the foods before, I thought the picture was something I could duplicate. Making the watermelon was something new for me and was fun to try.

You can see all the amazing entries at the group's Webshots page. The first place entry was pretty unique. I'm still happy as mine got second place.

** I forgot to add this:
For fun I also did a much smaller setting in half-inch scale.

Searching For A Starry Night In Cynthia's Attic!

I'm in the attic today - Cynthia's Attic blog, that is.

Stop by to read more about Searching For A Starry Night, miniatures and all that fun stuff! Be sure to comment!

Mysteries and Food - Eating's NOT a crime

What do characters eat? Well, some pretty good stuff, it seems. I asked a few authors and they shared their (and their characters') favorite foods at Fatal Foodies .

Feel free to share your favorite character's food too - or even your own.

Vote for Searching For A Starry Night Cover!

My book cover is up at another site for July - an interesting assortment but I'd appreciate your vote for best cover to July 31 at ErinAislinn.com.

Updated SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT Blogs & Events

Updated list of my recent blog stops, upcoming interviews and in-person events for June and July '08. The list is also updated regularly at my website news page.

June/July 2008 Events:

* Vote for Searching For A Starry Night as BEST COVER to JULY 31 at ErinAislinn.com.

* Featured Guest Author, Stories For Children Magazine

* Sam from SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT tells her
Best Friend's Story

BLOG STOPS:

* New Contest to July 4! See details, Candid Canine post.

* July 8 - Cynthia's Attic Blog

* June 27 - The Stiletto Gang

* June 24: New review, great plug for art & minis! at BlogBookTours.

* June 19: Even Grandmas Approve! See Terrie Moran's glowing words about reading a mystery by me and Chris Grabenstein! at the Women of Mystery blog.

* June 17 - Miniaturist & Mystery author Margaret Grace and I trade blogs and questions. Comment to enter our contest. See my collection and answers at the Killer Hobbies blog. See her miniatures and my interview here at Candid Canine.

* June 15 - Elysabeth's Stories Blog

* June 11 - Mayra's Secret Bookcase

* INTERVIEW at the Acme Authors Blog

* Searching For A Starry Night - March '08 Cover Winner at the New Covey Cover Awards. Thanks!

IN-PERSON EVENTS:

* Aug 14, Thurs, 7-8 p.m., Cafe' Book, 395 Lake St., Antioch, IL, 847/395-2223. Stop in for a snack, coffee and discussion!

* July 13, Sun, 2-5 p.m.Book Signing & Discussion at Down the Rabbit Hole, 5709 7th Ave., Kenosha WI, 262/656-1515.

* July 12, 12-6, 8th Annual Unity Fest, Drake Field, Elgin, IL. Doxie races and more, sponsored by the Midwest Dachshund Rescue