Guest C. Hope Clark talks about the importance of networking

cj Sez: I am excited to welcome C. Hope Clark to Lyrical Pens. Hope authors the well-respected Funds For Writers. (The site has been on Writer's Digest's “101 Best Websites for Writers” list every year since 2000. Yowza!) Today Hope shares her thoughts on why writers should network…and “the magic that happens in a face-to-face.” 

You Are Not Alone . . . and Shouldn’t Be

By C. Hope Clark

Writing is a profession of isolationism. If we didn't have internet, we'd be recluses of the highest order. Or would we? 

Writing takes considerable alone time, but without the internet we would be out amongst the masses, getting ideas, discussing concepts because, after all, we can’t know it all. Add to that connecting with agents, publishers, editors and the public in general. In years past, writers made a point of meeting other writers, and coming into New York to dine with editors. Agents were life-long friends. Hemingway often socialized with Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, Sylvia Beach, James Joyce, Max Eastman, and he was acquainted with the painters Miro and Picasso. He appreciated rubbing elbows with other creators, even if in many circles he was considered their superior. Back in those days they propelled, endorsed, and gossiped about each other, making for great news . . . and sales.

Paris...1920s networking

Networking is critical in any profession. While we need the alone time to create, we need feedback on our quality. We need professionals in the other aspects of writing and publishing to guide us. We need to see how those ahead of us got there. Regardless of how independent we think we are in your publishing, which self-publishing has allowed us to be, we still find ourselves needing the knowledge of successful indie authors, graphic designers, formatters, and the people at CreateSpace, IngramSparks, Draft2Digital and other self-publishing resources.

We cannot know it all.

Then there’s the magic that happens in a face-to-face. Meeting people in person comes with its own rewards that are more unobtainable online. Professional organizations, Yahoogroups, critique groups, and conferences make you walk in as a writer and see how you measure up. While that scares introverted types, rarely do we walk away from those experiences without knowledge we would not have achieved otherwise.

Online, we learn what we query, but sometimes we aren’t certain which questions to ask. We search and search, hoping we are hitting the nail on the head, but then nobody is there to tell us whether we did.

In person, we can achieve so much more. For instance:

Sitting in a conference, we hear the best-of-the-best talk about how they achieved their success with anecdotes we might not find in a blog post or magazine interview.

Sitting in a conference class, we hear how-tos and examples, but then hands shoot up. We hear questions we hadn’t thought to ask, which makes us think of additional questions, and we find our own hand rising.

Seated in a room, we grow weary of the silence so we introduce ourselves to the people on either side of us, or across the table. The conversation leads to promotion tactics and publishing preferences, and soon you’re meeting them after class or following them to the lobby, excitedly sharing comparison.

We share business cards and email addresses in person, the eye contact visceral because they have connections . . . or you have connections they want, and in exchange they are willing to make introductions for you, barter editing each other’s book, or promote each other.

We sit next to a writer who has won awards, and we learn how that works. We enter a presentation of panel of authors who’ve made six figure incomes from their talent, and we are able to ask detailed questions as to how those journeys took place.

We sit in a class, hearing the lecture, but that’s not what’s important. The charisma, the passion, the excited enthusiasm of the speaker makes you listen keener and raises your own excitement. This person has done something with their writing, and they are who you’d like to be. You want that feeling. 

However, many authors avoid conferences because of the cost. There are ways to diminish that expense.

Share a motel room with someone.

Watch for conferences closer to home, or close to relatives you need to visit.

Volunteer to work the conference in exchange for the fee.

Apply for scholarships. Some conferences have them but do not advertise them. Ask.

Apply to your state arts commission seeking financial assistance.

Ask your writing group to sponsor you, with you bringing back handouts and lesson plans that you in turn will teach them.

Or you could apply to writing retreats, many of which have scholarships and financial aid. They may not have speakers, but they often have other writers on site whom you can still share experiences and knowledge with.

Or you can join professional organizations like Romance Writers of America or Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators and learn from those local chapters or attend their one-day conferences held around the country. That cost is minimal.

Regardless how you network, find ways to step outside yourself and learn from others. If I had not attended a Sisters in Crime chapter one Saturday, I would not have heard about libraries needing writers to teach. From there I landed a contracted gig enabling me to get paid for speaking in three dozen appearances across my state. From there, I was chosen for the SC Humanities Speakers Roster, opening up more doors.

None of this was on my to-do list for the year, but I was willing to make the adjustment. The grant was not on the internet. The roster was on the web, but I didn’t know about it until getting involved with this grant.

       Networking opens doors. Face-to-face exchanges can create ideas and connections found no other way. You cannot answer all your problems yourself. We do not operate in a vacuum. The maxim that it’s better to have more than one set of eyes carries merit.

Conference and retreat references:

http://www.newpages.com/writers-resources/writing-conferences-events

http://www.pw.org/content/writers_conferences_colonies_and_workshops

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/writers-conferences

https://www.awpwriter.org/wcc/directory_conferences_centers

http://writing.shawguides.com/

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/69157-writers-conferences-festivals-and-book-fairs-in-2016.html

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

http://www.resartis.org/en/residencies/upcoming_deadlines/

http://residencyunlimited.org/opportunities/100-west-corsicana-2016-residencies-for-artists-writers/

http://www.artistcommunities.org/

C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters.com, a resource of grants, crowdfunding, agents, publishers, and markets with calls for submissions. Her newsletter reaches 35,000 writers. She is also author of six mysteries in two award-winning series, with the latest being Echoes of Edisto released August 2016. www.chopeclark.com / www.fundsforwriters.com

cj Sez: Thanks, Hope. This is great. Guess I need to do more thinking outside my little box and getting outside of my comfort zone. And best wishes for great sales and marvelous reviews on your new release, Echoes of Edisto.

Readers: Got a thought to share or a question?  The comment section is open and waiting for you.

You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Amazon Central Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1NIDKC0

Overused Words

First:  Congratulations to Lyrical Pens friend C. Hope Clark on being selected as one of the featured writers in this year’s Killer Nashville Anthology:  Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded  Hope is being recognized for her mystery writing chops and is in some high-powered company that includes Jeffery Deaver and Anne Perry. Hope is also the driving force behind the award-winning fundsforwriters.com

Now for my post:  

I’ve touched on repeated words in manuscripts in an earlier post, but I’m still finding them in my WiP. Not as many, but they are there, so I’ll have another go at this to remind you (and me).

Our first drafts are usually full of the words that are top-of-mind, the ones with which we are most familiar. These familiar words allow writers to push through the draft rather than take time to search our minds or thesaurus for better ones.

It’s when writers get into the rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite mode that we see how our familiar words/phrases can’t live up to the task in our manuscripts. They may rise to the surface as trite or overused once we get into the edit cycles.

The solution is to use Word (or whatever software you’re using) to “Find” how many times you repeat a word. I search my entire manuscript for some word I find too often during a quick review, and then replace or delete (most often delete) the offending repetition. This great computer feature often leads to word choice or phrasing improvements that I didn’t see before. 

From my Facebook page.

I usually start with the things I know I use too often, but one creative writing instructor I know suggests starting with the verbs . . . the “to be” verbs (is, were), but says don’t worry about occasional usage. Next go to active verbs. I find a lot of look, smile, walk, glanced, shrug, frown.  How many are too many. I suggest that if they begin to annoy you when you see them in the text, there are too many.

Don’t forget to check for nouns. I can find dozens of coffee, latte, mouth, eyes, eyebrows, hand. I also check for then and while. Too many of these can mean poor transitions and a lot of complex sentences, which tend to slow down the reader.

Adverbs. The Guardian.com* published Elmore Leonard’s ten rules for writers, and one of those is about adverbs. Mr. Leonard said:  4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".  (* http://bit.ly/1Xvbg5c )

Mr. Leonard is not alone in offering this advice. That bit about the writer “exposing himself” is the taboo. The writer is telling the readers what he/she wants them to know/sense about the character. Writers should never intrude into the reader’s story.  Suggestion: Find a strong verb that doesn’t need an “ly” helper

Adjectives can be major snags. Are your characters often gorgeous, handsome, tall, sexy, ripped; your rooms large, tiny, trashed? Adjectives are important and necessary, but it’s incumbent on writers to find their own unique voice to describe things.

One of my favorite examples is the opening line of “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. “A squat, gray building of only thirty-four stories.”  By comparison, the reader is able to visualize that all the buildings in Huxley’s new world are skyscraper tall except that particular one. The building is shorter and uglier than all the others in this new world. The line is almost a threat, if not a promise of strange things that will happen in that building.

I do find that the more often I search for/replace overused words, the fewer I find because I am learning to recognize my tendency for repetition. Perhaps you will have the same result.  What are your favorite overused words?  Have you searched for them?

That's it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same. 

cj
PS;  If you've had a chance to read Choosing Carter, I'd love to hear what you thought about it. 

Choosing Carter (Pub: Crimson Romance)

   http://amzn.to/1TlMC1T (Amazon)

   http://bit.ly/1PrBsZj  (B&N)

Deadly Star (Pub: Crimson Romance)  

   http://amzn.to/1LRRwC9 (Amazon)

   http://bit.ly/19QDQq3 (B&N)  

Grab Our Attention

We have all had those experiences when a word or topic we’ve never heard of grabs our attention and suddenly we see and hear it everywhere. Here are a few recent posts from sites I follow on the topic we’ve been talking about for the past two weeks - Authorpreneurship.

What Authors Can Learn From Startups

March 5, 2015

Guest post by Ricardo Fayet

JaneFriedman.com

Abstract:  Fayet discusses the importance of writers spending money on marketing, editing, etc. because they are assets that create value in the competitive market where we work. He compares independent authors to other startup businesses and the importance of treating our work as exactly what it is - work that has value.

An Online Home Matters - Editors Thoughts

February 27, 2015

C. Hope Clark

FundsforWriters.com

If you remember, I mentioned Hope and her influence on my work as a freelancer in my  2/26/15 post here - Authorpreneurship Part 2.

Abstract:  Clark explains the importance of an online presence for writers, a presence that may be the deal breaker for an agent or publisher. Advantages of an online presence include author credibility, sells, and reader engagement.

Demographics and Diversity Present Opportunity

March 5, 2015

Mary Keeley

booksandsuch.com/blog

Abstract:  Keeley discusses how the “challenging” changes in publishing give impetus to both publishers and authors to step out of the box. She looks at two studies that explore untapped markets of readers and the opportunities to see and write about the world around us differently.

Let me know what you think. Mahala

Fall must-have: Tall leather boots from . . .

cj Sez: Oops. Wrong headline, but here I am, in a state of flux. I’m somewhere between the beginning of fall (the autumnal equinox occurred Sept. 23) and the end of daylight savings time (if you’re on it, it ends Nov. 2). I feel like I'm on a downward slide to the end of the year. Happy HalloThanksMasYear! Think about it. Right now, many stores have displays up for the generic harvest time and fall colors as well as for every one of those holidays.

Now, if you’re a writer who likes a challenge, here’s another event to anticipate and celebrate: The beginning of NaNoWriMo . . . November. The National Novel Writing Month. A challenge to write fifty thousand words, as in 50,000, in one month. Let’s see, “30 days hath September, April, June, and November.” That means you'd need to write an average of (just a minute, calculations going on) 1,666.67 words per day to reach 50,000 in 30 days. Whew!

If you’re going to take the challenge (I’ll only admit to “thinking” about it), now is the time to pre-plot, if you haven’t already started the process. Deciding to accept the NaNoWriMo challenge is one of those times when it isn’t a good idea to jump right in and begin writing. In order to accomplish 50,000 words in thirty days, you will definitely need some pre-planning. You’ll need a basic idea of how you want the action to progress. Also important to this speedwriting contest, you should know something about the development of your characters, what their emotional arcs will be.

Granted, the final NaNoWriMo story will wind up as a fast, first draft of a new novel. However, the plus side of all that pre-plot/pre-plan work is not only will you have a better chance of completing the NaNoWriMo challenge, but it’s also a good bet that you’ll need a lot fewer rewrites to make that first draft into a viable, saleable novel.

If you’re not in a support group (they are very good for encouragement and motivation), there are multiple sources of helpful forums and advice online. There is even an official organization: nanowrimo.org

Note: NaNoWriMo is not a competition. Well, maybe it is in a way, except you won't be competing against anyone but your self-discipline.

So, what are you waiting for? Put pen to paper or fingers to keys and get started on developing those plots. There are only 26 days left until Nov. 1. And now that I think about it, since I get paid monthly, I have only two more paydays until Christmas. Aarrgh!

Okay, I’ll leave you to your work. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same. Remember, I’m rooting for you!

cj

PS: I absolutely have to thank Hope Clark for her great blog on conferencing. I learned something new!
And the cartoon is from my Facebook page.

Hope Clark Talks Conferences

Hope Clark is always welcome at Lyrical Pens. She brings her extensive experience in the writing world to the page, and today shares with us advice on how to approach a writing conference to get the most bang for our buck (and as we all know, bucks can be short for writers) a subject near and dear to our hearts. 

Be sure and check out Hope's new mystery series set on Edisto Island, a place near and dear to my heart. I used to own a condo there and wish I still did. Beautiful beaches, beautiful scenery, and beautiful people. The first book has just been released.

 You Signed Up For A Conference - Now What?

You paid your conference fee and reserved your motel room. You're finally going to a writers conference, but once you think about it, you aren't sure what to do once you arrive.

First, make sure this is a conference that suits your needs. If you are unpublished and seeking agents or publishers, then don't stick to a conference that focuses on craft, and vice versa. Make sure the majority of the classes fit your goals.

Second, while you're researching, dig deeper and research the teachers, agents, and so on. If you see teachers that really haven't published much, yet they’re talking about publishing, think twice. Anybody can teach. You want teachers who have experience, as well. And make sure what they are teaching is what you want to learn.

Third, participate in at least one critique or pitch session. Unless you are green as a gourd and just dipping your toe in the water, you have a piece you've been working on. Toss it into the fray and see what feedback you get. They might rip it up, but that's okay. You show you've got guts and you walk away much more educated.

Fourth, plan your agenda. Don't wait until you get there to decide what you want to attend. They publish that schedule ahead of time for a reason. Map out your days and evenings to include the questions you want to ask and the goals you hope to achieve. Get the most of your sessions.

Fifth, meet at least one new person per session. Speak to those at your table or seated around you. There's a wealth of networking opportunity available to you at a conference, and that networking might be the biggest plus you come home with. I once sat next to a self-published young woman who saw my nametag and FundsforWriters and whispered she knew nothing about money. She’d made $30K the previous year and $300K in the present, and it was scaring her.

Sixth, plan your clothes. Sounds like a woman thing, right? Wrong. You'll be sitting for long periods of time. You might have to trek up and down stairs or from one end of the motel to the other to make classes. Look sharp but make it comfy. Throw in a scarf, the boots, or those special pieces of jewelry. Give the person you meet something to remember you by.

Seventh, plan your one-liners. If you've read The Shy Writer Reborn, (http://chopeclark.com/shy-writer-reborn/) you know that I'm keen on one-liners. Plan for those expected questions someone will ask like: what do you write, what's your current story about, why are you at the conference, what have you published, etc. Come prepared with succinct answers. You'll sound smart, trust me.

Eighth, pack your writing stuff to include:

=> two copies of your WIP (just in case)

=> business cards (don't say WRITER/AUTHOR on it and avoid Vistaprint templates)

=> notebook - You'll not only take notes, but you'll dabble on your WIP as these productive ideas come to you in class. I've rewritten chapters in class as the teacher led me to a new concept.

=> name tag - They'll give you one, but consider having a permanent, professional one made. I have two: one with a magnet and one with a pin, so that they can go on anything I wear. People remember tags, and if yours is unique, they'll remember you more.

=> one-sheets - See this article on one-sheets. These are marvelous if you are pitching and speak volumes about your creativity and professionalism. http://www.fundsforwriters.com/something-to-remember-you-by/

Ninth, before the last day, take a moment to go over your notes and goals and determine what you're lacking, then approach the teacher, writer or agent while you can. Walk up and ask the question. That's why they are there, and what you paid for.

Tenth, You can do this! And you can do it better if you go prepared.

 Been to a conference lately? We'd love to hear about it. Mahala

BIO: C. Hope Clark’s is the award-winning Carolina Slade Mystery Series, and editor of www.chopeclark.com / www.fundsforwriters.com   FundsforWriters.com, chosen by Writer’s Digest for its 101 Best Websites for Writers for 14 years. When she’s not walking the sand of Edisto Beach, she’s dipping her toe in the waters of Lake Murray, SC.

The Edisto Island Mystery Series

Murder on Edisto debuts this series in September 2014. Set on historic, scenic, intriguing Edisto Island, one of the South Carolina sea islands, the Edisto Island books feature former detective Callie Jean Morgan. Dragging a tragic past with her, she relocates to her parents’ vacation home on Edisto Beach only to find that murder and mayhem happens in paradise, too. She had no plans to return to law enforcement, but for some reason, Edisto thinks that’s what she was sent to the shore to do.

Book - Beginning or End: Hope Clark

Hope Clark, well known for her Funds for Writers newsletters, and author of the popular Carolina Slade series graces our pages again today, 

reminding us that as writers, we are a business made up of many, unique branches. Give her delightful books filled with tension and fun Southern settings. One of the best things you can do for yourself as a writer is to join one or all of her Funds for Writers newsletters. Weekly, they include loads tons of valuable information and feedback from the successes of writers breaking into the business.

Welcome back, Hope!

A Book Isn’t the Beginning or the End

All too often, writers think the book is their ultimate goal. Other writers see a book as the catapult for their writing careers. In reality, a book is a tool, and your career is much more than that book.

Picture Yourself Years from Now

It's also not just about marketing THAT book. Your career is a long and winding road, and like any professional journey, you should have benchmarks and vision. How do you want to be known? What is your brand? What is your theme as a writer? What do you hope to accomplish by the time your ink runs dry?

A Slice of the Pie

A book, any book, should just be a piece of the pie, not an ultimate conclusion or centerpiece. If you pitch a book to an agent, she would not be interested in just the book. She would want to know how you were grounded, how you plan to use a book as a tool coupled with your brand, and what you intend to pursue after that book to improve yourself and that brand. A step, not a goal.

You must show that you are not just a one-hit-wonder. Your manuscript is a story that means the world to you, but it won't make you a writer or seal your success. Again, it's a step in your effort to establish your unique voice in storytelling, a voice that you and readers should expect to grow.

Branch Out

You can write articles about or around the book. You can speak, blog, spin off sequels. You network with others and raise your image, using the book as the conduit between you and others. Spin off into ebooks, trailers, classes, newsletters, and consults. It's like Coca Cola and all its

flavors, containers, advertising, clothing and trinkets; it’s so much more.

You are a business. The book is only one of your commodities. The day of an author only selling books is over. Today, an author has to do more than sit in a room writing. He has to become an asset for a publisher, or if he self-publishes, he has to become an asset for his own organization.

Don’t Stop

But if you stop with one book, and wait for that one book to sell, you’ll be disappointed.

Don't be deceived that writing that lone book will jump start your career. It won't. It never has, for any writer. But it'll help you share your message. Your bigger picture message. The message that becomes your legacy, assuming you take your writing energy and keep it going.

BIO

C. Hope Clark is author Carolina Slade Mysteries, an award-winning series pitting a country girl against government bureaucracy, corruption, and rural criminals along the back roads and coastal marshes of South Carolina. Hope is also editor of FundsforWriters.com, chosen by Writer’s Digest for its 101 Best Websites for Writers for the past 14 years. www.chopeclark.com / www.fundsforwriters.com