Free Resources from Author Jeffrey A. Carver

I've found another generous writer. A busy author with more than a dozen books to his credit, Jeffrey A. Carver maintains multiple websites and a blog, giving away fantastic writing information to you.

Carver writes science fiction  (including a Battlestar Galactica series), but most of his resources will be helpful to writers of all genres. He even gives away some of his fiction.

Carver's website contains links to all kinds of information that can help you as a writer. 

Advice. Carver lists a number of practical tips on his advice page. He also dedicates a page to getting published, answering questions on agents, queries, and self-publishing.

Blog. Carver keeps up a blog called Pushing a Snake Up a Hill. You may want to add his blog to your reader, or check out this handy page of relevant blog posts like Dealing With Writer's Block or Will They Steal Your Work?

Course. Even with all the other resources he provides, Carver has developed an online course in writing science fiction and fantasy that he offers for free. You can't beat that.He's also posted a podcast of a workshop on story structure.

Links. If you do write science fiction or fantasy, you won't want to miss Carver's page of links, some quirky, some strange.

Know any more writers like this?

Book Review: The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success

Most of us here are fiction writers, but novels and short stories take a long time to pay the bills. Enter freelance writing. Magazine articles take relatively little time to research and write, compared to a full-length novel. But articles are a different animal.


The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success helps writers navigate the "rules" of the freelance writing world, and even gives advice on when to break those rules. Ten chapters and twelve appendices give you the confidence you need to approach magazine editors with your ideas.


The authors, Formichelli and Burrell, also run a popular blog for freelancers. Posts like 5 Tips to Finding Story Ideas That Sell, and 11 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Writer's Market give writers an edge.


Also available on the site is a free packet of successful query letters to give writers an idea of what magazine editors expect. The authors also offer a free teleclass each month. The current class is titled, Using Fear As Fuel When Writing or Querying.


Conventional freelance advice says writers should start by penning articles for small, regional magazines and work themselves up to the "big" jobs at national magazines. Formichelli and Burrell offer "unconventional" tips to help writers climb the freelance ladder more quickly.


Some novelists can't imagine what topics they would write about, since their minds are immersed in their fiction. Consider the hobbies of your characters, the location where your story is set, or the time period that fascinates you. Chances are good that there are magazines serving readers with the same interests. And down the road, these same readers may be buying your novels.


Have you considered writing for magazines?

What Makes You Want to Write?

Yesterday I finished reading a novel. I love reading authors' debut novels and seeing the writing that made an agent and editor say, "Yes!" What I liked best about this one was the interaction between the male and female lead. Though it wasn't a romance, the subtle tug between their hearts was beautiful to read.


Have you ever read a book that stayed with you after you closed the cover? It's books like these that make me want to sit down and start typing. They give me the desire to give the same experience to my readers. The first time someone told me that my story made them cry was the moment I felt like a real writer. Never mind that I was not published and didn't have an agent. It touched someone. That was enough for me.


So I'm thinking today about what makes me grab a pen and start writing. 


Reading books.When I read a well-written book, even if it's not perfect, it energizes me to write. I want to be able to create a mood, or make a reader fall in love with a character. Occasionally, I get discouraged, thinking, "I'll never be able to write like that." But even the best authors started somewhere. And reading great writing is probably one of the things that helped them grow.


Watching movies.Good plotting is a hallmark of good movies. Watching masterful film making and screenplay writing helps me discover areas of my story that can be cut. I like to watch the deleted scenes, especially when the director explains why a perfectly good scene (sometimes his favorite scene) didn't make it into the final movie. Usually it's because it didn't move the story forward. I know I've got scenes like that in my manuscript.


Observing people. I took my daughter to the airport yesterday. While I waited for her flight to take off, I had a chance to watch the travelers going by. It amazes me how watching people makes me long to describe my characters better. It's not just the different hairstyles and facial characteristics. It's the questions that pop up in my mind. Why is the mousy older woman carrying such a flamboyant purse? What does the unusually shaped package contain? Why does the young man make eye contact with every person he passes? Questions like these had me looking for my notebook.


Listening to music.The long, icy drive to the airport was accompanied by a variety of music that I don't always listen to, courtesy of my daughters and niece in the car. But it's good for me to listen to songs outside of the genres I gravitate to. I end up really listening to the words, the mood, the textural combination of instruments, and I often start thinking through a scene in my story, coming up with alternate ways for it to go.


Beautiful scenery.Back to the airport trip. My travels took me along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, first in a snowstorm, and then in the blue-skied, bright aftermath. The sun burning off the fog that covered the mountains, the pine needles frozen in place with the numbing cold--each turn of the road brought a fresh vision that could be translated into a story.


So that's my list--so far. What's on yours?

Writing Goals for 2011: Part 2- Making Your Writing a Business

 Whether or not you make much money from your writing, 2011 might be the year to begin keeping track of expenses and income. And the beginning of the year is the perfect time to set up the record-keeping that can save you money on next year's taxes. 


Not sure what you need to keep up with? Here are some links to help you sort out the possibilities.

First of all, take the Writing as a Business quiz on Seekerville. It may help you narrow down some areas you can focus on. 


Writer's Digest has a comprehensive article that explains the taxes you'd pay as a self-employed writer, and how to balance that tax with deductions. You'll find out whether your writing is an occupation or a hobby, and possible deductions you can take.


The Guide to Literary Agents adds a few more details with tips on deductions like health insurance and cell phones.

Agent Rachelle Gardner has two great posts. The Tax Man Cometh details how to treat your writing as a business. Keeping Track of Things adds a list of files you'll want to set up for royalty statements and book sales.


If you'd like some free forms to help you stay organized, check out The Organized Writer for everything you need.


Are you keeping records yet? Do you have a system that works for you?

Agent Friday: Joshua Blimes

When I first looked into Joshua Blimes, I wondered if he was a legitimate literary agent. After all, his agency, called JABberwocky, uses the URL "AwfulAgents.com". But I did my research, and discovered that this three-partner agency is indeed well-respected. 

Joshua Blimes has been in the business for a quarter of a century, opening his own agency in 1994. He is known for representing science fiction and fantasy, but the agency is also interested in a variety of other projects. The agents page will give you all the details. There, you'll see some of the names Blimes has worked with over the years, including Carl Sagan and Elizabeth Moon.

Blimes writes regularly on his blog, Brillig. Here are a few posts of interest:

Some professionals say writers need to establish themselves in short stories before trying to get a novel published. Blimes disagrees, and gives his reasons in this post, then expands on them in another post.

Even though you may not have even finished your first book, it's a good time to begin learning the different aspects of the business. Blimes explains the details of book contracts--an important topic for writers to understand.

And while he's not as thrilled with ebooks as some, Blimes understands their place in publishing. He spends time thinking about how ebooks will change the industry.

If you'd like to hear more from Joshua Blimes, here's a great interview from the Guide to Literary Agents.

Organize Your Goals With a Free Tool: Workflowy

On Mondays, we've been talking about goals for the year. Tuesday's post was a practical way to get yourself to write, even on busy days. Today, I'll share a free online tool you can use to keep track of the goals you make. It's called Workflowy.

Workflowy is basically an online list, set up like an outline. The user has the ability to collapse or expand the list, so no matter how many notes are made, the list is still manageable. There is a general video on the first page of the website, but if you go ahead and sign up for the free service, you can view a more detailed video that explains how to use it.

Users don't need any special skills for Workflowy--except the ability to type. I'm using Workflowy to list my monthly writing goals. The service allows me to break down my goals into smaller, more manageable pieces, and as I accomplish them, I can "cross them off" the list.

I plan to make more Workflowy lists: one for each writing project, and lists for other responsibilities I have. Let's face it: the non-writing activities in our lives can dominate our time and overwhelm our creativity. Keeping track of important non-writing tasks actually gives us the freedom to write when we know we've managed our time well.

How do you manage the tasks in your life?

Book Review: By Cunning and Craft, by Peter Selgin

With the vast array of writing books available, writers need to know which ones are the comprehensive, go-to books to open when they need to brush up on the basics. By Cunning and Craft is such a book. While there are many books that focus on a particular topic, like your story's hook, or whether to start with plot or character, this book will be an often thumbed-through reference.

The book is beautifully organized, and sprinkled with a generous amount of writing quotes that pertain to each chapter. The topics have examples of successful authors applying the different aspects of fiction writing.

Ten chapters include advice on characterization, point of view, structure and plot, dialogue, and description. Selgin also covers the important topic of scene, summary, and flashback--an important technique for fiction writers to grasp. The author spends time explaining voice and style, theme, revision, and finishes up with a discussion on pursuing publication. There is an appendix at the end listing more books on craft the reader may want to read for further information.

By Cunning and Craft is a Writer's Digest book, and I was pleased to see it offered on the Writer's Digest site for only $5.49. Make sure that at least one of the books on your shelf is like this one.

What is your main fiction-writing reference?

Guest Post: Aim, Shoot, Bull's-Eye: Writing Targets for the New Year

 I don't often do guest posts, but the moment I read Kenda Turner's words on writing targets, I knew they had to be shared. If you're like me, her post will get you writing (guilt-free!) all year. Kenda blogs over at Words and Such. Take a minute to go visit.

 

Photo courtesy of Photobucket

Aim, Shoot, Bull's-Eye: Writing Targets for the New Year, by Kenda Turner.

 

I know it's just semantics, but I've decided to set writing "targets" rather than resolutions for the new year. The "dart board"--what I'm aiming for--is to write every day. No matter how much,  how little--my goal is to at least hit one of four targets every day. Each is represented by the graduated concentric circles of a dart board. (I wish I could diagram this, but such design skills aren't in my repertoire yet!)

The four targets include:

1. The Bull's Eye: Write 1000 words. I hope to hit this mark more often than not in the upcoming year. But that is the real prize, and often hard to attain. So if circumstances--like life's challenges away from the computer--preclude this then I'll aim for...

2. The Inside Ring: Write two pages. Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newbery Medal Winner A Single Shard, in an interview over at Cuppa Jolie, said: "My most valuable tip came from Katherine Paterson, who wrote in an essay about how she tries to finish 2 pages a day. I read that when I was starting work on my first novel, and it was a huge light-bulb moment. I thought, I can do that! I don't know if I can ever write a whole novel, but I sure as heck can write 2 pages a day. I've written every single one of my novels that way, and I'm positive I never would have written even one if I hadn't read that tip." Still and all, though, if time is at a premium on a busy day, I will at least shoot for...

3. The Middle Ring: Write for 15 minutes. Dan Goodwin, at Coach Creative, says: "Create every day and you get used to starting creative sessions quickly and easily. They become a routine, a habit, and you begin before you've had a chance to procrastinate. The less often you create, the harder it becomes to get started, and the more excuses and 'urgent' tasks that have to be done before you create begin to stack up...(so) start today, set aside 15 minutes, make an appointment with your creativity, and write it down. Do the same tomorrow." Yet, being realistic, on days I can't even do that I will at least...

4. The Outer Ring: Write ten words. This from Mary E. Pearson, on a  guest post at Dear Editor: "When I feel like I can't move forward, I will do all kinds of things to help me keep going, like...Trick myself. I sit down to write and tell myself I only have to write ten words and then I can get up and do whatever I want guilt free. TEN. That's all. But I have to do it every day." She says it's amazing how allowing yourself ten simple words more often than not jump starts the writing process and you end up writing more than you thought you would.

So there you have it, my targets for 2011. Every day, hit at least one. Now my aim might be poor at the beginning. After all, I haven't been all that consistent in the past. But with practice, who knows what  will come. I'm looking forward to finding out!

What are your writing targets for the upcoming new year?

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. --Vita Sackville-West

 

Kenda Turner is an aspiring author who has written a MG historical fiction with two more MG ideas on deck ready to be plotted. She's been published in such children's magazines as Children's Digest, Children's Playmate, and Boy's Quest. She's also been published in two Cup of Comfort anthologies. Her best friends in 2011 promise to be a notebook and pen so she can write anywhere.

Writing Goals for 2011: Part 1- Making Time to Write

 Setting aside time to write is the most important writing goal you can make. Without actual writing time, you'll never type "the end", query an agent, or make enough money to call your writing a business. But how do you actually make time to write? 

First up, let's hear from you. Last week's post garnered insightful comments from several readers. 


Too many goals? Amy Sullivan points out that she sets too many goals. Depending on your personality, that can get overwhelming. On the other hand, Janette Dolores finds that writing lots of goals keeps her moving forward. Which works better for you?


Maintaining enthusiasm. Janette also mentioned that sometimes it's hard to keep motivated by goals all year long. Choose your goals carefully. Make sure they're not so difficult to reach that you'll give up too soon. A goal like this: "Get published in 2011" sounds wonderful, but there are so many steps involved, it can overwhelm a writer. Which brings me to the next reader point:


Break your goals into manageable pieces. Krissy Brady takes the step of taking each goal and making smaller, monthly goals. The "get published in 2011" goal is easier to accomplish when broken into smaller goals like "finish writing Act 3", "find a good critique group", and "research good query letters". (See Krissy's blog for a free author's seminar this Wednesday.)


Some other words of wisdom from writers in the trenches:


Are you "called" to write? How do you know your desire for writing is not just a passing fad? Author Mary DeMuth shares ten ways to find out.


What if you work full time? (and have kids?) Author Kate Messner, author of nine books in three years, lets us in on her secret of writing when your life is busy.


Writer's Digest boils it down to four ways to make time to write. See if any of them will work for you.


Sometimes, part of the answer is finding a time of day that is most conducive to your writing. Author Camy Tang gives tips on figuring out what time works best for you.


Is writer's block getting to you? Try the advice of author Becky Blanton, who wrote for a year while voluntarily homeless. She's got four ways to write despite writer's block.


And author Susan DiMickele boils it down to the best motivation of all. The mom/wife/lawyer/author shares how her love of writing helps to keep her at it. Even on the bad days.

Do you have more ways to find time to write?