A Pen In Each Hand 2005
Step by Step
By Beaver
Your challenge this month is to do something that will make writing easier for you. What can you do to streamline your writing process? Maybe you need to clean the clutter off your desk, organize your writing files into folders on your harddrive, tell your family you need that hour to yourself on Sunday morning, or buy yourself some stamps and envelopes. Maybe there are 10 things you need to do. This month do one. And when you have, don't forget to reward yourself!
Practice Readings
By Beaver
Do you want to join the writing group that meets at your favorite bookstore or long to participate in open mike night at your local coffeehouse, but hold back because you're terrified of reading your work aloud? Calm those butterflies by doing practice readings. Choose a passage from your novel, a short story (or portion), or a few poems. Prepare a short introduction to the piece(s) you plan to read—a synopsis of the story, if you've chosen to read an excerpt, for example, or an explanation of what inspired the piece, if you've chosen poems or flash fiction. Start by reading the introduction and chosen work to yourself. When you feel ready, enlist a willing volunteer or two to be your "audience." If you have a videocamera, record yourself as well. Refine your "performance" with the help of feedback from your audience and the camera. Keep practicing until you're comfortable. Now get out there and share your work!
Quick Portfolio Template
By Baker
Name (pen name if applicable)
e-mail address 1
e-mail address 2
URL of portfolio or index page
(There's no need to publish personal info like your address or phone number so be safe and leave it off. If an agent or employer needs to contact you, they can e-mail you)
If you have a writing, English or communications degree:
(degree), (area), (university), (year)
Published Creative Writing
"Story/poem" — Publication — Date
Organize by genre, then date for a neat appearance.
Use the titles as hyperlinks to the stories.
— if you write genre fiction like erotica, fanfic, sf/f or slash, create a separate portfolio/statement for them —
Published Articles
"Title" — Topic, if unclear from title — Publication — Date
Contests
"Story/Poem" — Contest — Publication — Date
Work-related writing (articles, proposals, newsletters, etc.)
Give a general description of the type of writing and the subject matter.
A thesis should be given specific reference, like so:
"Title" — Publication — Date
Unpublished writing
"Title"
Use the titles as hyperlinks to the stories.
Organizations, writer's groups, etc. to which you belong.
If you have editing or contest-judging experience, mention that like so:
Position — Publication — Dates
(this isn't a resume so you don't need to list your duties)
Other creative projects, like photography, music or mixed media may be mentioned as well, if they apply to your writing.
Writer biography a.k.a. "artist statement."
By Baker
For a rough draft, complete these thoughts:
Diagram a Plot
By The Bellman
Take a story you feel has a good plot. Draw a diagram that shows how the action and characterization interact. For example, you might make a roller coaster-like diagram, where you head downhill as characterization leads to action, and uphill where action leads to character development.
Make Your Own Zine
By Baker
As a writer, you undoubtedly have some old stories or poems buried on your hard drive. Why not dig them out and make a zine? You don't have to sell your zine--if you like, you can make just enough copies to share with friends. It's a great way to show people "what you do."
Give It Away
By Beaver
Copyright can be both comforting and frustrating. As a writer, it's good to know your work is protected from exploitation. At the same time, asking for permission to use others' work is a hassle many would prefer to avoid. When you were in school, did your teachers always seem to focus on long-dead writers? Maybe it's because their work was in the public domain. Shakespeare's not charging anyone royalties these days.
Do your bit for the commons. Choose something you've written, perhaps something you've already published and don't intend to re-sell, put a Creative Commons license on it, and put it online. A CC license allows others to use your work (make copies of it, distribute it, etc.) without having to ask you for permission to do so. Think about how cool it would be if a teacher looking for some fresh material found your story and decided to use it in her class.
Pace Yourself
By Boots
In her article on timing, Boots showed you a couple examples of how writing can be slowed down or sped up to get the pacing just right. Here are the "before" paragraphs again. As an exercise, try rewriting each of them yourself. Or, find a scene of your own where the timing feels off and rewrite it using Boots's advice.
Too Fast: Latrina felt like she belonged in the tribe as she had helped them set up for the talent show and it had been a long time since she felt that. Even after she had been cured from madness, it seemed very right to be part of the talent show.
Too Slow: The horses, along with the rest of the livestock being taken on the voyage, were lowered into the hold. A net of strong rope was brought under their bellies while another rope ran around their chest and another around their rump under their tails, to keep them from sliding either forward or backward. Two thick ropes attached the net to a pulley. The horses were lowered in one by one, Halken first, then Ponzol, followed by Nexus and then Zara. They went calmly, their legs hanging limply till their hooves touched the floor, then they neighed for their mistresses. They were the last of the animals to be lowered into the hold, for all the others had been taken down before the group had even arrived.
Follow the Rules
By Baker
This one's straightforward: Enter a writing contest. The fall Three Cheers & a Tiger contest is the weekend of September 16-18. Many of the literary journals listed at Mustard & Cress also hold contests. Be sure to read the submission guidelines and follow the rules! Good luck.
It Really Happened
By Beaver
Write two versions of a true story. With the first version, write "for your eyes only"—anything goes. With the second version, write as if it's destined for the pages of the NY Times. Compare the two and take note of what you're comfortable sharing with the world and what you'd rather keep private.
The Market You Know
By Billiard
Submit a story or article to a publication that you're familiar with, one that you subscribe to or read on a regular basis.
Can You Tell the Difference?
By Beaver & Baker
Check out your own book collection, or visit an independent bookstore, and see if you can spot any books published by small publishers or self-published books. Find a POD book if you can (textbooks are a good bet; try a university or college bookstore). How do they measure up to commercially published books? Familiarize yourself with the quality and decide for yourself whether it would be something you would be happy with.
Reflections
By Beaver
It's the end of the year. Take some time to reflect on what you've accomplished writing-wise this year. What are your goals for next year?