A Novel Approach (To Me)

I found a great article in the Huffington Post by David Henry Sterry that talks about how important it is for an author to have a Facebook fan page.  The article addresses questions like:

• How many fans is enough to impress a publisher?
• Should I set up a fan page for my book or or just use my personal page?
• When should I set up my facebook page–when I start writing/once I have a deal/once my book comes out?
• How often should I communicate via facebook? What is too much?
• I’m worried about privacy issues.  What should I do?
• Should I put up pictures? Video? What kind of pictures should I load into my profile?

The article also links to other useful information like what are the essential elements of an Author page and facebook settings that you need to be aware of.  If you are a writer I recommend checking it out.

Do you know someone who wants to be a novelist? If so, here are my top 5 picks for gifts to give to that aspiring writer:

1. A small Moleskine notebook: a budding writer NEEDS to have a small notebook with them at all times to jot down thoughts, ideas, and notes of all sorts.  These are the fodder for characters and stories.  Moleskine is the classic and known by most writers, but any journal or notebook that will fit in a purse or bag will do.
2. A flash drive and a subcription to Dropbox (or some other online storage utility).  Every novel needs to be saved in at least three places in case of disaster.  Any author will tell you that their biggest fear is that they’ll loose their work.
3. A writing program for their computer (or a case of writing pads if they don’t like to write on the computer).  I prefer Scrivener but there are plenty of others that exist if you google it.  Writing doesn’t need to be complicated. Word (for Windows) or Pages (for Mac) are solid word processing programs that will work.  However, what a writing app or program can do is to simplify the formatting process for when they are ready to submit their novel. I like Scrivener because it has some simple functionality that allows me to write in scenes and chapters (making relevant “notes in the margins” if I need to.  It also allows me to dump the scenes onto a virtual corkboard and move them around.  This has come in very handy in the past.  It also allows the writer to open up a full screen window while typing that eliminates all other distractions.  You might be surprised at how helpful this is.
4. A good book about the craft of writing.  You can find a few of my recommendations here.  I’d also add Margaret Atwood’s Negotiating With The Dead to that list.
5. A subscription to the local gym. Not only will they need the social interaction to stay human while they are locked up trying to finish their novel, but they need a strong body to combat the aches and pains of being hunched over their novel for long hours trying to complete it.

Jessica Westhead, a writer and editor from Toronto, has been named the Writer in Residence for Open Book Toronto.  Her work has been published in some of the most prestigious Canadian Literary magazines. Her collection of short stories titled “And Also Sharks” was published in 2011 by Cormorant Books.

She’s put together a great list called Jessica’s Writerly Items on the Open Book Toronto website that I recommend you check out.  She shares great suggestions for books and links targeted to writers.

WRITING FICTION by Janet Burroway

The 8th edition of this book by Janet Burroway is a handbook that should be on every aspiring writer’s shelf.  It’s often used in creative writing courses and takes you from intial thought to the final draft.  It’s an easy to follow guide to writing fiction.  One caution: it’s a university text so, although it’s very easy to use and follow, it’s expensive to purchase.  It’s well worth every penny spent on it.

WRITING IN GENERAL AND THE SHORT STORY IN PARTICULAR by Rust Hills

This is a practical guide to writing short stories that explains all the essential techniques of fiction.  It is understandable and useful to both the aspiring and the seasoned writer alike.  Rust Hills packs a lot of great information in a very small book.

READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose

Understanding the tricks of the masters can help you understand how their work has endured. This book inspires you to pay attention to words–the raw material out of which all literature is crafted.  There is a philosophy in the writing world that every great writer is first a great reader. This book teaches you how to slow down and read like a writer.

THE FIRST FIVE PAGES by Noah Lukeman

The difference with this book is that it isn’t written by a writer, teacher or academic.  It’s written by a very successful Literary Agent who shares his advice on how to stay out of the rejection pile. He argues that your first five pages determine whether the Agent asks to read more, or rejects it outright. There is no attempt in this book to try to teach you how to write. Instead, he teaches you how to identify BAD writing and eliminate it from your manuscript.  His advice is centred on common mistakes that, if you address them, can remove excuses for Agents and Editors to send your manuscript back to you in its SASE.

ON WRITING by Stephen King

This book is not really about the mechanics of how to write or how to stay out of the rejection pile once you’ve completed your novel. It’s a memoir from arguably one of the most successful writers today–and it’s a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists.  He talks about the writing life and about the craft.  He uses real examples to illustrate his thoughts on style, plot and character. He leaves you with some very distinct lessons on what it means to be a writer. It’s a terrific book and a necessary read for aspiring authors.

Check out the new links I’ve added for some of my favorite Literary Magazines. I also added links to awards and contests for writers.  Enjoy!

Something fun for writers…

Here’s another internet find of helpful writing tips.

A friend sent me a great link today called “Ten rules for writing fiction” and I thought I would share it.  There’s some really great advice from authors like Elmore Leonard, Margaret Atwood, and Neil Gaimen. Enjoy!

Have you read this book yet?  I know, I know…another book about writing.  Ickkk…right?  Actually, no.  I’m reading this right now as I focus on re-writing the first chapters of my novel. (Yes, I feel weird using the words “my novel”).  I’ve made some significant (as in HUGE) changes from the first draft.  Why am I telling you this?  Because there is some great advice in “The First 5 Pages” that has really helped me.  It’s written by Noah Lukeman and he has the industry experience to know what he’s talking about.  He writes a great blog that I’ve found helpful as well. I encourage you to check it out.

Well, I’ve gone and done it again! I’ve entered the 3 Day Novel Contest. This will be the third time I’ve participated and I can’t wait! If you are a writer, I seriously encourage you to check out this contest and the mayhem that ensues each year on the September long weekend.

The first 12 hours of the contest last year were exceptionally productive for me…though not in the sense that I actually did any writing.  However, I did manage to clean the house, wash the floor of my home office, and change the cat litter.  I wanted to write.  I really did. I just couldn’t manage to squeeze out that first sentence.  I’d sit and think and stress and type a a few words and delete those words in disgust and type a few more words and experience more disgust.  I’d get up in frustration and start cleaning. Then I’d sit down at my desk again and think, “What in the heck do I think I’m doing?”

It’s ridiculous, really. Who writes an entire novel in 3 days. It can’t be done. It can’t. But it has been done. It’s been done every Labour Day weekend since 1977 as a matter of fact.  So maybe I can do it?  If others can, why can’t I? Certainly I can. Then I’d get up and clean some more and wait for inspiration to strike.

Gratefully, inspiration did strike at about hour 20 of the 72 hour contest and I began to write.  I wrote furiously, feverishly and any other “f” adverbs that you can think of.  I didn’t sleep (well, except for the few times that I drifted off at my desk and drooled all over my arm), but other than that I pushed through. No, I didn’t write the winning novel. I didn’t even get an honourable mention.  But I did get the satisfaction of finishing an honest to goodness first draft of a novel. And I also got a cool sticker and certificate prooving that I survived the weekend.

I’m still working on the revisions to that novel 9 months after the end of the contest.  I’ll probably still be working on the revisions when it comes time to start the mayhem all over again. That’s ok.  I’m closer to finishing a novel than I was a year ago. Maybe I’ll get a head start on another novel, or maybe I’ll realize that last year’s novel was crap and this year’s novel is the one I should be working on. Either way, it’s a win for me!

I have a word of advice for future 3 Day Novel Participants: write a brief outline before you start. I’m going to this year.

Hmmm, I wonder if they would hold it against me if I also wrote the first sentence in advance to save myself 20 hours of house cleaning…