You Can Go Your Own Way

January 28, 2013 By 17 Comments

I love the interwebs.

I love that I can be watching TV and think “why do I know that face” and two minutes later I’m staring at a list of an actor’s past work.

I love how I can be in the kitchen wondering if there is a suitable substitute when the recipe calls for cream and I have none, and moments later the iPad is giving me answers, complete with instructional video.

Basically, I love how easily I can access information and instruction on just about everything ever.

The thing is, just because the information is out there, doesn’t mean it’s all good information. Even if it sounds like it is.

Like so many things in life, with the good comes the bad. Just as the interwebs made it easy for us to access information, it also made it easier for people to dole it out.

There was a time when, for the most part, you had to go to someone with a proven track record to get information. A “how-to” book was vetted, and likely written by someone with proven success in whatever it is they were demonstrating.

Now, anyone with a blog and the tiniest sliver of charisma can offer up their word as instruction.

And sadly, we can fall for it.

To be clear, I don’t think that everyone who gives advice and/or instruction has to have the same experiences. I’m not at all the type who believes that a certain level of education automatically qualifies you for, well, anything.

But I do believe there are signs that distinguish between someone who is truly knowledgeable and someone who’s advice-giving should put one on alert…

 

The Semi-Accomplished

This is one I see all too often. This is the person that will talk ad infinitum about how to do something that they’ve never actually done themselves. It goes something like this:

“You want to know how to build a table? I’ll give you the tools, and measurements, and a general idea of how to put it all together. What’s that? How’d my table come out? Uhh…LOOK AT THESE SHELVES I made. Everybody loves my shelves! Buy my shelves.”

For those of you scratching your heads…yeah. That doesn’t make much sense, does it?

Sure, shelves and tables may both be made out of wood, but making one thing out of wood doesn’t make someone a woodworking wizard.*

What it might mean is they’ve read a lot of woodworking books and have enough reading comprehension to regurgitate what they’ve read in a palatable manner. Throw in some jokes about wood and hey! The interweb peoples are feeding at your table.

The table that doesn’t exist.

Ad Nauseam

I’m not at all against lengthy blog posts. If a person has something interesting and original to say, I’ll read it, with pleasure. But, some things just shouldn’t take 2000 words to explain.

‘Nuff said.

So My Friends Say…

quote

Have you ever seen the movie Emma? There is a character, Mrs. Elton, who rather than say she is a talented musician, says that her friends say she is.

If an expert’s friends, colleagues, and/or success stories want to sing their praises, by all means, they should let them.

Let me reiterate – they should let THEM.

Related to this point: Quoting yourself. It should never happen.**

Because I Care

I’m here to help.

No, really, I mean it.

I don’t give advice much on this blog. But anything I do share in the way of a “teaching moment” is shared because I want you to benefit. Whether it be something that’s helped me with my writing, a home remedy that’s served me well, or things I’ve read that keep me motivated – whatever it is, I share it freely.

Free being the key word there.

I don’t begrudge people an income. I know what it is to try to make ends meet, and I know that sometimes you have to get creative in bringing a paycheck home.

However.

If you dole out advice or instruction and you get paid, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow when I hear “I share ’cause I care”.

When I was a software instructor, I loved my job. And I did enjoy knowing my students would take what they learned and benefit from it. I probably even cared. But I was also there, mostly there, for a paycheck.

I’m not saying that those out there giving advice/instruction don’t care. But constantly reminding an audience how much they care just before telling them to buy something? It smacks of insincerity.

The Ring of Truth

At this point, some of you may be reading this and nodding your heads. I distinctly heard an “amen” from somewhere in the back.

But you may also be thinking that you’ve learned things from bloggers who may display one or more of these traits. Valuable things.

And I wouldn’t be surprised.

Remember how this conversation started? There is a wealth of information at our fingertips. Technology has made it possible for you to find the answers to most of your questions with click of a keyboard or the swipe of a touch screen.***

The experts/gurus/people-who-can’t-stop-talking have the same access the rest of us do. And some of them even have a bit of talent. They’ve culled together information from qualified sources, and they deliver it to you.

So, sometimes, their advice on something may be dead on.

The important part is understanding that being right about something doesn’t mean they’re right about everything.

Why does any of this matter?

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend lately of groups who follow different “experts” advice like it’s law. And I’ve seen the damage it can cause. I’ve seen them disappointed when they’ve done everything they’ve been told only to see it fail, and are left wondering what they did wrong.

I post this not to be snarky and point fingers. I post it to remind others to diversify your research. Looks for opposing views. Come to your own conclusions.

The interwebs may help you figure out that the actor who looked so familiar was on an old episode of Law and Order, but it might be wrong when it says you can use butter and milk in place of cream.****

Go your own way.*****

 

And now, earworm…

*for the record, I am not obsessed with woodworking. While writing this, my sister told me that she gets to see the Nick Offerman in D.C. Ergo, the woodworking references.

**you can quote me on that.

***now if I can just get one of those nifty food replicators, my Star-Trekkian dreams will be complete.

****seriously. the results were not good.

*****today’s post is brought to you by: Mondays. Mondays are for ranting. And helping. But mostly ranting. In association with: A sick toddler. Starving you of sleep since 2009.

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Writing Advice May Lead to Blindness

September 10, 2012 By 46 Comments

I don’t talk too much about the “how-to” of writing here.

Shocking, I know, given it is what I enjoy doing. The reality is, I don’t have a book sitting on a shelf at your local bookstore, so who am I to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do?

Granted, I haven’t made any attempt to publish just yet, but still. And honestly, there are plenty of books out there that are published and are pretty awful, so even if I did have one sitting out there gathering dust, it is no guarantee that anything I would have to share with anyone would be of value.

So, today’s post is not so much about advice. Maybe it’s anti-advice.

There are a lot of writing “rules” that I read/hear ad infinitum (or more appropriately, ad nauseam) that honestly make me want to stab myself in the eye. It’s not that there isn’t any truth in them, but in their constant, overbearing delivery, I think writers start to find themselves employing a formula to their writing, which can lead to stale storytelling.

 

Show, Don’t Tell

How many times have you heard that advice? Sure, it is important to paint a picture for the reader. Don’t just say that your character is angry, convey that feeling to your audience. How do we know he’s angry? Is it in the way he’s standing? A look on his face? The manner in which he shuts a door? Describing those pieces is far more engaging than, “Dude was angry.”  [The Emotion Thesaurus is a great tool if you find you have trouble with this.]

But that doesn’t mean we should never tell. There are moments of transition where no information is lost by being succinct and telling. I’ve read books that were so weighed down in the details – in the “show” – that I found myself skipping ahead trying to “get to the point”. Three pages of showing in a scene where two sentences of telling could have achieved the same effect, both in story and emotional involvement, does not make a better book.

Perhaps the better advice here is “Show AND Tell”. Then, work on your craft to figure out where telling is appropriate.

 

KILL THEM ALL!

Kill Your Darlings

This one makes me skin crawl every time I hear it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it makes every writer sound like an emotional basket case that can’t seem to pull it together.

It originates from Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch: “Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it – whole-heartedly – and delete it before sending your manuscripts to press. Murder your darlings.”

Yes, when we write, there may be moments in our writing that we think, “I love this scene/character/piece of dialogue”, and that love may make it difficult for us to consider cutting that piece. The idea is that when we really love something we wrote, we can’t be objective about it and it therefore needs to be shot.

Because an inability to be objective automatically means that piece isn’t worth keeping?

The “KYD” speech often claims that there are those much-loved pieces, our ugly, alien-looking, misshapen-head babies we insist on pushing on to our readers have no purpose. And if they truly have no purpose, then, by all means, cut them.

BUT, there are moments in stories that I have read over the years that stand out as truly memorable scenes. Maybe they offered humor, or a touching background to the character or scene. Would the plot have continued along without them? In some cases, most definitely. These “darlings” may not have moved the story forward, but those darlings can be the bits that make an author or character’s unique voice shine through. They can be the pieces that make a reader think back fondly on the story, or even compel them to read it again.

 

Write What You Know/Don’t Write What You Know

If you write fiction, you are not engaged in writing a technical manual. Yes, if your book has a sci-fi element that involves a technology that exists, you probably need to either know a little bit about that tech, or research it really well. Otherwise, Geeky McGeekerson will be pushing his glasses up his nose, shaking his head, stating, “highly dubious” before he tosses your book out.

Do you have to be a cop to write one? Nope. Do you have to have experienced the same loss/trials your character has to express the angst they are going through? Maybe not. But you do need to research. And you do need to be a talented writer.

Writing what you know may come easier. You’re expressing emotions and/or facts that you are familiar with. At the same time, you can end up writing YOU instead of your character, which may not be the right thing for your story. Writing what you don’t know may take more work. Or, if you are creating an entirely new world, it may be even easier for you.

Was that last paragraph confusing? Maybe because YOU get to decide on this one. Write what you know. Write what you don’t know. It doesn’t matter. What matters it that whatever it is, write it well.

 

Adverbs Are Evil

No. They’re not. The problem is when we rely on them heavily. This tends to fall into the “show, don’t tell” category. Don’t tell me that someone did something reluctantly, describe how they dragged their feet and pouted.

Again, it’s not bad advice to be aware of our adverb usage. Don’t be lazy. Don’t use them when a better description of what is going on in the scene makes sense (which will likely be often).

At the same time, there are moments in our writing where a scene calls for precision and speed. Setting the mood may dictate that we get in and get out swiftly. Adverbs exist for a reason. Learn how to use them.

 

Eliminating the “was”

There are often discussions about passive voice translating into weak writing, use of was, “to be”, and the like that effectively tell you to find the instances in your manuscript and kill them all with fire.

Put the blowtorch down. Pick up a book on grammar. Learn some stuff.

Anne R. Allen recently put together a great post on whether you should eliminate “was” from your writing. (Spoiler alert! the answer is not always yes.) What it really comes down to is understanding grammar well. I gained a better understanding of English grammar in my four years of Latin than all my English classes combined, so I can understand why most of us may need to brush up on “mood” and “voice”.

And remember, when your characters are talking, they probably don’t speak with perfect grammar. (Hey, I don’t always write this blog with perfect grammar.) While you may need to tighten up your narrative, don’t go crazy with your dialogue. You can end up with characters that sound like robots.

 

The point of all this is, I’m annoyed.

Wait, no, there was an actual point.

The point of all this is that there is a TON of advice out there, not all bad and not all good. Understanding where the advice stems from allows you to take the good stuff to heart and apply what your writing needs. Don’t let the advice turn your writing into something that sounds like everyone else.

What bit of writing advice annoys you most? What bit of advice has helped/hindered your writing?

 

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You’ve Got Questions – Do Writers Need to Blog?

June 9, 2012 By 66 Comments

Welcome to the first post in the “You’ve Got Questions – We’ve Got Answers” series!

This question came via Jen Kirchner (you can follow her on Twitter: @JenLKirchner).

Q. “Experts” have been saying for the last couple of years that blogging is what authors need to do in order to promote themselves. But a lot has changed in the last year. Do you think this is still good advice? If you do, what should writers blog about to set them apart from their peers?

First off, for anyone new to this blog, here is a quick refresh on what I think of “experts”.

Ahem. Moving on.

Now, I do believe that there is a lot of well-intentioned, if not helpful, information out there about authors blogging. I do think that having a blog presence will contribute to building an audience for your book.

However, the advice is far from one size fits all. So, let’s break it down a bit, shall we?

Published or In Progress?

If an author is already published and has zero interweb presence, then it could be very helpful to build one. Many publishing houses are doing little to market the work of new authors, so this is one way you can help yourself.

Having a blog will give established fans a place to interact with the author which gets their fanboy/girl blood pumping. That in turn means way more “hey, check out this awesome author who is totally cool and so are his books!” conversations with their friends, and the blog is the place they can send them.

That is, of course, if you are interesting.

The honest truth is that some people make amazing authors, but boring bloggers. Sometimes this is simply because they don’t know how to blog properly, and other times it is for the plain and simple fact that they aren’t interesting in that format.

I know. That sounds like a contradiction.*

If their work is published, obviously they are interesting, right? Uh, no. A successful publishing career means that they create interesting worlds, or their characters are interesting. It does not guarantee that they are the person you want to be seated next to on a 5 hour flight making small talk.

This doesn’t mean the published author shouldn’t give blogging a try. It just means there is a need to be brutally honest with yourself after giving it a go (or better yet, find someone else to be honest with you).

Look at the time you are investing in posts versus the response the blog is getting. If you’re spending hours and hours writing posts that three people (one of whom is your mom) are reading regularly, well, then, maybe you should be investing that time in your next project.

Stick to 140 characters on Twitter, friend.

[Twitter interaction will be a WHOLE other post. Don’t worry. It’s coming.]

Now, if you are a writer who is working your way to being published, regardless of publishing method, blogging can be a huge way of building a fan base before you even have something for them to buy.

Again, how successful this method is comes down to being interesting. So, let’s assume that you have that ability.

What should you write about?

There are a lot of “rules” out there about what you should and should not be blogging about. Don’t be controversial. Don’t write about writing. Don’t write fiction. Don’t write about your personal life. Have a specific schedule. Keep a theme. Write short posts frequently. Write long posts once a month…

The list goes on, ad nauseam. (<;– Four years of Latin, FTW!)

So, here are a few things to consider. These are not rules.

Convey your voice.

Are you witty? Sarcastic? Silly? Do you have a voice of authority? Make sure that you get YOU down “on paper”. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve purchased (and friends have purchased) thinking, “I wouldn’t normally be interested in subject ‘x’, but the author is so funny/quirky/smart/genuine on their blog I have to check out their book”.

When you walk into a bookstore, the choices are endless. Having a blog that gives people a taste of who you are can set you apart from the others. Sure, great story and characters are what keep someone reading a book, but a unique voice can be what makes a reader pick it up in the first place.

Broaden your subject matter.

Okay, so you write historical fiction that takes place in mid-fifteenth century France.** If I don’t particularly love history, or France for that matter, and that is pretty much ALL you blog about, guess what? No matter how well written your pieces are on the clothing/weapons/codpieces of that era, you’ve lost me as a potential reader.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write about what you know. Just broaden out. For example, if you write sci-fi/fantasy, rather than only writing about what your novel focuses on, try broadening out to a wide assortment of geekery. You want to keep the fanbase on the blog wide, so more readers are open to checking out your book, even if its subject matter is specific.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t blog about subjects that relate to your book. You want to appeal to the audience that is your ideal demographic. Just don’t limit yourself to only that ideal. Give those on the outskirts a reason to try your work.

Don’t write with authority unless you are one. And even then…

Writing on any topic in an instructional way needs some backing.*** I see lots of writers write about writing. Are you sharing your personal process? Go on with your bad self. Awesome. Fellow writers will enjoy that and even some readers appreciate knowing how you come up with characters and worlds.

But if your blog becomes predominantly about writing, you aren’t giving readers any idea why they should be looking forward to your novel. Or your next post for that matter.

Instructional-style posts can be a great addition, when delivered without pretention.

Are you writing a mystery novel where the main character loves to bake? Then the occasional recipe on the blog might actually be a great idea. And unless you actually are an expert baker, feel free to share your mistakes in your post. Again, it’s all about personality.

Write often. Or don’t.

There is a lot of talk about frequency. Write multiple times a week. Only write once a month.

Here’s the thing. If you are reading this, you are working on a writing project of some kind. That takes time. For a blog to be successful, it also takes time. Time to put together and write the posts. Time to publicize the posts.

Some bloggers can throw together an interesting post in no time at all. Others can’t. Some bloggers enjoy writing several posts a week. Others dread it.

Figure out which blogger you are. Then go with what works for you. Quality is always more important than quantity.

BUT…

I would recommend posting at least twice a month. If you have it in you to post weekly, that’s great, but honestly, if you are working full time, have family obligations, plus time for your work-in-progress, it may not be doable for you.

Whatever you do, once you find what works for you, stick with it. You want people to be in a habit of looking forward to your posts. If they know that you post every Friday, they’ll be there. If they aren’t sure when you post, they may not go looking for when you do. (And no, not everyone subscribes or uses RSS feeds.)

Themes

Some bloggers choose to blog about certain topics on certain days. I do it on occasion, like the “Why It’s Worth a Watch” series on Wednesdays, and serial fiction on Thursdays. These themed days are not necessary for every blog, or for every day you choose to post. They can help bring readers around who like a particular aspect of your blog, but this is another instance of finding what works for you and your voice.

The danger that can come with themed days is originality. If you choose to use them, do something unique to you, your writing, or the audience you’ve built. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking like a thousand other bloggers.

How about some fiction?

There is nothing wrong with writing some fiction on the blog. It can be a) a great way to show your creative side to potential readers b) a great exercise for you and c) a whole lot of fun. Flash fiction, letters to fictional characters (or fake letters from real people), serial fiction; they can all be great outlets for you and fun ways to connect with your audience.

The key word is some. Again, your blog should be a reflection of you, not just what you write. If you only write fiction on the blog and it’s not the favored genre of someone, you may lose a potential future reader.

You also want to be careful about posting anything you have plans to publish on your site.This doesn’t mean that you can’t post blurbs to whet your potential reader’s appetite. Just don’t make excerpts of your novel the focus of your blog, or put the entire story out there before publishing.

Spelling counts

If you are putting yourself out there as a writer, for the love of all that is good in the world, spelling and grammar DO count. The occasional mistake is forgivable (hey, I am totally guilty) but when they happen regularly, or go uncorrected, it becomes a distraction. Not to mention that it reflects poorly on your craft.

At the same time, don’t be overly formal if that isn’t the tone of what you write or who you are. If you are writing YA, the occasional OhEmGEEE may even be acceptable.

Don’t be so married to structure and rules that you sound like a robot.

Above all…

If you are a writer, you should be giving blogging a go. When you do, it’s about being uniquely you. You’ll probably notice that just about every heading above allows you to “do or not do”. That’s because every writer is different.

I’ve heard people say that you should be uncomfortable when you are striving for something. That means that you are working at it. While I believe that blogging can be uncomfortable for some at first, if it remains that way, try something different.

Ever had to break in a new pair of shoes? They may start out causing minor discomfort, but if they are well made and a proper fit, they feel fine after a bit of wear. If they don’t, they may not be right for you. That doesn’t mean that you never wear any shoe again. You try a different brand, size, or style. Or, you might deal with minor discomfort because it gets results. (If high heels didn’t make my legs look good, I’d never wear them. It’s all about results.)

Look at blogging the same. If after a while your blog is still “pinching your toes”, it’s not a good fit. Don’t give up on blogging altogether. Try something different.**** If your blog is getting results, but you don’t love doing it, well, then maybe blogging is the “stiletto” of your social media closet.

If you do find that no matter how many blogging methods you try, you are not only uncomfortable but the results are dismal, then blogging truly may not be the right tool for you. And that’s why we have Twitter and other social networking tools.

Phew. That was a long answer. I tried to contain myself. Really.

If this post raises more questions, great! Ask them in the comments. If you are sitting there thinking, “who made you the blog boss”? Short answer: no one, but experience is a pretty sweet teacher. Long answer: ask me in the comments and I’ll tell you.

For those of you who are already blogging, did you find it took you a while to find your “comfort zone”? Are you still trying to find it? Feel free to get all share-y.

Keep the questions, of ALL kinds, coming. A Twitter post is in the works based on a question from August McLaughlin, so be sure to get your tweeting questions in soon.

*It probably sounds mean, too. It’s not meant to be. Everyone has strengths. No one should beat themselves up if blogging isn’t one of them.

**I totally mad-lib’d that. If that is what you write about, PLEASE know that I had no idea and this post is not about you. History and France are awesome. I think.

***This is particularly true for non-fiction authors. Their blogs are expected to reflect what they are writing about. And readers will want to know what qualifies them. Fiction writers can get away with instructional posts so long as they a) have the creds or b) stick to giving opinion/recommendation based on personal experience.

****Stuck? Trying to figure out something else to try? Check out Novel Blogging by Liberty Montano. It has great recommendations for blog topics and exercises to help you find the right shoe. I mean, blog.

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You’ve Got Questions – We’ve Got Answers. Probably.

June 8, 2012 By 34 Comments

I’m minutes away from jetting out the door for some much needed errand running. Heading to Costco to stock up on tubs of greek yogurt and pesto the size of my head.

While I’m out, enjoy the newest blog addition.

Q&A Time!

I’ve gathered a lot of new readers lately (hi!) so I thought it appropriate to open the floor to questions.

But not just any questions.

Or, actually, it kinda sorta is any questions.

If you have questions about me, submit them in the comments and they will be rolled into an interview post down the line.

If you have practical questions about things like using social media, technology, writing, cleaning your house, etc, those will be answered in themed posts with like questions.

Questions about anything else? Throw them out there. I make no promises as to my expertise in any category you hurl at me, but I WILL answer. If nothing else, it should prove to be mildly amusing. And prevent me from talking to myself all day.

What’s your question?

FIRE AWAY!

[Adding now that I am not running out the door]

Super exciting news over at Tiffany A. White’s blog – she is revealing the cover of her upcoming novel! I am so excited for her (and proud). Go give her some love.

 

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