Writing Tips: The Value of Accountability

 

I’ve spent decades writing vignettes and accumulating lists of story ideas, possible titles, themes, etc. I write because I love to write. Unfortunately, I never seem to get my act together to put my notes into a final product.

Years ago, Joel Macintosh asked if I would write a book for Prufrock Press based on my weekly blog. He suggested a very general outline and let me loose. Once I was assigned an editor, I was given deadlines. The deadlines motivated me to plow full-force into the project and get it done.

Since writing that book, I have had no deadlines and have been accountable only to myself. It has not worked well. I have continued to write, but have not had a clear focus. I have written randomly, pondering if I should concentrate on this project or that project, fiction or non-fiction.

A few weeks ago, I had a house full of company. These were all long-term, good friends. On one of our walks, I talked with Jeff, reiterating my love of writing, but my frustration with lack of purpose. He encouraged me and recognized that I need a real person to whom I report. Jeff agreed to be that person. At once, I was motivated.

I have decided to start with a memoir of sorts, based on growing up at our family cabin/vacation home in a remote area of northeastern Minnesota. After asking for my travel schedule, Jeff assigned my first two deadlines:

·         April 15—Submit a rough plan/outline with chapter titles and approximate due dates for each.

·         May 15—A first draft of a chapter of my choosing.

Since my “assignment,” I have traveled quite a bit, but I have also been very busy with this writing project. I have written in airports, on airplanes, and during downtime on my travels. I am ready to “hand in” my first assignment in a couple days, and I am well on my way to completing my assignment for my second due date.

In this memoir, I am grouping events, not chronologically, but by general subject matter. This is not a story about a dysfunctional family, but one of adventure and fun family events that are unique. So far, I am enjoying the process of reminiscing.

Primarily, I want to write this for my grown sons. While they have heard the stories many times, I feel it is important to put them in written form so they will be available long after I am gone. I wish I had such a legacy from my parents. While I am writing the memoir primarily for my kids, I hope to polish it for general publication.

Deadlines are what I needed, along with someone willing to be a taskmaster. (I mean that in the best sense.) Perhaps you have the same need. I wish you luck and would love to hear your experiences with such a structure. You can relate those experiences either by commenting here or writing me personally at carol@bycarolfertig.com  

Using the Internet to Promote Your Writing

Several years ago, I attended a session at Lighthouse Writer's Workshop that consisted of a panel of five literary agents from New York. They discussed what they look for in writers, how to approach an agent, and the importance of establishing an Internet presence long before engaging an agent. In this post are suggestions for establishing your own professional presence on the Internet.

Whether you’re prospecting for writing jobs or you want to promote a book you’ve already written, an Internet presence is essential. This presence may take the form of a website, a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter handle, or a combination of these.

Make certain that you spend most of your time actually writing, rather than promoting yourself. There is a fine line to walk if both are to be done appropriately.

Pictures Add Interest. Whether creating a Facebook, Blog, or Twitter post, a picture will add interest and catch the reader’s attention. There are free illustrations and photos available on Google Images, but you may run into copyright issues. You can always post a photo you have taken (get creative with these), or you can purchase from an inexpensive online stock photo agency such as Deposit Photos, Photo Spin, or Fotolia.  

Websites

A website is your online business card. It is a place to show what is important to you. If you are publishing a book, it is especially helpful to create a website.

Visit other writer’s websites to determine what you like and don’t like. Be sure and include your bio and contact information posted in a prominent place.

Purchase a domain name from a website such as https://www.godaddy.com. The domain name should cost about $10-15/year. You can either pay for hosting or get hosting free from a service such as Google Sites. If you choose to purchase hosting, expect to pay less than $10/month.

Blogs

There are several free sites where you can establish a blog. As of this writing, WordPress seems to be the go to site. 

Blogs can be used for a variety of purposes.

• Establish yourself as an expert on a topic. Focus on one or two topics to build a community of people with your same interest(s). This approach may also lead to paid writing jobs. Publishers who are looking for an expert in a specific area may find your blog and approach you. 
• Provide a place to practice your writing skills on a regular basis.
• Get your name out there. Do not write pieces that you hope will earn you money; instead, write about related topics. Offer quizzes, Q&A’s, giveaways, and notes about your ongoing research.

Your blog should be specific, clear, and detailed. A blog post is often most effective if you start with a hook to “capture” the reader. Tell a story that will help the reader identify with the content you plan to write. Incorporate the senses so the reader can picture the scene you are setting.

Possible topics for your blog.

• An occasion—something that you’ve recently done or witnessed.
• An idea—a thought, observation, or rant
• A review—a product you’ve used, a show or exhibit you attended, or book you read
• A quiz, top ten list, or other game. Engage the reader by asking questions and providing a comment area for the reader to answer.
• Posts with titles such as “The Top Ten Ways to …….” are often popular.

Make certain that there is an easy way to contact you through your blog. Your email address should be clearly visible.

If you decide to use WordPress, consider downloading the Yoast SEO (search engine optimization) plugin at https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/ to help the Google search engine more easily find your posts.

Facebook

Create a page on Facebook where you share professional information—not personal information. Include posts about your current writing projects, share writing techniques and tips, include links to informative articles about writing, etc.

There are several Internet sites with instructions about setting up your site. Here are a few.

•  http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-set-up-a-facebook-page-for-business/
•  https://www.standoutbooks.com/professional-author-facebook-page/
• Discussion about whether to create a Facebook Profile or a Facebook Page https://janefriedman.com/5-reasons-use-facebook-profiles/

 

Twitter

Many agents, editors, magazines, and journals are on Twitter. Following their feeds is a great way to learn about what they are looking to publish. Additionally, Twitter can be used for networking with other writers.

Become an “expert” in one or two areas and tweet about those subjects. Write at least ten non-promotional tweets for every promotional one that you write.

As with all types of writing, make certain that you use a hook to grab the reader right away. Topics to consider tweeting about include books, workshops, classes and other material that have helped you be a better writer. Share about the process of writing and what has and hasn’t worked for you.

If you have written a book, include a link to your book in your Twitter bio.

Tools to help you be more efficient on Twitter:

• Use a free service such as https://www.socialoomph.com to schedule tweets or Facebook posts automatically.
• Use a link shortening website such as http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url or https://bitly.com so you have more room to write.
• Make your tweets easier to discover by using hashtags. See http://techforluddites.com/the-twitter-hashtag-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-use-it/ for a basic tutorial.
• If you like someone else’s tweet, you can retweet it to your followers. See instructions at https://support.twitter.com/articles/20169873

(Much of the information provided in this blog post is from a class I recently took at Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop https://lighthousewriters.org, taught by Jenny Shank. Some of the information is my own.)

A New Blog for a New Age

A month ago I turned 70. I realize that many people enter a period of decline at this age. Even if I do well, many of my friends will not. Everything I read about the aging process is doom and gloom, painting the worst possible scenarios that older people must endure. I do not see an established vehicle for individuals to openly discuss what it is like to move through the final decades of life. I imagine that, just like any time period, there are positives and negatives.

I have many thoughts about this stage of being, yet think it unwise to talk too much about the subject to my friends and relatives. I am convinced those are not conversations they want to hear over and over again. My solution has been to start a blog about aging after 70. The blog has been up and running since just before my birthday.

The idea for the blog came to me after reading the book Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Americanah is about a Nigerian who comes to the United States. Among other things, she writes an anonymous blog about the interactions of our African-American population with Caucasians—all from a Nigerian’s point-of-view. There are two things I liked about the character’s blog: the anonymity and the fact that she was brutally honest about her observations.

My new blog is also anonymous. I have told those who are close to me that the blog is up and running, but I have told no one how to find it. While they know the general subject manner, they do not know the title or the platform I am using. The blog is written under a pseudonym, which is quite liberating. I am free to chronicle my aging experience without worrying about embarrassing others or myself. I also want to be brutally honest in a way that would not be comfortable if people knew I was the author. I have not been able to find anything else on the Internet with the approach I have chosen. My intent is to describe what it’s like to age physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Friends have asked, “Why not just journal in private?” I want to give others the opportunity to see what goes through the head of at least one aging individual. I am also hoping that, in time, the blog will start a discussion amongst people, validate their own feelings and provide better understanding for those who are younger.

I wonder if you’ll be able to find my blog with the hints I have provided. Of course, if you do, I will deny that I am the author.

Organizing My Notes

I literally have boxes of notes related to my writing. These include old journals, slips of paper with ideas for themes, titles, characters, and story lines, along with pages of writing I have done for parts of a memoir and snippets of already written stories to weave into a novel. I am in the process of organizing all of this material into file folders, hoping that by doing so, I can figure out the best way to present the material in written form.

Rereading my old journals is the most difficult part. I used to sit in bed and write with a spiral notebook and pen, just before nodding off. I would allow myself about 15 minutes to do so. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I was never able to adhere to my self-imposed schedule. Usually, I wrote in my journal during difficult periods of my life. The process was a cathartic experience and often helped me to work out problems I was having at the time. Usually the 15 minutes I had allowed would morph into an hour or more. Finally, I had to stop because I wasn’t getting enough sleep. Now, when I read those journal entries, I find that they tear away at my heart. Those were difficult emotional times and I am reliving the experiences through the writing. This often leaves me feeling depressed. That’s the downside. The upside is that I realize it is actually good writing if it is able to upset me so much. I truly captured the feeling at the time. These emotions just might be good enough to insert into a piece of fiction. (I am not honest enough to put them into a memoir, as I don’t want to admit to some of the troubles I encountered.) When writing a novel, I think it would be difficult to evoke real emotion if one is not experiencing it at the time. Having these journal entries could be a real asset when creating a larger work.

One of my biggest writing problems is the quantity of ideas I have and material I have already created. I can’t seem to get my arms around it to put it into a meaningful form. I would love to hear how others have tackled the same problem.

I have a real need to write. Each morning I start by sending emails to friends and relatives. It’s a routine, much like brushing my teeth. The day is not complete without it. I start, meaning to just write a line or two, soon finding that I’ve written a much longer letter than intended. I would like to be able to take my love of writing and actually create a larger, more singular product.

Writer’s block is not my problem. Creating something meaningful with my writing is a problem. I am so inspired by the workshops that I attend at Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, yet I have not found one workshop that addresses my problem. I would appreciate some help.

For now, I will continue organizing my notes, hoping that it will eventually all fall into place.