NLmarch2008

I am easily eaten up by my teaching career these days. I spend countless hours happily instructing how to dissect literature and craft fresh prose. All this teaching takes time away from my own writing. Thus I’ve registered for Grub Street’s 7th annual Muse & the Marketplace literary conference in beautiful Back Bay Boston. Besides a plethora of workshops on different aspects of the writing craft, they offer a Manuscript Mart where you can have a one-on-one session with the agent or editor of your choice (from the attendees). This means I’m brushing up on the pitch, synopsis, and sample chapters of my novel. Another exciting offering is the Agent Idol workshop. They have three agents and/or editors play the judges and a professional actor will perform the first page of your novel. The judges then will raise their hands when they hear a line that would make them stop reading your first page. The actor will keep reading until all three judges raise their hands. The judges will then explain why they would stop reading and offer suggestions to the anonymous author. If none of the judges raise their hands then they will explain why the opening page worked so well. I don’t know if I’ll partake in this exciting offering but it made me think.

We have been advised that the first page is where you hook the reader. This is not the place to set up the story or bombard the reader with backstory. Simply put, you hook the reader (agent or editor) into wanting to read further…to turn the page. What if you don’t know the hook of your story? Then you need to look at your plot and figure it out.

My hook: Navigating the political world of a college literary journal to achieve

publication proves a formidable endeavor to self-assured thirty-four-year-old

married mother turned student, Isa Hudson.

I will continue to carve a stellar hook before attending the conference. What is the hook of your story? How do you get it across on the first page? I will be striving hard to get this hook worked into page one of my novel. That means some of the information I thought pertinent to the story will have to be cut and possibly worked in later in the book. I will reiterate that page one is not to lay out the backstory or set up the story. Page one is where you hook the reader, agent, and editor into wanting more.

I am off to work on my first page and hook. I challenge you to examine your first page and hone it into a stellar piece of literature. Perhaps, my success with flash fiction, one page stories, will aid me in seeing things in this light. I’ll keep you posted on my progression.

Trish Hopkins is a professional writer, creative writing instructor, and speaker at www.trishhopkins.com

Writing is an art, but writing as a way to make a living is a business. Even if we deny this truth during the rest of the year, tax season serves as an annual reminder! Writers are the sort of people who live with passion and creativity. In short, we're dreamers, which can be a wonderful personality trait—until it gets in the way of doing. If you dream of editors calling you and having more work than you can handle, you must be willing to do both the art and the business of freelancing.

Here are some tips to help you become a successful freelancer, whether part-time or full-time.

Learn all you can about home-based businesses and freelance writing. Read books, scour the Internet, go to seminars, subscribe to magazines and newsletters (like this one!), and join writing groups (online or in person). Get to know other writers, especially those who freelance full time. Hearing their stories from the trenches will give you a better idea of what you're in for and if it's really what you want to do. C. Hope Clark's fabulous newsletter, Funds For Writers (fundsforwriters.com), is a great resource. The books that I found especially helpful were: Secrets of a Freelance Writer: How To Make $85,000 A Year by Robert W. Bly, The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman, and How To Start A Home-Based Writing Business by Lucy V. Parker. Of course, magazines like Writer's Digest and The Writer should be a staple in every writer's mailbox.

Pick a niche. What kind of writing will you specialize in? It may be obvious from your day job experience; for example, if you work in the business world, you're already qualified to specialize in business writing. Or, you might have a hobby or another passion that qualifies you to write about it, whether crafts or building airplanes. Picking a specialty will open doors to the writing world, and will likely provide the means for getting your first published clips.

Set up a sole proprietorship. "Officially" setting up a business has benefited my freelancing career over and over again. Because writing doesn't involve inventory, all I had to do in my city was submit a Statement of Home Occupation. You'll have to check the requirements in your city and state, but in Wisconsin, freelance writers don't need a business registration or state permit. A ten-minute phone call to city hall and returning one form through the mail allows me to say, "I have a freelance writing business." That catches people's attention, and they always want to know more. If you take yourself seriously, others will too.

Act like you have a business. The next step is to create business cards. It's easy to do with Microsoft Publisher, or you can have them printed at a copy center like Kinko's or Office Max. Carry a few at all times and hand them out whenever the opportunity comes up. It will make you feel like a professional, and will delight the people you give them to who have likely never encountered a serious, self-employed writer before.

Get a business phone number and business bank account. I use my cell phone as my business phone. I don't claim it as a business expense since it gets a lot of personal use too. The greater reason is to have a portable, business-sounding voice mail. Mine starts with, "You've reached Abby Plambeck, freelance writer…" This simple phrase has resulted in non-writer callers wanting to know more about my writing, and it sounds professional when editors call.

Develop a website. In this age of Internet obsession, a website is what separates serious writers from the rest of the crowd. An added bonus: It saves on postage. When querying, it's permissible to refer editors to your website for your published clips instead of sending a thick envelope through the mail, especially if you can link to the original articles. There are also user-friendly website development packages, like from Register.com, for those of us who don't know programming language from Sanskrit.

Update your resume and post it on your website. A current resume will make you feel and look professional. It's especially helpful if you're just starting out and don't have many published clips. Any writing you’ve done in your day job can qualify you as a writer, especially if you've chosen that area as your specialty.

Being a successful part-time or full-time writer is within your reach if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and treat it like a business. There’s a proper time and place for everything though, and you must decide what your dream is and what level of commitment is right during this stage of your life. As Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Abby Plambeck is a freelance writer in Milwaukee, WI. As a former nurse, she specializes in health writing, but has lately also begun to dabble in fiction and auto finance. Visit her website at http://www.abbyplambeck.com/.

A single wolf, pads quietly through the forest undergrowth. He is stealth embodied, the perfect predator. He senses a deer up ahead by a stream and moves in for the kill. It’s been several days since he has eaten. He is getting tired and worn down. At first glance, the wolf is dark and beautiful but upon closer examination you see his coat is blotchy and he shows signs of malnourishment. To survive the next few weeks he desperately needs this deer.

The deer however is fast and lithe with sharp horns. Years of evasive tricks and generations have made this deer the perfect prey. The lone wolf knows that he cannot catch the deer alone and in despair moves on, hoping to come across a rabbit or something smaller to tide him over until tomorrow.

On the complete flip side of that a pack of wolves pads up the other side of the stream, downwind and deadly. They move in unison and many of them circle around the unaware deer. Two large wolves burst from the trees with a ferocious display. Instinctively the deer wheels around and races off into the waiting jaws of the trap.

I use this graphic imagery to illustrate a very interesting point. We as artist and writers are like the wolves not the deer. The publishers are the deer with years of tactics and evolution of the publishing market to outdistance, evade and impale the wolves. In the wild, a single wolf has little hope of long-term survival. Alpha males of an established pack know this and banish younger rival males before they can become a threat. Knowing they most likely won’t survive. Just like the wolves, writers and artist on their own very rarely survive, or prosper. Let’s face it you can read your own stuff out loud a thousand times but you’ll still miss tons of things that will allow the publishers to slip away. Gaps in your publisher trap. When chasing a deer, it will take any out you give.

Joining a group of writers and artists is the best way to hone your work into the perfect predator. Also, you will be able to get positive rejections with peers and friends that will soften the blow from the horns of the stag later. Running with the pack has many benefits but one of the best is motivation. If you know you have a peer review coming up next week on your next chapter … you should probably write it ‘eh? That forcing of a deadline is always good for progress. Talking to others throughout the week will help keep you focused on the goal. It is far to easy to get caught up in day-to-day life and tell ourselves that tomorrow I will write that next chapter, only tomorrow comes and goes and we just barely made it. Writing groups can help motivate us and give the support we need to keep going.

The best part of writing groups is the group success. When one of you succeeds, you all do in a small way. If nothing more than with the idea that your on the right track as a group. Even if you were the one who scared the deer and not actually brought it down you still get to eat. This is not new information, in fact, this is pretty old and many of you have been doing this for years.

Here’s an Idea that I want you to consider. In a wolf pack, the alpha male determines where the pack will hunt and how long they will hunt. It in many ways determines the pecking order of the pack and chooses the Alpha female. If the alpha male is an experienced wolf with good skills and a clear idea of what it takes to run a pack, then you can bet the other wolves will prosper from the food they bring in and gain the alphas experience. In times to come, if they run pack of their own they can be assured of success. On the other side if the alpha male is inexperienced with poor skills then the pack will suffer and eventually die out. How many writing groups start with the best intentions then die out because despite everyone’s ideas and best intentions nobody really knows what their doing?

I have been involved in college art groups and in writing groups but in all of them the members went their own ways because the leaders really had nothing to offer. The only real benefit of continuing the group was being able to hang out with your friends on a Thursday night at a local coffee shop and talk about art or literature. So where do you find that kind of leadership?

You can find it in colleges where professors (who are ex-published writers/ illustrators) attend the group. You can join an online group that is chalk full of experienced people who are doing what you want to be.

I just joined SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. On the discussion boards alone I’ve learned more about the publishing world than I ever thought possible in one place. They have support centers and writing /illustrating workshops, opportunities to meet agents and chances to shine. The idea is now I am running with a very experienced pack. Many of these people are industry giants or soon to be. If I can use even a third of what this place has to offer I’m sure to make my dreams of being a full-time illustrator come true.

SCBWI is a group for children’s books but there are similar sites for adult fiction and novelist as well. What’s the catch you say? It cost me $75 to join. That could be considered quite expensive unless you compare it to the latest version of the publishers guide. How much would you spend on an opportunity to meet people in your field that are getting paid to be where you want to be? The cost then becomes pretty negligible compared to how much experience you will gain from running with the right pack. Be sure to research any group you want to attend. Find out how many successful people are in the group. Remember they should be helping you as much or more than you’re helping them. Good luck and happy hunting.

Aaron Hopkins is an artist, children's book illustrator, art instructor, and founder of Pigmi entertainment www.pigmientertainment.homestead.com. If you are looking for art, illustration, logos, photo editing, or Flash animation, he is the go-to guy.

Travel Guide:

Hi Starla, I am writing a story about a woman battling a weight problem who goes on a cruise. What is the food offerings like on an average cruise? - Kitty

Hi Kitty, I've been on many cruises and found they offer an all you can eat buffet. My husband loves this because he can eat 24 hours a day if he wants to. This could prove to be hard for your character battling her weight. The fresh, delicious food is hard to resist and for some travelers the pinnacle of the cruise. Good luck with your story. - Starla

Starla Confer is a travel agent and avid reader.

You can find out more at http://www.starlitetravelservices.com/index.html

Writing Tip:

Whether you’re a full-time writer or an aspiring occasional author (or somewhere in between), do one thing this week that makes you feel more professional. Create business cards, update your resume, or boldly tell a stranger that you’re a professional writer. Even if you’re still looking for your first sale, if you regularly put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, you’re a writer! Abby Plambeck Writing Prompt :

Rewrite your first page of your novel to include the hook you've honed. Have five people readyour first page and see if they want to read more.Trish Hopkins

Your Thoughts ForumPlease feel free to send in any comments, questions, or articles you have for us regarding this newsletter or writing. We will be happy to answer your questions as quickly as possible and may even put them in the next newsletter. Also, send in any story starts you might like to share that blossomed from the writing prompt and we might put them in the next newsletter or on the website www.trishhopkins.com. This newsletter is for your benefit and we want all the readers to be interactive with us. Send your questions, comments, and ideas to stellarsensibility@msn.com

Looking For Writing Contests

If you have written your masterpiece and now are looking for a market or contest to put it, the best place to look is FundsforWriters, www.fundsforwriters.com. Hope Clark not only has four newsletters full of contests and such, but the articles she publishes are most illuminating! You have so much to gain by letting Hope Clark into your inbox each week, so go sign up today!

Ebooks

If you are looking for quality ebooks on writing then check out the line by Hope Clark. You will find them showcased on my website at http://www.trishhopkins.com/FictionWorkshop.html. I have bought many of them and just think they are must haves for the serious writer!

Need a life coach? As a writer, life coach and educator Tracy Carreon is committed to creating products and programs that inspire people to expand self-awareness, deepen experience, and envision, choose and create the life they desire - to embrace a "self-authored" life www.invisionlife.com. She has the answers for people who are looking to find their dream town www.yourdreamtown.com.

Shopping

By the Sea ~ Brunswick, Maine

Join the Winters family as they embark on a whimsical adventure following childhood dreams. From California to Maine, journey with your friends Nick, Annie, and their folks to a new home. Discover the new people and places that their father left behind from his childhood in Brunswick, Maine. Included are paper dolls and Maine fun facts for hours of enjoyment.

48 pgs, 8.50" x 11.00" Full Color, ISBN: 978-1-4303-0345-9 $20.00 Purchase your copy now at http://www.lulu.com/content/438243

Online Mall

In a hurry? No time to beat the rush at your local mall? Shop at your leisure from your computer desk at my mini mall. I have a plethora of stores to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. You have plenty of variety with Wal-Mart, Monterey Bay Clothing, Toys R Us, K B Toys, Hickory Farms, Things Remembered, Linen and Things, Hilo Hattie Hawaiian, Sharper Image, and Extreme Geek to name a few. Also, make it special with gifts purchased from Personal Creations and Personalizations Mall. This is the most convenient, fun, and safe way to shop.

Check it out today! http://www.trishhopkins.com/favoritelinks.html

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