"If we shadows have offended, Think but this and all is mended, That you have but slumb'red here..."
~William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
I couldn't resist the above quote as I'm teaching A Midsummer Night's Dream at the moment. This play captures me up into the warm eternal feelings of summer. The characters are ripe with quirks and motive. The play-within-the-play offers an extended metaphor. Best of all I feel like I've entered a fantastic dream.
I had a marvelous time at Grub Street’s Muse & the Marketplace literary conference last weekend. Boston favored me with a sunny day on my way into the swanky Omni Parker House Hotel. This hotel is laced with marble and decked out with comfy gold settees. I imagine the hotel as a well bred woman dripping in crystal chandeliers. The setting ripe with wisdom and possibilities gave flight to the inner muse.
The Alcott Lobby at the mezzanine level held a breakfast bar where agents, editors, publishers, and writers (both published and aspiring) chatted over croissants, almond encrusted pastries with the hope for learning more about craft. The agents, editors, publishers, and guest authors provided an earthy and hip treasure trove of insider information. This conference equaled more than the price tag attached to it. I’m very happy that I registered the first day as the entire weekend sold out fast.
First thing that morning I met with a fabulous literary agent, Janet Reid, who shoots from the hip. She proved to be the toughest judge in Agent Idol but I’m glad I chose her for my manuscript critique. In the twenty minutes we hashed over my first 20 pages of Lit Mag I realized this might just be the novel that comes after the first one, two or three that get published. I presented the fact that this novel does not define my writing voice and that there is much more to me. I also learned the strengths and flaws of the piece I presented her. Over the course of the conference I understood that my finished novel will take on a second life as a contestant. There are numerous contests that my novel can compete in and win (the secret of positive visualization is at work here).
More about the Agent Idol I mentioned above. Now I’ve heard of American Idol but don’t watch. The thought of auditioning the first page of a novel sounded intriguing. I forgot to bring an extra first page but I watched others compete. There were no winners or losers. Everyone involved gained new perspectives on the insider’s opinions on craft. Each of those 250 words had to count! Three agents or editors sat as judges while an actress read the pages. When the agent or editor heard something that would make them stop reading the submission they’d raise a hand. After two hands were raised they would explain why it didn’t work for them (and I stress them). A few pages made it through without any hands being raised and the agents or editors gave the reasons they liked the writing. Overall, this provided a glimpse into why a hook in the first sentence, paragraph, and page is so crucial.
I enjoyed the elegant lunch served at the Rooftop restaurant on the 15th floor of the hotel. I had the opportunity to mingle with other writers and make connections. Prior to going I remembered Abby’s reluctance to have lunch at a conference. On the way out of the seminar on promotion a lady asked if we could continue our conversation of craft over lunch. She filled the time with interesting stories on being a volunteer sponsor for writers with problems. Wow she proved interesting!
In the coming newsletters I will break down the aha moments I got from the seminars I attended. I gained valuable insights into craft and the marketplace. I definitely will attend the literary conference again next year and one day want to be on the presenter’s side of the table. I recommend that if you can break out of your comfort zone to attend a conference near you. Spring is the perfect time to learn and grow. I’m off to continue writing on my crime novel…
Trish Hopkins is a professional writer, creative writing instructor, and speaker at www.trishhopkins.com
How often have you thought “That’s a great idea for a novel!” Perhaps you’ve even started writing one—or two—or three. Many writers have uncompleted stories languishing in a drawer. If you’ve finished your novel, bravo! You’ve proven you have the patience, fortitude, determination, perseverance, stubbornness, and bullheadedness to keep returning to your keyboard or notebook until you could write “The End” and really mean it.
I’ve been working on my first novel for four years. Last spring, I thought it was finished except for minor tweaking. However, with the blessed clarity that comes after a year away (due to the appearance of my first child), I now realize I have a heck of a lot to revise. I just rewrote the first chapter…again. That poor chapter has been through the wringer of at least a dozen drafts, but each one has been a crucial step in the process of creating a marketable book and a story I still love. The latest draft doesn’t even resemble the same story as my first pitiful draft, but it pleases both me and reviewers the most so far, proving the effort and time have been worthwhile. It’s also shaped my revision plan for the rest of the book and has made the story come together in ways I never dreamed.
When I recently described my revision process to a friend, he said, “Wow. That doesn’t give me much hope for writing a novel since I don’t like to reread my writing.”
That got me thinking. What accounts for the difference between writers who “make it” and those who don’t? My friend is a wanna-be writer. He’s always eager to hear about my writing and how the publishing world works, but when he tried his hand at freelancing, he only wrote two articles before his enthusiasm petered out. The reason? Writing is hard work!
I think the key to writing success often boils down to the characteristics mentioned earlier: Patience, fortitude, determination, perseverance, stubbornness, and bullheadedness. Are you willing to stay in your chair when you’re bored out of your mind, when the words refuse to come, when no one is applauding your efforts? Do you love your characters enough to invest your life in theirs? Do you believe in your novel’s message enough to possibly spend years developing a story that will convince readers of its importance?
Telling a good story really can be as simple as returning to your desk over and over again, tweaking, rearranging, reinterpreting, and revising. During this process, your brain will make new connections, you’ll gain new insight, and your story will become better and better. Sometimes revising feels like mental constipation (pardon the description), but if you keep pushing, all of a sudden the story will burst forth so fast and powerfully that your pen won’t be able to keep up. It’s not about beating something old to death, but about finding new creativity. Ernest Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is crap.” If that’s true, then genius isn’t revealed in the writing, but rather in the revising!
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/.
Writing Prompt :
Take an old short story and give it a comb over. Then submit it to ten different writing contests.Trish Hopkins
Exciting News!Tracy Carreon has a new website to check out www.innerpoetry.com for those on the path of personal and spiritual evolution. Her new self-published spiritual novel, Into the Labyrinth, has recently been named a Silver Winner in the Nautilus Book Awards, and has moved on as a contender for the Gold Award. There's a link to the book on the Home page or you can find it by clicking on Products. Right now it's offered only at Lulu.com. 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.
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