I went to get my hair cut on Saturday, at a new place. I was the first customer, and probably the only cut of the day since the hairdresser was booked all afternoon for school dance ‘hair dos’.
So why was that a problem? Her scissors were sharp. Her need to create was yearning for a target. She sheared my head like an onion…one with roots sticking out.
Upon seeing the results of her work, the hairdresser whipped out…I know, bad choice of words, because by this time I was ready to run out screaming. Anyway, she pulled out a new product. A very sticky substance, [good for gluing hair back on my head?] one that could give me a brave new style…
What does this have to do with writing? Isn’t this what we do when our stories don’t hang together? We stick in extras …conflict, motivation, characters…the list is endless. And then we get that familiar rejection letter. “Thanks, but this isn’t for us.” Sound familiar?
Then you know why this book jumped off the bookstore shelf and right into my hands…
NAME OF BOOK: Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us.
A [sort of] Compassionate Guide To Why Your Writing Is Being Rejected, by Jessica Page Morrell.
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: The title.
LEARNED: Excellent tips.
WAS IT HELPFUL: [1] for-Routine up to [5] for-Ah ha Moment
I’ll give this book a 5.
COLOR CODING: [underlined in a different color each time I’ve read it] [1] a New Book [5] Trying to master
[1] New…with numerous sticky tabs already.
TAKE AWAY: Keep this book close. Read often.
Have you read this book? What was your response?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Publishing Myths
In my home town, every year we have what’s called, “The Perth Writers Festival.” A fun day out, for writers and readers alike to talk books, writing, and the publishing industry. It takes place at the University of Western Australia over four days, encompassing a weekend that consists of a myriad of workshops, book launches, readings and talks by authors of all genres and publishers alike. Basically it’s my nirvana.
On Friday, I spent the full day there navigating the nuts and bolts of the Australian publishing industry and found many little gems along the way. I also discovered the truth about a myth that people, not just writers, believe about this industry.
“Knowing people in publishing will get you published.”
The old adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
Yeah, it doesn’t work.
Okay, it might help. Perhaps it’ll get you out of the slush pile or a quicker response/rejection but that’s about it. Nobody publishes anybody who’s not as good as they say they are on paper.
I was fortunate enough to meet Garth Nix, an Australian young adult fantasy writer who has sold more than five million copies of his books around the world. The interesting thing about his C.V is that he’s worked as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, an editor, and literary agent before finally deciding to scrap all that and be a full-time writer. None of his contacts however, got him published. He still needed to find his own agent, work out the right door for his work and suffer countless rejection letters and personal doubt.
I thought this was incredibly interesting and strangely buoying. It’s good to know that nobody gets a free ride even the people you think probably would.
What do you think?
Friday, February 26, 2010
A FINE LINE
There’s a lot of discussion about the value of a critique group. Those who don’t favor the idea ask: “Do you really want your work critiqued by a bunch of amateurs?” Other familiar questions are: “Are you willing to submit unfinished work for someone to pick holes in?” “Won’t that nip in the bud any spontaneity it might have?” “Is there a risk of turning out something that reads like a book by committee - a book that has nothing wrong with it, but which is completely lacking freshness or originality?” All are valid observations, but . . .
On the other side of the fence are those who insist they need all the help they can get before they subject their manuscript to the scrutiny of an agent or an editor. A fresh set of eyes can spot weaknesses you, as the writer, are too close to see. They can point out gaps that are not apparent because you, as the creator, know the back-story. And they can tell you when you’ve added too much back-story and need to let the reader have the fun of using his imagination.
Both arguments have merit. In the end, it depends on the individual writer – and the group.
I had the good fortune to meet a wonderful group of writers when I was writing my first book. In addition to the writing advice I received from these people was the unexpected bonus that came with having to meet a deadline. We met every two weeks and knowing that I needed something to submit imposed a discipline I had been lacking. And discipline is a huge part of writing. But the real value of the group came from the feeling of being part of a fellowship of kindred spirits. In that group, I was first and foremost a writer. Writing was not something I did in addition to my real life. I believe this is vitally important, especially to someone just starting out. You have to learn to think of yourself as a writer, to make time to write, not merely find time.
When I said I was lucky in my first experience with a critique group, what I meant most of all is that I was fortunate to fall in with the right people. Though we were a diverse group and were each writing a different type of book, we were all at about the same level of competence. We analyzed and advised, but not too much. Often there was agreement that something wasn’t working, but disagreement about how it could be made to work. I found that a good thing. It told me that I needed a new direction, but left me free to find my own path. Perhaps most important, we treated one another with respect. Enough respect that we did not give false praise. We were honest in our criticism, but not so critical that we were crippling. There’s a fine line there–but an important one.
How about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Taxes and the Writer
Okay, I admit it, I despise tax season. It's the time of year that I do the most procrastinating. I find every excuse imaginable to keep from pulling out a year's worth of receipts, sit down and get all the little papers organized in their individual stacks, ready to take to the accountant. I'd use one of the new tax programs, but I'm so paranoid that I'm afraid 'Big Brother' will reach through my computer, put me in the audit interrogation room and then sentence me to forever wander through a maze of papers, never to find my way out again.
If you're like me, you're probably beside yourself wondering what you can deduct against your writing income. What does the Internal Revenue Service allow? What deductions send up a red flag, and will you be audited?
Every year, I depend on my trusty tax accountant to make sure I don't put a huge scowl on the IRS face. I'm no tax expert, but beyond travel, meals, and home office, postage, membership, etc. here are a few things I've learned along the way:
1. Keep business records, either on an accounting software program or on spreadsheets.
2. Maintain a separate checking account for transactions related to writing. (This not only proves business intent, but will make it easier to track income and expenses.)
3. Attend classes and conferences to improve your skills. (save those receipts)
4. Advertise, network, and keep a journal of these activities. (I use a spiral-bound desk calendar)
5. If you plan to deduct vehicle expenses, keep a mileage log.
6. If you bundle with a cable service (telephone, cable and internet), ask your provider to send you a cost break-down so you'll know how the exact amount of your monthly business related internet/phone service.
This is, of course, a mere puddle in a very complex subject. Unless you are a tax pro, be safe and consult a tax expert. April 15th is looming.
www.lorettacrogersbooks.com
If you're like me, you're probably beside yourself wondering what you can deduct against your writing income. What does the Internal Revenue Service allow? What deductions send up a red flag, and will you be audited?
Every year, I depend on my trusty tax accountant to make sure I don't put a huge scowl on the IRS face. I'm no tax expert, but beyond travel, meals, and home office, postage, membership, etc. here are a few things I've learned along the way:
1. Keep business records, either on an accounting software program or on spreadsheets.
2. Maintain a separate checking account for transactions related to writing. (This not only proves business intent, but will make it easier to track income and expenses.)
3. Attend classes and conferences to improve your skills. (save those receipts)
4. Advertise, network, and keep a journal of these activities. (I use a spiral-bound desk calendar)
5. If you plan to deduct vehicle expenses, keep a mileage log.
6. If you bundle with a cable service (telephone, cable and internet), ask your provider to send you a cost break-down so you'll know how the exact amount of your monthly business related internet/phone service.
This is, of course, a mere puddle in a very complex subject. Unless you are a tax pro, be safe and consult a tax expert. April 15th is looming.
www.lorettacrogersbooks.com
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Cheese Experiment
Have you ever made cheese fondue? I once watched it all go wrong: Many years ago, a friend tried to make cheese fondue for her New Year Party. She bought several kinds of cheese, rubbed a garlic clove over every inch of the pot's insides, then melted the cheeses and added the necessary amount of white wine and Kirsch plus spices, but . . . for reasons we still don't grasp, in the end, she had a sort of chewy rubber ball big enough to hold with two hands. It was great to defend yourself against thieves or other unwanted intruders but in no way edible. After having watched her embarrassement, I decided to stick to the ready made version for the rest of my life.
You can buy it ready-made in the supermarket here in Germany (only in winter, though), and it's dead easy because you just have to heat it up. At home, we eat it with bread, cut into little pieces, and brussels sprouts. I think the brussels sprouts are a Boeker invention because my husbands likes to experiment with food . . . at least, I've never met anybody else who eats cheese fondue with brussel sprouts. We love it that way.
Well, last week, my day job took me to Switzerland. To my delight, I was informed that we would go out and eat a traditional Swiss cheese fondue. The journey to Switzerland was uneventful . . . the inch of snow didn't deter us, the bomb alarm in the other terminal of our airport delayed us only twenty minutes or so, and we managed without the two people whose flights from Paris and Munich were cancelled because they were snowed in. So we came to this rustic restaurant high above the Zuericher lake and were seated in a so-called "Waschhuesli" which means "little washing house". A historic building, it still had the huge chimney (unused, unfortunately), some iron pipes with tabs, and no electricity. Our group of nine people filled the small house, seated around a large square table. With relief, I noted the four electrical heaters in every corner that were connected with big cords to an outside power source. Candles were lit, and it was wildly romantic, if a bit cold for those who weren't close to the heaters. As I tend to freeze easily, I had chosen a strategic place right next to a heater and was comfy enough.
The usual jokes were made . . . you might have heard that the Swiss used to have a rather drastic attitude about their fondue . . . if you lost a piece of bread in the cheese, you were hit with a stick, if you did it again, whipped, and if it happened a third time, you were drowned in the lake closest at hand with something heavy (cold cheese fondue?) bound to your legs--or so the legend goes. I'm glad to report that things are much more civilized now.
In general, you share one large bowl of cheese on a rechaud. A rechaud is an iron structure with a small fire-light underneath. You also get a thin, extra long fork to dip your piece of bread into the cheese, so I was eyeing the big table with some misgiving because I wondered how I might reach the cheese from my strategic place in the corner. Maybe my strategy had not worked out quite in the right way. Would I have to get up every time I wanted to have another bite? What an awful thought. I had come to eat, not to be sportive.
We got the menus and were told to choose our fondue. I blinked. I had no idea that you could choose a fondue. I mean, it's a fondue, right? What's there to choose? Wrong, Beate, wrong. First, you can make cheese fondue with all different kinds of cheese. Appenzeller cheese, blue mold cheese, mozzarella cheese . . . you name it. Then, you can have different cheese blends, which multiplies the possiblities. Next, you can put all kinds of spices and other ingredients inside. The group fell silent as we looked, dumbfounded, at the choice of fondues on the menu. For minutes, the only sound left in the Waschuesli was the hissing of the electric heaters. I worked my way through the fondues on offer and finally chose one with dried apple pieces inside as I like the combination of fruit with cheese. I was also tempted by the so-called stable fondue with tomatoes. A colleague took that, and her fondue turned out to be rose-colored. The bull fondue had green pepper, cayenne pepper, and mustard, then there was one with mushrooms, one with spicy chillies, one with bacon . . . fifteen different fondues!
We placed our orders. To my relief, everybody got their very owl bowl of fondue, so no hopping up from our seats was required. We also got one little basket with bread each, folded inside a white napkin, and last, the charming waitress placed a little hand-stitched fabric bag with a pretty Edelweiss design next to my seat and said. "The potatoes. Pass them on." I opened the little bag with caution and found hot potatoes inside. Small and round, with their scrubbed skin still intact. I fished out three and passed on the bag as instructed. I've never been given hot potatoes in a bag, and I bet none of the others had. I found it delightful, but, it being a business meeting, we all pretended to be cool and sophisticated about it. That was the moment when I decided I would tell you all about my delightful cheese fondue experience in Switzerland. I have to run now and eat some cheese, but do tell me about your cheese experiences!
You can buy it ready-made in the supermarket here in Germany (only in winter, though), and it's dead easy because you just have to heat it up. At home, we eat it with bread, cut into little pieces, and brussels sprouts. I think the brussels sprouts are a Boeker invention because my husbands likes to experiment with food . . . at least, I've never met anybody else who eats cheese fondue with brussel sprouts. We love it that way.
Well, last week, my day job took me to Switzerland. To my delight, I was informed that we would go out and eat a traditional Swiss cheese fondue. The journey to Switzerland was uneventful . . . the inch of snow didn't deter us, the bomb alarm in the other terminal of our airport delayed us only twenty minutes or so, and we managed without the two people whose flights from Paris and Munich were cancelled because they were snowed in. So we came to this rustic restaurant high above the Zuericher lake and were seated in a so-called "Waschhuesli" which means "little washing house". A historic building, it still had the huge chimney (unused, unfortunately), some iron pipes with tabs, and no electricity. Our group of nine people filled the small house, seated around a large square table. With relief, I noted the four electrical heaters in every corner that were connected with big cords to an outside power source. Candles were lit, and it was wildly romantic, if a bit cold for those who weren't close to the heaters. As I tend to freeze easily, I had chosen a strategic place right next to a heater and was comfy enough.
The usual jokes were made . . . you might have heard that the Swiss used to have a rather drastic attitude about their fondue . . . if you lost a piece of bread in the cheese, you were hit with a stick, if you did it again, whipped, and if it happened a third time, you were drowned in the lake closest at hand with something heavy (cold cheese fondue?) bound to your legs--or so the legend goes. I'm glad to report that things are much more civilized now.
In general, you share one large bowl of cheese on a rechaud. A rechaud is an iron structure with a small fire-light underneath. You also get a thin, extra long fork to dip your piece of bread into the cheese, so I was eyeing the big table with some misgiving because I wondered how I might reach the cheese from my strategic place in the corner. Maybe my strategy had not worked out quite in the right way. Would I have to get up every time I wanted to have another bite? What an awful thought. I had come to eat, not to be sportive.
We got the menus and were told to choose our fondue. I blinked. I had no idea that you could choose a fondue. I mean, it's a fondue, right? What's there to choose? Wrong, Beate, wrong. First, you can make cheese fondue with all different kinds of cheese. Appenzeller cheese, blue mold cheese, mozzarella cheese . . . you name it. Then, you can have different cheese blends, which multiplies the possiblities. Next, you can put all kinds of spices and other ingredients inside. The group fell silent as we looked, dumbfounded, at the choice of fondues on the menu. For minutes, the only sound left in the Waschuesli was the hissing of the electric heaters. I worked my way through the fondues on offer and finally chose one with dried apple pieces inside as I like the combination of fruit with cheese. I was also tempted by the so-called stable fondue with tomatoes. A colleague took that, and her fondue turned out to be rose-colored. The bull fondue had green pepper, cayenne pepper, and mustard, then there was one with mushrooms, one with spicy chillies, one with bacon . . . fifteen different fondues!
We placed our orders. To my relief, everybody got their very owl bowl of fondue, so no hopping up from our seats was required. We also got one little basket with bread each, folded inside a white napkin, and last, the charming waitress placed a little hand-stitched fabric bag with a pretty Edelweiss design next to my seat and said. "The potatoes. Pass them on." I opened the little bag with caution and found hot potatoes inside. Small and round, with their scrubbed skin still intact. I fished out three and passed on the bag as instructed. I've never been given hot potatoes in a bag, and I bet none of the others had. I found it delightful, but, it being a business meeting, we all pretended to be cool and sophisticated about it. That was the moment when I decided I would tell you all about my delightful cheese fondue experience in Switzerland. I have to run now and eat some cheese, but do tell me about your cheese experiences!
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