Short Quotes from Short Stories on Thinking Big About Writing

I've been studying the art form that is the short story, and writing a few here and there throughout the summer months.  One of the books called "The Art and Craft of the Short Story" by Rick DeMarinis had some really good points in a section he calls The Essential Habit - A Pep Talk.  I'm going to share some with you:

"In order to write, you must write.  That's the Big Secret.  You've got to sit down at a given time every day and make sentences.  Even if you don't feel like it.  Especially if you don't feel like it."

"Don't make the mistake of thinking that you need more favorable circumstances, that you'll start writing when your life changes for the better, or when you retire."

"The problem is you're thinking of writing as a purely intelluectual process: exceptional ideas captured in deathless prose.  But in reality, the composition of fiction is more of a physical process.  You've got to put your hands on the keyboard, you've got to punch the keys with your determined fingers until words begin to collect."

The idea isn't new or original.  I've heard it said in similar ways from countless experienced authors.  However, it is nice to be given a reminder from time to time.  If you like what he has to say, go check out his book.

And then, use the nuggets of inspiriation you find to compose your own entry into the MMW Contest - there's only one week left.

That's your D.E.W assignment this week.  See you next Thrusday!

Drop Everything Now!...And Come Join Me...

I tried a little experiment last month, and came away with some positive results.  With the beautiful weather outside, and the myriad of summer happenings and commitments, as well as opportunities to travel, it seems like this is one of the worst times of year to get much serious writing done (Christmas time, for me, being #1 most difficult).  Instead of stressing myself too much about it, and falling into a phase of unproductive guilt-ridden creative stupor, I just allow writing to take a backseat.

However, by the middle of July, I was beginning to feel the compulsion to pick up a pen and write something!  There were a few summer writing contests I'd been meaning to enter, and maybe that was the perfect opportunity to work toward something.

I began to reflect on a practice the kids use at school called D.E.A.R.

It stands for Drop Everything And Read.

I changed the acronym to D.E.W. drop.

Or, in other words, Drop Everything & Write.  Just DROP it.  Because I'm an obsessive compulsive task manager/ multi-tasker (time to write, but first I need a snack - oh look, the fridge is dirty, better clean it first - we're out of rags, I better make some - look at this pile of mending I've been meaning to get to - where did the day go, and how come I got no writing done?:  Ever felt like that?).

So each week, I set a goal, I set a time, and I committed to a D.E.W drop.

It worked!  By the end of July, I had two polished short stories ready to submit to contests.  I feel like I actually accomplished something meaningful with my writing, even though I still came through on all my other summer priorities.

Here's my proposal:  Join me this August.  Here's what you do...

1. Pick a project: a contest, a short story, a WIP, a journal, blogging... that you've been meaning to get to.*

2. Set a goal: how many times per week, and how much time each session... and be reasonable!  Summer is busy and full of demands, and the more reasonable you're goal, the more likely you'll stick to it.  It also feels good to exceed you're goal, and inspires you to continue to work past it.

3. Whether it's MWF at 8am, or Saturday night at 9, when you're time comes, D.E.W. it!

4.  Report back here.  You can leave a simple comment, saying you met you're goal, or you can keep us up to date in detail.  Either way, the more people that participate, the more motivation to keep plugging along.

* If you're looking for project inspiration - consider this:  MMW (that's us!) is having a writing contest that runs through to the end of this month, with opportunities to win prizes and potential for publication.  For more details, stay tuned to our blog, and check out the contest link at the top.  We would really love to see all of your talent!

Each Thursday through the end of the month of August, I'm going to keep you up to date on my progress.  My goal right now is to begin my first round of revisions on the novel I finished in the spring.

I plan to set aside 30 minutes three times a week at the end of the day, around 9pm.

Check in next week, I fill you in, and tell me how you did with your D.E.W. drop!

Saturday So What: Shortcut To Get Published

How do you get published? This is one of those super obnoxious chicken and the egg type questions. In an effort to get a book published, authors often run into the wall of platform and previous works.
Agents and publishers want to know that you have an audience. That people like your work. That you actually already know how to write. You know, the stuff you put in that all important Bio part of the query letter.

 In other words to get published, you have to already be published.

There's always the slush pile. You can get picked out of inbox sitting on an editor or agents desk. It happened to me. This is one of those lightning striking kind of things though. Right place, right time, bottle ready to catch that lightning.

But there is another way grasshoppers. Take a shortcut and build up your credentials. Enter Contests, start a super popular blog, submit short stories and essays to magazines, find places on the web looking for content writers.


Today I'm going to plug the first shortcut: Contests.  One in particular. In case you've been living under a rock...
Mormon Mommy Writers blog is having a contest.
 We are looking for personal essays, short stories, poems,  haiku, limmericks (just kidding), but you get the idea. The subject pertains to the title of our blog. Mormons, Mommies, and Writers. Write about one or all. You don't even have to be a Mormon or a Mommy to enter. Just a writer. Winners and honorable mentions will be published in an anthology.


So enter hopeful writers. What do you have to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? A publication credit. Something to put on that bio section.

Good luck! For more contest info use the above link. Submissions must be received by July 31.

Yes, in case you were wondering, I am a judge. Feel free to try to brown nose by becoming a follower of my other blogs Finished being Fat and Heavens to Betsy!

Rev Your Engines...

So last year we did something we'd never done before. We held a contest for short stories based on the theme "Totally Cliche`". Then we went through the process of creating first an ebook (which is still available, by the way) and then a trade paperback of it (which is also still available). We showed you the sometimes complicated process, and hopefully it was as informative to you as it was to us. It was so much fun, we decided to do it again!!!
We learned a lot last year putting the book together. And we hope we can use that knowledge to make this year's book that much better. 
One thing we learned is that our theme last year was maybe too narrow, as was our submission window. So we've changed that. Our new theme is broader, and hopefully will include more of our readership. Our theme this year is (drum roll please......) 

 "Mormon" "Mommy" or "Writer". 

You can choose to write on ONE aspect or any combination of the three. Or include all three. 

And to add to the changes, we've decided to include not only fictional short stories of up to 4000 words, but personal essays (think "Chicken Soup" type stories), AND  poetry!!!! (Hopefully your poems aren't 4000 words.)

 The contest will be open June 1st to July 31st. So start prepping...rev your writing engines...

We'll share more details as the the time gets closer, but we wanted to let you know what was in the works. We're so excited to hold this new contest! It's gonna be GREAT!!!! But only if you submit. WE NEED YOUR SUBMISSIONS! DON'T BE SHY!!! Okay. Screaming done. :) 

Highs and Lows

I've been slowly but surely working my way through my manuscript for The Tyrant King, trying to make it the best I possibly can. Recently, kind of on a whim because I didn't expect to enter anything, I entered the first chapter in a contest that's part of the writing retreat I'm attending in November. This week, we found out the contest results.

As I read through the blog announcing the first, second and third place winners, I consoled myself with the thought that I hadn't expected to enter, and really hadn't expected to place either. I thought, if I'm going to enter the contest, I want to take a little more time on the chapter, tighten it up and make it "perfect" before I send it in. But, when the deadline came, I couldn't make time to work on it so I just sent in what I had. After all, it's what I submitted to the publisher in the spring--with a few minor changes since then.

Then I got an email detailing my placement in the contest and containing the judges' evaluations of my work.

I placed 5th.

I'm probably disproportionally proud of that achievement. But, to be honest, I'm ecstatic to have placed 5th. That's only two away from being a prize-winning piece. It's pretty cool for me--as long as there were more than 5 entries...:)

But, seriously, the best part is the judges' feedback. I love when I get input that helps me grow as a writer and makes my work stronger and better. I'm really hoping, even though it's going to take a couple extra weeks, when I do send in The Tyrant King for the final time my editor will be impressed by my improvements and the work I've put into it since she requested the changes.

This is a lesson for me. I've never done well with contests, and I decided a while back that I just don't have **award winning** writing, so why subject myself to the roller coaster of emotion that follows entering and then losing a contest? But there is something to be gained through this process. You can get invaluable feedback from people put in positions to judge those contests. Some are editors, some are literary agents, some are more seasoned writers than you are. Than I am.

When I enter a contest again, it's not going to be with an eye on the prize. It's going to be for the satisfaction of learning and growing into the best writer I can be.

So Here We Are...

And we have about 1 1/2 weeks left before our contest ends. Really. Is that deadline close enough for ya? We want desperately to read your stories. Really. So where are they? Are they still on your computer? Are they still rattling around in your brain? Have you even started? I hope so. I really, REALLY hope so.

So let's say you haven't even started one yet. Let's say that when you saw this contest post, you thought, "Oh. Short stories. I'm a NOVEL writer. I can't write short stories. I may as well not even bother."

But you kept reading the posts. You got reminded again and again that the deadline was coming, and you wondered if there wasn't a kernel of a story in there somewhere. Maybe it would be freeing to keep yourself to fewer words than you normallly put in half a chapter. Maybe it would help hone your writing chops, to wrestle with the length and keep it to 3500 words. And maybe, just maybe, you thought that if you tried, you could spit that rough draft out in less than a day. Maybe.

So here I am telling you YES! to all of those suppositions. There is always a kernel of a story in there, one you haven't fully explored because you weren't sure if it had the staying power a novel needs. And writing short stories is great when you need the thrill of typing "The End" on the screen. (Even if you do have to delete it a few minutes later because you had to add something else.

Come on. You know you want to try. You know that it's the first time we ever done anything like this. We'd love to see this or another version of it become something we do on a yearly basis. We may not know what the publishing world will look like when this book is ready for publication (heck, I don't know what it'll be like in two minutes.)

So slide your entry down the bar and let us take a look. We don't bite. Much.

Comments on this post will give you another entry into our mini contest!)

There's a Contest, Remember???

Okay, peoples. It's May 11th. AFTER Storymakers. BEFORE our deadline of May 31. And we want entries!!! We want this ebook to be filled with your fabulous writing--so send it in!!!

As part of this kick in the pants, I wanted to update you on the fabulous ebooks that are being offered as prizes, along with gift cards and the joy of seeing your work in digital print.

First is the amazing Marsha Ward! She donated a copy of her fabulous book, The Man From Shenandoah.
 Here's her author's bio:

Marsha Ward was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, and

grew up with chickens, citrus trees, and lots of room to roam. She began

telling stories at a very early age, regaling neighborhood chums with her

tales over homemade sugar cookies and milk. Her love of 19th Century Western

history was reinforced by visits to her cousins on their ranch and listening

to her father's stories of homesteading in Old Mexico and in the Tucson

area.

Over the years, Marsha became an award-winning poet, writer and editor,

with over 900 pieces of published work. She is the founder of American Night

Writers Association and a member of Western Writers of America, Women
Writing the West, and Rim Country Writers. She makes her home in a tiny
forest hamlet in Arizona. When she is not writing, she loves to spoil her
grandchildren, travel, give talks, meet readers, and sign books.

Also, our very own Cheri Chesley is offering her great book, Wild Queen as well. It will be available for purchase on Friday, May 13th, but here's a tantalizing glimpse of what you'll see inside:

Roweena is the crown princess of Norvallen, a tiny kingdom with only one thing of value—the Healers' Grove. The trees in this small section of forest are enchanted, giving a sap that can be mixed into potions or salves to heal almost any wound.

And it’s in high demand.

Lucien, the young king of neighboring Demarde, comes to Roweena’s father seeking an alliance, but comes away with a marriage contract for young Roweena’s hand. Furious and stubborn, this untamed beauty vows he will never conquer her. But the contract purposely gives her time to come to terms with her fate.

Before Lucien can return, Roweena’s home is attacked and her parents are murdered. The Healer’s Grove is also attacked—burned to the ground. With nothing more than her horse and the clothes on her back, Roweena goes to the only person she knows can help her. Lucien. But he can do nothing with no legal claim to Norvallen, so they marry.

Lucien and his army destroy the invaders and rescue what remains of Roweena’s people. He then makes Norvallen a part of his kingdom, but separate, ruled by a man Lucien trusts who answers only to him.

Roweena tries to carve a piece of life out for herself in Demarde, but her wild ways often clash with Lucien’s calm, reasoning manner. They have a son, Gregory, and then a daughter, Falina. When Roweena is pregnant for the third time, she vanishes. Speculation runs rampant. Was she kidnapped, fallen victim to a mysterious enemy? Or did she run away?

And last, but certainly not least, is the glorious Jenni James, offering her great new book, Eternity, cowritten by AJ Cole. Here's their info:

AJ Cole is from Nottingham, England; he is married with two young children and a stubborn Weimaraner dog. When he's not writing, toddler wrangling or dog wrestling, he enjoys practising martial arts, meditating and cooking south-east Asian cuisine.

Jenni James lives in Utah, is married to a totally hot red-headed Air Force recruiter and has seven children. When she’s not busy chasing them around the house (the hubby too!), she likes to paint, dance, cook and write.

Jenni and AJ are offering something else: They will give a copy of Eternity to everyone who even ENTERS the contest. Plus, if you're interested in doing a book club with their book, they have offered to SKYPE with your book club, and hear AJ all the way from England as they answer questions. Wouldn't that be awesome!!??!!
 
So there you have it, folks! An amazing basket of goodies...if only you'll try! We want to rejoice with you as we see your writing in print. And for the record...we're probably not nearly as tough as you think we are, 'cause we're just like you, writers struggling to get their books written and their voices heard. So LET'S HEAR YOU!!!