The Writing Game

For Those Who Would Write…

2010-06-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

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Writing is a difficult thing to accomplish at times. Few have the ability to write, fewer still have the ability to write well. Most have to work very hard at writing, but occasionally, a writer comes along who is naturally gifted.

Every now and then, I have a student in my office who is really impressive with his or her writing skills. The shocking thing about some of these unpretentious souls is that they do not realize how well they write. I have to say to them, “You write very well.”

“Thanks,” is the usual response.

“Did you ever think about writing for a magazine?”

“No, not really.”

“Why not?”

Here is where they pause. Some have never thought of writing for money, some have no idea of where to start, others do not realize there are entities out there willing to pay money for good writing. Sometimes the answer is, “I don’t think it would be worth it.” This is where I drag them out of my office and into the hallway to the bulletin board outside my door. I point to an article.

“See this? Two hours worth of research, writing, editing, and re-write. Five hundred bucks.” They look at me a little stunned and then they look again at the 800-word piece.

“Five hundred dollars?”

“Yep.”

“You’re kidding. That’s $250 an hour!”

“Yep.”

Sometimes, but rarely, I can be a man of few words. I fully take pleasure in watching their faces when they make the connection between the work and the pay and then have that wonderful, “Ah-ha!” moment.

“Which would you rather do? Work some menial job for $12 an hour, or attain some form of professional recognition writing at a rate of $50 to $500 an hour?”

I really enjoy watching young people when they “get it.” All of a sudden, their minds open to an array of endless possibilities. Their eyes become so bright, their smiles so wide. They immediately get the connection between being able to communicate in writing and their chosen professional field—whatever their craft might be.

After the initial shock wears off, they start asking questions about how to begin earning money from working as a wordsmith. I tell them the basics about the writing craft, the nuts and bolts of writing for money, and then I tell them about Writer’s Market.

I explain that writersmarket.com is not a free site; then in the same breath, I say it is the best use of $40 for most writers—as well as being tax deductible.
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Writing Software

2010-05-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

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In the execution of writing, there are many tools from which the writer may choose when it comes to word processing software. One of the most popular is Microsoft's Word.

Word comes in the latest version of 2007 with a previous version of 2003. Both are powerful writing tools no writer should be without.

MS did a fantastic job developing Word. The tools inside the software are many, varied, and extremely useful. There is a built in dictionary, a thesaurus, research tools, and more.

Word, as with any other software application, takes a little time to master. It is complex and has its own language of keyboard shortcuts to use it effectively. At first, someone new to the software may seem inundated with the scope and depth of the commands to learn.

Once mastered, however, every writer will quickly recognize how the tools of Word allow elevation of their writing to a completely new level. Many authors have found the use of Word makes the task of writing much easier.

Word does a great job of helping your writing. For the student still in school trying to get A's in English, Word places a squiggly red line under each misspelled word and a green one underneath improper phrases. You can make corrections as you write, or wait until the piece is complete and run a complete spelling and grammatical check on the whole document.

In addition to writing tools, Word also presents an array of organizational tools. This is the business side of writing and Word is again, phenomenally useful in this area.

These tools include mailing, references, and reviewing options. With Mail Merge, you can create a form letter and individualize it to many recipients without having to type the same letter many times, or inserting different names or phrases multiple times.

The references tab allows a writer to research on the go, while writing in the middle of the article or story. Multiple authors can use the review tab to chance and track revisions to any writing project.

Although this sounds like a commercial for Word, it is not. There are other word processing programs to choose from, this just happens to be the most powerful - in my humble opinion.
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Tools for the Writer

2010-05-29T07:40:00.001-07:00

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What kind of tools do you need to write? At the low end of the scale, nothing more than a few sheets of paper and a couple of pencils. On the high end of the scale, an expensive computer with all kinds of peripheral equipment such as printers, scanners, and more. Between the two, a writer can find exactly what he or she needs to accomplish their writing requirements, as well as fit their budget.

The purists among writers would use the paper and pencils, or maybe a typewriter. The more prolific writers have discovered computers. The difference between the old way and the new is speed. Speed in production that is, writing itself still remains a slow process because of the editing, re-writing, and revisions.

It is in the process of editing and re-writing in which the computer shines. Editing and re-writing using the paper process is more laborious and consumes a lot of paper; on the computer screen, the touch of a key can change the text, rearrange words, or move paragraphs. The writer can change the writing as many times as they wish and when printed, there is little waste of paper.

Another area in which owning and using a computer is beneficial for the writer is in research, communications, and business. For these reasons, a serious writer should invest in a computer. In addition to serving as a writing tool, the computer can also store important papers in electronic format for easier organization; spreadsheets can be used for tracking writing projects, income and expenses, taxes, and deadlines; financial software is useful for banking and online bill-paying; and when you think you have writer's block, you can play a game of chess.

Regarding research, the Internet is a wonderful tool for writers. With the click of a mouse button, a writer can research the electronic files of the Library of Congress from the comfort of their own writing office. Not only can you research the LOC, there are numerous universities which allow public research in their databases.

Email, for communications, is an absolute must for writers. The purists, the old-fashioned writers, they like the feel and smell of paper. They write their query letters very carefully, take great pride in folding the page just right into the perfectly addressed envelope, and apply the stamp. Then they wait for the mailing process to work. Sometimes they wait forever.

More editors and publishers accept electronic query letters. As timeliness becomes critical to magazine articles, rapid communication between editors and writers is essential. Nothing can beat the lightning speed transmission of a well written email. While one writer waits by the mailbox for a response from an editor, the modern-day journalist will query, write, and publish the same article.

If you are one of those people who has no desire to move into the 21st Century and learn how to use computers, think about this: all living species (including writers) must adapt to change or die. Learning to use a computer may be frustrating at first, but after you get the hang of it, you will quickly realize it does indeed, make your job easier.
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Reading and Writing

2010-05-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

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If you are going to write, you must read. And if you are a writer who reads, you are going to write – you will write more, and you will find yourself writing well. Reading and writing go hand in hand; you cannot do one without the other.

In his book, On Writing, Stephen King makes the observation that “the Great Commandment” for writers is “read a lot, write a lot.” It is imperative to understand this important concept – if you are going to write, you have to keep your mind sharp and in shape. The best way to do this is by reading.

Often, I have heard that in order to play a great game as a quarterback in the Super Bowl, you have to do a lot of practicing, play a great season, and then practice some more before that special day in February. You just don’t walk out onto the field and win the Super Bowl without all that preparation.

Believe it or not, the same holds true of flying airplanes. If you are going to fly well, you have to fly regularly. This concept is also true when it comes to music, sailing, figure-skating, driving, scuba diving, teaching, and – well – just about everything.

I remember a time when I stopped writing for a while. I was mad at the world, and in particular, every teacher of writing, every editor, and all publishers. I threw my typewriter (yes, that is how long ago this incident happened) into the corner of my bedroom and did not touch it for over a year.

Finally, I realized I had to get on with my life.

I pulled out the typewriter, dusted it off and cleaned it up, changed the ribbon, and began again.

It was an odd feeling, putting words to paper again. It was a slow process, but after a little time passed pecking at the keys, the rhythm returned and the words began to flow.

I realized I should never again let time pass without practicing those things I love to do.

Oh yes, I have never figured skated in my life. In fact, I have been on ice skates only three times in my life: the first time, the last time, and the only time.

Keep writing.
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Numbers versus Words

2010-05-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

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I majored in journalism for a number of reasons. First and foremost, was my fear of math. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered in order to fly, I still had to understand and deal with numbers…

What is the point of being a writer? Why do we write? Why does a professional writer endure the loneliness and hardships of putting words to paper? What is the reason?

Rest assured there are as many reasons as to why we write, as there are individual scribes.

My reasons are simple. One, I am compelled to leave something behind on this earth after I am gone. Secondly, I have this urge to express myself, educate others, and tell stories. And third, I like to explain things in as simple a way as I can.

For example, there is the lift equation. Pilots use this information every time they fly. Airline passengers find themselves subjected to the equation at the invitation of their pilot and first officer. However, teaching a student pilot how to use the lift equation during a landing – well, now, to quote the Mayor of Oz, “That is a horse of a different color!”

I know everyone understands that L = 1/2 rho V(squared) Cl S right? In other words, lift equals ½ rho where rho is the density of the air times velocity squared times the coefficient of lift (Cl) times the wing area (S) of the airplane. Trust me, most pilots don’t understand this either.

That is why I like to break this down into the simplest form. When I explain lift to my student pilots, I show them this equation and ask, “Can you do anything about the density of the air? The answer is no. Can you change the speed of the aircraft? Yes. What is another word for Cl? The coefficient of lift, or angle of attack on the wing (how much you push or pull on the stick). And can you change the wing area after you have configured the aircraft for landing? No.

This basically breaks down the equation into the simplest form which is much easier for student pilots to understand: lift equals speed times the angle of attack of the wing. At this, most student pilots have their “Aha!” moment.

I think you have to agree, looking at the equation this way makes the equation much easier to understand than its mathematical expression.

Go ahead, make my day! Throw me some more equations and I will also turn them into simple explanations with words.

It is one of the things this writer does…
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When Writing Letters Requesting Publication

2010-05-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

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It happened again. Another query letter from a writer who would like to have her project published into a book. Unfortunately, several letters of this type arrive in our inbox every week. We reject most before we even open the writing sample.

Why?

Because the author wrote the query letter so poorly, replete with grammatical mistakes, it was not worth our time to read the writing samples. When an author uses words improperly in the letter sent for a publishing request, what sort of an impression does it leave on the editor?

If you are going to request consideration for publication, you have to send your very best writing sample along with your writing project. In other words, the query letter you write to the publisher has to be perfect.

Every editor and publisher I know all agree, if the query letter is a mess, it is a fairly good bet the piece also will be a mess. Each of us in the role of editor or publisher has very little time. The query letter is a quick look into the capabilities of the author as a writer. The writing sample contained in the letter is a big clue as to whether or not we should invest more time in reading the author’s work.

If the author does not know how to use “to,” “too,” “two,” or “2,” this is a problem that needs to be fixed. It is, by the way, a problem the author can repair. As is the problem of learning where to put all those funny little marks, such as periods, commas, semi-colons, quotation marks, and colons.

If you are really serious about becoming the next John Grisham, Stephen King, or Mark Twain, you have to be serious about your craft. You must learn the rules of the road and discipline yourself in using those rules.

Oh yes, and if you are writing fiction, you have to be able to tell a really good story.
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The Greatest Homework Excuse Ever!

2010-05-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

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Ok, yesterday I made reference to the greatest homework excuse I ever heard – in my life. I was not exaggerating when I made this comment; I have been teaching for a long time and I have heard some really good excuses.

But the excuse that takes first prize is the one I heard from a classmate when I was in the fourth grade. His name has long ago been lost in the far lost corners of my mind, but I remember the story he told like I heard it just yesterday, rather than 47 years ago. In my mind’s eye, I can still see this young lad standing before the teacher explaining why he could not turn in his homework assignment.

“Did you do it?” the teacher asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I did.”

“Well, where is it?”

“Uh, well, um, uh, ohh…” Little beads of sweat began popping out on his forehead. “I don’t have it.”

“Why not,” she asked.

“Well, see, uhm, I was doing my homework in the backseat of my dad’s car… He has a convertible. And he was taking my mom and me over to St. Petersburg. And we were going across the Howard Franklin Bridge. And, uhm, we were right in the middle of the bridge. And there was this guy fishing on the bridge. And he went to cast his hook out. Just as we were passing by. And his hook came into the back seat of my dad’s car. And it snatched my homework. And then he cast my homework out into the bay. And a big fish came up and swallowed it.”

Everyone in the classroom cracked up! There was laughing and guffawing from all corners. I remember looking at the teacher, who had to maintain her professional composure. It was the first time I saw an adult biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud. She could not, however, control the laughter in her eyes. The poor student was embarrassed beyond description.

I swear to you, this story happened exactly as I wrote it. Today, I am sure he has become a best-selling author – with an imagination like that, what else could have happened to this kid?

Or maybe he became a professional fisherman?
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Being Remiss, or Too Busy in Life

2010-05-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

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Every now and then, I am reminded of things I need to keep doing. One is posting to this blog. My reminder came by way of Michael O’Neal this time, one of the new writers whose book we will soon publish at http://bluewaterpress.com.

In his email, Mike said, “Having read a number of books by bestselling authors I have come to decide (in my humble opinion) that success in writing, like in any other entertainment field, seems to depend more on successful marketing that talented writing.”

He is absolutely right.

And in the clarity of his opinion, he forces me to look squarely into the face of my lack of discipline, my inattention to this blog. And I have excuses, all kinds of excuses, some good, some not so good.

The bottom line is this. If you are going to be a writer, you must write. No matter how much life gets in the way, you must write. If you are a true writer, nothing is going to stop you; you will write.

OK, so for my excuses… “The dog ate my homework…” ? Give a read tomorrow and I will tell you about the greatest homework excuse I have ever heard – in all my life!

And for my real excuse… Actually, I have been writing. Just not on this blog. During this year, I put out four academic titles, and I am on the verge of finishing a book I hope will help high school students and college freshmen make important decisions in their lives. Be on the lookout for PSST!! Wanna Know a Secret?
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Welcome to the 21st Century

2009-05-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

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We were on a road trip, having shut down production for a very rare moment. Typically, we work close to 14 hours a day and through the weekend. It reminds me of my days in the Navy when I was an attack pilot and managed sailors in all different kinds of offices and shops, in addition to being shot off the pointy end of a boat. A 14-hour day on the aircraft carrier was a short day. As we waited for our meal to come from the kitchen, we talked shop, as we often do.

“I really wish some of the authors querying us would come into the Twenty-first Century and use computers,” I said to Ardis. We come across some great stories, but some of the writers submit their proposals on notebook paper, napkins, and other inappropriate media. “I should write about it in the blog to get the word out.”

At that moment, she stated the obvious.

“Sweetie, people reading a blog probably are in the Twenty-first Century.” Man, I hate it when she’s right, but I had my retort ready.

“What do you want me to do? Yell, ‘Stop the Presses’ and put it in the newspaper? Nobody reads newspapers anymore.”

But the writers still want to write… And they are still looking for publishers.

When I worked as a full time writer and later as a freelancer, I wondered about publishers and editors. I questioned how they got to be the way they are. Since becoming one, I am discovering the answers.

What most writers fail to understand about editors and publishers is that they work like electricity – no, I don’t mean as in the speed of light. They work like electricity by taking the path of least resistance. Think about it – Physics 101 applied to a business situation.

If it takes two weeks to publish Project A and it takes seven weeks for Project B, which project do you think the editor will run? Which do you believe the editors will accept and which reject? What might be the difference between projects A and B?

Can you say, “Following the submission guidelines?”

Writers are a funny lot; they always want to do things their way. Editors are funny, too; they also want to do things, well, their way. That’s why they go to the trouble of publishing submission guidelines. It makes their jobs easier, it allows them to accomplish more, and they can work like electricity – following the path of least resistance to the completion of their tasks.

The bottom line is this – if you want to be successful as a writer, you need to do things the company way. They went to a lot of trouble to create their department in a particular style to allow projects to flow seamlessly from the query letter to final publication.

If you follow their guidelines, you will help them in their jobs. You will also have a much higher chance of having your project accepted, leading of course, to a successful career as a writer.

As Ardis so well pointed out, people reading this on a blog are already in the Twenty-first Century. However, I am sure you know some of those other people in your writing circles. If you care for them, help them out.

Print this article and take them a copy and talk them into buying a computer.

jC
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Proofing & Editing

2009-05-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

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You have a great idea for a story and you have put it to paper. Now what? Well, the first thing you should do is save the file, or print it out, and then bury it for a while.

Bury it?

Yes, bury it. If you can afford to, bury it for a couple of weeks. When you take it out and look at it again, it will seem unfamiliar to you. This will allow you to see your work with a more objective eye than while you are actually writing.

After you have spent so much time writing your masterpiece, you are too close to the creation of the work to properly edit. You have to edit. I guarantee it. Your manuscript will be overflowing with mistakes. And the amazing thing about this will be the surprise you experience when you actually look at your work with a discerning eye.

If you try editing your work right after you finish writing, the mistakes will not stand out. After all, you just finished creating your work the way you wanted and all of your hard work will camouflage the mistakes. Another thing helping hide the errors is your immediate familiarity with the writing style.

In order to make your article, novel, or journal entry perfect, you have to be able to edit with an unbiased eye. You have to maintain objectivity in order to cut phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, or add to the piece to make it more understandable or flow effortlessly.

Why is this so important?

If you finish your article and send it off to an editor or publisher filled with mistakes, you dramatically increase the probability of a rejection letter. Editors tend to work with writers who decrease their workload, not the other way around. It is a competitive field out there and usually, an editor has options.

If you want to be successful in this career, your writing has to be – well – almost perfect.

jC
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Experience

2009-04-18T07:33:00.001-07:00

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I remember a time when I seriously talked to my mother about what I should do when I grew up. She knew I wanted to fly airplanes for a living; she also knew I had a proclivity for writing. I don’t believe she liked the idea of my flying around in far reaches of the atmosphere. After all, if you are screaming about the air with your hair on fire, there is a chance you could get hurt. I think my mother could see my life as a writer being so much safer than my life as a pilot.

Being a practical woman, however, when I asked her more pointed questions about writing, she told me I was not ready. “What do you mean?” I asked, somewhat indignant.

“You have not lived enough,” she replied.

“Huh?” I answered in the time honored traditional teenaged response.

“You don’t know enough right now,” she said. Then she went on to explain that in order to write about life, you must have lived a life. She said all great writers were older and not only have they lived their lives, they observed how others lived. They understood what was important in life and what was not. “In order to acquire that kind of understanding, you have to be older,” mom said. I was still puzzled. I had not yet read Catch-22.

She tried to explain to me the classic question posed in Joseph Heller’s novel. In Catch-22, Heller illustrated the concept that to go to war was insane, and to get out of it, the authorities had to declare you insane. This idea birthed so many variants of this phrase. “In order to get a job, you have to have experience. To get experience, you have to have a job.”

The same holds true of writing. In order to write about life, you must have lived a life. At the time, I could not fully understand what my mother was trying to tell me. Today, after having lived a good portion of my life, I now understand. Perceptions of the young are refreshing, but the reality of age and experience provides not only the subject of a painting, but also the canvas on which the artist brushed the painting.

To acquire perceptions and a canvas on which to paint, a writer has to live and experience a great deal. Sitting in a library reading books and journals is an experience, but not necessarily the proper experience. You can become an expert in any field through reading, but if that is the extent of your knowledge, you are going to play second fiddle to those who went out and actually did it.

Today, after a lifetime as a pilot, I am able to write about aviation from an expert point of view. I may have also surprised my mother – I am still here, enjoying both my writing and my flying.

jC

Roundtoits

2009-04-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

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Through the middle of Saint Augustine is a street only two tenths of a mile long. The name of the road is Hypolita Street and on the northwest corner where Saint George Street crosses Hypolita stands the Columbia Restaurant. Somewhere along the two tenths of a mile, was the private home of Jack D. Hunter.

Jack D. Hunter – it seems an ordinary name, but Mr. Hunter was so much more than an ordinary man. He was born in 1921 and was one of the countless quiet and extraordinary who would always claim he was only an ordinary participant in World War II. He passed away early Monday morning on April 13, 2009.

From news reports and articles written about and by Mr. Hunter, he saw more tragedy and misery during his time as an officer in the United States Army than should be allowed. And as with all writers, which he later went on to become, all of his experiences served him well in penning some truly great novels.

Hunter’s most famous novel, The Blue Max, is a story of a World War I German aviator which was picked up by Hollywood and made into the movie of the same name staring George Peppard and Ursula Andress. Hunter went on to write more than a dozen other novels and served as a writing tutor for local journalists in the Northeast Florida area. He was, without a doubt, a writer’s writer.

And he was one of my heroes. Imagine my surprise when last year I found out he lived in the same area. I told my wife I would like to meet Mr. Hunter in the near future.

Over the course of the past year, I have been meaning to try to meet with him. But, as one of my aviation friends once told me, I had a lot of “roundtoits” in my tool box.

“What’s a ‘roundtoit’?” I asked. I thought it must be another of the wonderful tools contained in his toolbox.

“You know, one of those things I need to do, but I have to get around to it,” Jeff said.

Finding Jack Hunter was one of my roundtoits; unfortunately, this roundtoit didn’t wait long enough for me to get up and around to it. The same thing happened with my Uncle Buddy. Some roundtoits just won’t keep.

The lesson a simple – do now what you have to do while you can. This includes your own writing.

My wife and I enjoy dining at the Columbia every now and then. I often wonder now how many times we may have shared the restaurant with Jack D. Hunter.

jC

So you want to write

2009-04-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

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OK, so how many new writers are out there? More importantly, what are your perceptions on being a writer? And for the most essential question – can you write?

Many believe all you have to do is sit down and write. Then someone will miraculously pay to read what you have written. In a perfect world…, yes, maybe. In the real world, this scenario is about as far from the truth as you can get.

Let’s investigate the question in the first paragraph. Can you write?

I have talked with high school students and graduates, college graduates, and graduate students all of whom thought they could write. Additionally, I read what they were writing and, well, some can, some can’t.

How do you learn to write? Did you pay attention in your English courses? Do you understand the basics of sentence construction? Do you know how to use adverbs and adjectives? Can you answer the question, what is a verb? How is your spelling? Can you place punctuation properly? Do know what alliteration is and how to use it well? What is personification?

Yes, these are some of the very basic questions about writing, but being able to construct a sentence is of little consequence if you are unable to think analytically and logically. This is the crux of the writing business – getting your ideas across to others in a way they can understand exactly what you are trying to convey.

There is also another important aspect of writing: being able to tell the story. I remember when I thought of becoming a writer. I was in the second grade, still learning how to read.

I was reading a children’s book actually illustrated by my uncle, James Caraway. I can remember holding the book in the hallway of our house and talking to my mother about writing.

“Mom, do the people who write these books make money?”

My mother looked at me and with all her wisdom said, “No, not really.” Later, after I developed researching skills, I would discover there was a lot of truth to what she said. I would also think, Mom didn’t tell me the whole truth…

Actually, my mother did not know the truth and the truth lies somewhere between not making any money and pulling in $37 million dollars a year. It all boils down to how well you write, how well you promote, and how well the public accepts your ideas and writings.

One important thing to bear in mind about working as a writer is this: it is some of the hardest work one can engage in. It is lonely, it is laborious, it seems to never end.

Oh, yes, and did I also say it is rewarding? It is – beyond anything you can imagine.

jC

Please stand by...

2009-04-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

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We are in the process of starting this new blog. This blog will be open to all writers and our intent is to give away as much information about the writing business as we can. Why would we do this? To help writers and increase the quality of writing across the board.

We will give out information on everything in the writing business to help writers "do their thing." We will have helpful hints regarding writing articles, stories, and query letters, to issues concerning all aspects of the writing life.

I will tell you this - I have worked some pretty hard jobs in my life and one of the hardest is working as a professional writer. I am still trying to decide which was harder in some of my past work history - landing attack jets in the dark of night on the pitching decks of aircraft carriers in bad weather, or dealing with writer's block and irate editors and authors... Humhhh...

J&A