Exist~Dissolve

Why are writers so pretentious?

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:11:10 GMT

I listened to an author's interview tonight, an author I'd never heard about, but is apparently published. She said things like, "When I write, I look at the world in a different way. Take a scene about a tree. You can't just look at the tree, and see a green and brown thing. You must become one with the tree. You must hold the tree in your hand and ask it to take a walk with you. You must hug the tree and listen for its inner thoughts and dreams. You must respect and love the tree, and then good writing will happen.”

Okay, that's a little exaggerated, but you get the idea.

So many writers must feel like they have to speak in this way. They want to sound creative, lyrical, abstract and free-spirited.

To further enhance their pretentiousness, writers even have their own dress code. Where there is a group of writers, their are gypsy broom skirts, frizz-out hair tied loosely into schoolmarm buns, and toe-loop leather sandals from the hippie days of high school.

It's quite intimidating. At my very first writer's workshop, I made the mistake of wearing a hot pink dress and five-inch gold heels--I was coming from work. I was clearly the only one in the room who knew the difference between Ann Tyler and Ann Taylor.

The writing industry needs a serious makeover. To start, we need to sex up bio photos. No more drab, half-body shots of a writer out on their back porch (and have you noticed how they trade in their gypsy clothes for a black turtleneck for this occasion? Go figure.)

For my first bio photo, I plan to glam it up in a swanky, Victorian hotel….but that's another article.

In the short term, I just wish writers could interview more like Stephanie Meyer. Here's what she said on Ellen DeGeneres:

"I did a lot of writing with my one-year-old on my lap. He's kind of a monkey, so he could cling. I could type around him while he was watching TV under my arm, you know, Blue's Clues."

Tell it like it is, Stephanie!

Well...it's out there.

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:11:10 GMT

I just sent out my first short story for publication! Now it's time to wait for the letters to pile in. I'm not expecting anything, but of course I'm hoping for acceptance. Based on my Writer's Market findings and other references, I submitted "The Contract" to the following publications:

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction
The Analog of Science Fiction and Fact
The New Yorker (hey, dream big)
Glimmer Train Press
Seattle Review
Indiana Review
Cincinnati Review

There are a few other "reviews" on my list, but they are not accepting until fall.

Beginning Writer's Resource: 10 Common Mistakes

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:11:10 GMT

Some writer's tip resources are really lame--third grade stuff. But I thought this had some good tips. Thought I’d pass it on. Here are Ten Mistakes Writers Don't See (But Can Easily Fix When They Do) from the Holt Uncensored blog.

Are you ready to share your work?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:11:10 GMT

The worst thing you can do to your self-esteem is rush to share your writing. If you haven't put in the time revising, you won't get the feedback you want. Your spouse might say, "Well, that's a good start" and your writer's group will tell you, "This has potential."

While it's hard to wait, it's worth it. The best time to share your work is after you've revised and reread it so many times, you can read it through in entirety and have nothing more to revise, add, delete, or edit. This doesn't mean your work is done, it means it's ready for critique. For me, this means I've reread and revised my short story between 150 and 200 times. Then I launch the work out to my reader friends, family and most important, my writing group.

After you've received a first round of feedback, it's time to do round two of revisions. Incorporate what you want, and throw the rest out. Remember, it's your story. Just be sure to thank everyone and to take criticism graciously. If not, you won't likely receive honest feedback in the future. Some of the most tactless editors are also the best. If they really care, they'll look for every weakness in your piece.

Finally, start the revision process up again: reading, revising, editing, reading, revising, editing….I usually revise my short another 100 times. Once I'm happy with the outcome, I put it out there once again. This time, it's usually much improved from the first time. Typically, I receive a few minor edits, but mostly compliments. That is when sharing feels great!