Monthly Archives: May 2014

Top Sixteen OWFI 2014

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Top Sixteen OWFI 2014

By Natalie Bright

 Oklahoma Writer’s Federation held their annual conference this past weekend in Oklahoma City. This group always offers a diverse slate of speakers representing multiple genres and topics plus agents and editors. For more information www.owfi.org. Hope to see you in 2015!

  1. You can pursue regional and niche markets that the big traditional publishers ignore. JERRY SIMMONS, retired, V.P. of sales, Time Warner Book Group.
  2. A Fairy Tale Sampler by ELOISA JAMES, free to every OWFI attendee!
  3. Authors are damaged people. It’s not normal what we do. DAVID MORRELL, bestselling author, creator of Rambo.
  4. We don’t believe in sleep at OWFI. Be sure to attend a buzz session after the banquet. CHIRSTINE JARMOLA, 2014 OWFI President.
  5. Become a student of the market place. SIMMONS.
  6. Embrace the reasons we are doing this crazy thing. MORRELL.
  7. Write blogs to showcase your voice and practice your writing. HEATHER DAVIS, popular MiniVan Momma blogger and author.
  8. Writing has to be a real job in your head. CHRISTINE TAYLOR-BUTLER, best-selling children’s author.
  9. Every person has a dominate emotion. Probably it’s something that is so painful and so shameful you don’t acknowledge it. Admit it and write it. MORRELL.
  10. Schedule your time to write as if it’s a doctor’s appointment or part of your day job. TAYLOR-BUTLER.
  11. Don’t blog unless you really want to. If you’re not genuine, people will know. DAVIS.
  12. Don’t get your work critiqued until you know clearly what you are writing. Opinions will get you off track. TAYLOR-BUTLER.
  13. Keep an idea folder for newspaper or magazine clippings, articles, even junk mail—anything that sparks an idea. DARLEEN BAILEY BEARD.
  14. In real life, we do not address one another by our names. Don’t use them in the dialogue of your fiction. MORRELL.
  15. If you are serious about writing as a career, you must write two pages per day. No excuses! TAYLOR-BUTLER.
  16. The future will include newer, faster forms of delivery, easier forms for payment, and content will become shorter. eBooks aren’t going away. SIMMONS.

 

The Run-On Sentence

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Outtakes 148

 

The Run-On Sentence

By Cait Collins

 

Have you ever listened to a person talk on and on and on without ever saying anything?

After a while, it like the Charlie Brown animated programs where adults are saying, “Awanah, Awanah, Awanah.” Or to put it in more modern terms, “Yada, yada, yada.” Needless to say, we don’t truly enjoy the conversation. The interminable chat is akin to reading a run-on sentence in a book or story. Which would lead one to believe all run-on sentences should be avoided at all costs.

Not necessarily true. The never-ending sentence just might be a way to edit a particularly weak section of your current work. Take another look at the troubled portion of your novel. Now rewrite it as one long sentence. No punctuation. No editing. Instead of periods, commas, semi-colons,or quotation marks, use connecting words such as and, and so, but, then, then so, which means, neither, nor, either, or and so forth. Do not stop writing. Completely retell the section in one sentence. Expand the sentence outward, adding details and new thoughts.

Now read your sentence adding the punctuation. Check your verbs. Are they active or passive? Count the verbs. Underline the active verbs and circle the passive. What is your ratio of active to passive? What have you added to the sentence that was not in the original piece? Are the additions valuable to the telling of the story? Check what you have neglected to include in the sentence. Will the story stand well without the omissions or do you need to add some of the information to the rewrite? Has the section improved by using this exercise?

Normally free writing produces better work. Without the internal editor interfering with the creative process, we write with the heart and soul instead of with technical tools. This is just one tool the writer has to improve his work. Just remember the unedited sentence cannot remain in your story.

ARE YOU AFRAID TO FLY?

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ARE YOU AFRAID TO FLY?

by Rory C. Keel 

It’s amazing that so many people have a fear of flying. Several years ago, while on a plane from Saint Louis Missouri to Portland Oregon, I remember boarding and seeing a man who looked as pale as death. He took his seat across the aisle and immediately buckled the seat belt, grabbed the armrests and shook so violently I wondered if it was the engines or him shaking the plane. After sedating himself with a couple of adult beverages, he slept soundly to our destination.

While I have never been afraid to travel in an airplane, I have experienced a fear of flying. Realizing I would never pilot an F-16 fighter jet, I turned to the hobby of remote control airplanes.

After what my wife called “investing heavily” in a kit, I began to build my first R/C airplane. For days I trimmed every piece of wood with the skill of a surgeon to the exact specs. For weeks, I placed every drop of glue precisely in the correct spot, as to not change the balance of the plane. And after months of careful tune-ups on the engine and electronics, along with a few instructions from others to assure that my plane would soar with the eagles, fear took over.

What if it crashes? All that hard work and time will have been in vain.

On my first solo flight, I rolled the plane down the tarmac and lifted off. A feeling of accomplishment flooded over me as I made one pass, then another over the stands. Not wanting to run out of fuel and lose the plane, I made the approach to land. That day I witnessed the most horrific sight—in front of me laid splinters of wood, pieces of plastic and shards of metal. I crash-landed my plane.

In writing, there are moments when we are afraid to submit a piece of work, fearful of rejection. We work on a piece until it is perfect then, “WHAT IF” takes over. What if it’s rejected? What if it was a waste of time because no one likes it?

The good news is that my first plane did finally soar. I learned that my time wasn’t wasted at all. In all the hours of building I had learned how to repair the broken plane, and after adjusting the mistakes I made in the landing approach, confidence took control.

Yes, I have letters of rejection for my writing, however with repairs and a few adjustments, those same pieces have been published.

Don’t be afraid to fly!

Roryckeel.com

Calling the Spirits of Words

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Calling the Spirits of Words

By Natalie Bright

 

On my way to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Oklahoma City, I always take exit 108 off of I-40 for a stop at the Cherokee Trading Post. Jewelry, pottery, clean bathrooms, original artwork, and did I mention jewelry! On this trip I purchased a colorful Native American figurine blowing a flute. The informational card reads: CALLING THE SPIRITS. 

This colorful flute player in a bright yellow and green costume, complete with spiked hair and dancing feet will be my inspiration. With a flute that is raised high in joyful song, he’ll hold an honorary place on my bookcase. Perfect for my office, since I’m deep into writing a MG historical in which one of my characters is a Comanche. I’m constantly calling on the spirits or the muse or whatever motivation I need to help me dig deeper into the research.

Damaged

After I returned home, I carefully unwrapped the new treasure only to find the end of his flute was broken. It wasn’t about the money, less than $20 bucks, but I was sad. I think the clerk must have accidently snapped it off when she wrapped it in tissue and then newspaper and then taped the box. It was very nice of her to take such care, but I wonder if maybe she broke it before she wrapped it and that’s why such a cheap purchase was wrapped up in so many protective layers.

I found the glue, which of course was dried. Had to look for the pliers so I could open the glue. About the time it got to the tacky stage, our cat jumped into my lap, knocked my hand, and the broken piece came loose, sticking very nicely to my finger.

Broken Dreams

I am reminded of my writing. Some days it’s broken. Some days other people can crush your motivation without even meaning to. Some days you can’t write one word. Demands on our time, the heartbreaks of life, or our inner devil-muse tells us we’re sure to fail.

And then there are those other kinds of days. The music of our words soar! We find joy in writing again and we know that what we create is sheer magic. Someone says, “Yes, I’ll publish that”, a stranger comments on your blog, or one of your tweets gets a ReTweet. These are the days that feed a writer’s soul.

So for now, my little Shaman has an instrument that is held to his hand with tape. He’s patched, he’s doing fine, and he’s still playing.

Words From A Master

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Words From A Master

By Nandy Ekle

 

“As a writer, one of the things that I’ve always been interested in doing is actually invading your comfort space. Because that’s what we’re supposed to do. Get under your skin, and make you react.”  –Stephen King

I’m making a confession here. I’ve bee a huge fan of Stephen King nearly all my life. I consider several of his books to be outright masterpieces.

I like this quote of his because it puts images in my head. Let me show you.

I’m sitting in a chair in front of my fireplace, a blanket wrapped around my legs and a book in my hand. The words march across the pages and occasionally I gasp with emotion.

I become aware of a voice in the room, actually right in front of me. When I look up I see the author squatting before me whispering. Keeping my finger between the pages, I close the book and listen to the words coming from his mouth. The story becomes alive in my head and I feel a connection with the author.

This is what makes a great book.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

 

 

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