Welcome to the thirteenth installment of Twitter Tuesday. In the spirit of Twitter, this blog will be short and sweet and to the point. The tips offered here are all based off my best-selling book We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. If our goal is to build an author platform in the thousands to tens of thousands, then we will have to approach Twitter differently than a faceless corporation or even the regular person who does not possess a goal of becoming a brandwill help you rule the Twitterverse without devolving into a spam bot.

This Week’s Fail Whale–The Twitter Tyrant

All of us have passions, and that is wonderful. Being passionate makes us feel alive and gives our lives purpose. But, when we are building a platform, especially in the beginning stages, we must be mindful to always express our passions in a positive way. Ranting on Twitter is never acceptable. I have had people I had to unfollow simply because every time they tweeted, I needed an antacid. Life is stressful enough without volunteering for an ulcer.

Ranting is unproductive and it creates a negative experience, even for people who might agree with us. Ranting is just that…ranting. It offers nothing but negative energy, whether at a party or on Twitter. It depresses others and makes them feel helpless.

Do I suggest that writers give up their passions and beliefs and become luke warm, melba-toast humans? Of course not. But we must be mindful that we are creating a positive experience for those who keep company with us. If our contribution to the Twitterverse just makes people want to crawl back in bed, then our efforts are doing more harm than good.

I would say that if you need to rant, do so with your close friends. But, then again? We should be nice to our friends. Ranting isn’t healthy for either party. We all have times that we get so frustrated we feel as if we are going to explode. What to do? Scream in a pillow, vacuum, mow the lawn, do yoga. Do something to burn off that anger. After that? Refocus that negative energy in a positive and constructive way. Our blood pressure and our friends will appreciate it.

Be a Twitter Activist

So say you are just fed up with people who abuse animals or you want to support the troops or even save the whales. It is okay to have beliefs, but as authors we need to be watchful that we are always being positive. That’s the biggest consideration. If you are tired of animals being abused, then feel free to tweet a link to support a local shelter. If you love the troops, then send a link to support the Wounded Warrior Foundation. If you love eating a vegetarian diet, then tweet great articles that inspire others to maybe embrace this lifestyle you love.

This is a far more positive use of our time. It doesn’t alienate or upset others and it does one critical thing ranting will never accomplish. This approach empowers people. We have given them a link to actively DO something. This is the responsible way to champion a cause or a belief.

My only concern beyond this is that we need to make sure that championing our cause doesn’t become our entire platform. We are trying to build an author platform, not run for office.

At the end of the day all this tweeting and retweeting and socializing is to forge relationships that, hopefully, will drive book sales. It is okay to be an author with a social passion, but it is easy to have the social passion take over and then people don’t realize we are writers with a novel to sell. As long as we remain positive and balanced, then people will enjoy our company and will eagerly support our career and our passions.

Tweet ya later!

The post Twitter Tuesday #13 appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

Welcome to the eleventh installment of Twitter Tuesday. In the spirit of Twitter, this blog will be short and sweet and to the point. The tips offered here are all based off my best-selling book We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. If our goal is to build an author platform in the thousands to tens of thousands, then we will have to approach Twitter differently than a faceless corporation or even the regular person who does not possess a goal of becoming a brandwill help you rule the Twitterverse without devolving into a spam bot.

This Week’s Fail Whale–The Twitter Hermit

The Twitter Hermit signs up for an account, yet doesn’t interact a lot. He keeps to himself and only follows a handful of people. Twitter Hermit might be shy or not know what to say. Twitter Hermit might not see how it can be useful to follow a bunch of people he doesn’t know, has never met, and likely never will meet.

Regardless of his reasons, Twitter Hermit will not be very effective on Twitter because he never can reach a critical mass of people in his network. Thus, his Twitter experience will be extremely limited.

When we join Twitter, the more people we follow (and who follow us) the better. Why? We gain a pool of resources beyond anything we can imagine. If we are hanging out by ourselves or just with a handful of tweeps, we have severely limited how we can use the Six Degrees of Separation to our advantage.

Twitter will be a waste of time.

Twitter is one of the best ways to activate the Six Degrees of Separation–someone always knows someone who knows someone who knows someone. The more people in our network, the better odds we will connect to the right person at the right time. 

This Week’s Twitter Tip–Use Twitter as a Force Multiplier

Twitter is one of the best force multipliers ever, and probably THE best way to get great information FAST. For example, when I was toying with the idea of writing a novel about a female bounty hunter, I had a choice. Go to the library and search through all the data hoping I found what I was looking for. I could also spend hours on the Internet searching key words and hoping I would hit pay dirt.

I didn’t do either. My time is limited, so I need to spend it wisely (I am sure a few of you can relate).

I tweeted, “Hey, my tweeps! Anyone know some good resources to learn about bounty hunting?” My screen, within ten seconds, lit up with tweeps eager to help. Some even sent me links to bounty hunters they KNEW. I had links to sites and resources that it would have taken me weeks to do on my own. But, if I only had a network of 20 people, the responses would have been far more limited. With a large network of 1500 (at the time) I actually got some amazing information. With 1500 tweeps, my odds were better that someone knew someone who could help me out.

People, in general, like to help and want to serve. Let them. Twitter is an amazing community and a tremendous resource if we understand how it works.

Tweet ya later!

The post Twitter Tuesday #11 appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

Mushroom eaters? Yes. You heard right. Come on. Haven’t you ever seen someone eat a raw oyster and you wondered, “Who was the first?” I guarantee you it was a group of cavemen, and someone lost a bet. Who ate the first sea cucumber? Or determined that snails actually were quite tasty with some butter and garlic? Squid? Are you serious? Fish eggs? Are you high?

Back to the mushrooms. There are 100,000 known species of mushrooms, and only 2000 of these are edible. In fact, many mushrooms are toxic, even deadly. So how do we know which ones to eat? Risk. Someone, somewhere took a risk. Why is publishing immune? We are entering an uncharted Age of Information!!! In the New World (of Publishing) we–writers, agents, publishers, editors, bookstores–are explorers landing on an alien beach, pioneers traversing unfamiliar territory.

Someone, somewhere has to test the mushrooms if we are going to survive.

I am reading a really cool book called, The Barbarian Way, and the author, Erwin McManus is actually who brought up this whole idea of mushroom-eaters, which got me thinking. Mushroom-eaters are the ones brave enough to try a bite. Innovators are the ones who eat the poisonous mushroom and die, whereas early adopters are the ones who watch and learn. But, as McManus states, “Someone has to be willing to take the first bite!”

Maybe we won’t die. Maybe, instead, we can take a bite, throw up and hallucinate and actually live to tell others…yeah, don’t eat the orange ones with the spots.

It’s great to be an early adopter, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, if there are no innovators (mushroom-eaters), then there is no one taking risks that pave the way for the early adopters and friends to follow suit.

I would like to believe that I have been a mushroom-eater with social media. Ouch! I’m getting a cramp from patting myself on the back. But, the truth is, there are a lot of mushroom-eaters out there who just continue to impress me.

I remember when Bob Mayer and Jenni Holbrook-Talty told me that they were launching Who Dares Wins Publishing. I was floored by the simple brilliance of a well-known author creating a publishing company, but the risk was enough to make your heart leap out of your chest. Being a seasoned sky-diving adrenalin junkie and known masochist (writer), I quickly begged for them to look at my social media book.

Get me a Mountain Dew. I wanted on board.

When it comes to WDW Pub, I don’t know if I was a mushroom-eater or not. I was their first outside author, and willing to risk my debut book. I was present before WDW Pub launched. I think Bob and Jenni just discovered a patch of pink toadstools and…

 I’ll eat one if you *giggles* eat one. No, you first *giggle*

Bob, by far, stood the most to lose, but he was a Green Beret so he was used to this kind of stress. Jenni? She’s a hockey mom, and blood doesn’t faze her. I was the one trailing behind asking if they were seeing double yet.

The point is that people like Bob ate the mushroom so the rest of us could stare and see if he started convulsing. We stood there, mushrooms in hand and knew that we could just as easily be dead before we hit the ground.  We did at least have the foresight not to wear matching jogging suits and Nikes.

I presented the WANA Plan on Monday, and many of my suggestions are standard operating procedure at WDW Pub…which is EXACTLY why I wanted to be on board. I wanted to be an innovator even if it made my tongue grow fur. By being a part of the WDW Pub Team, I think I have learned to embrace to role of the mushroom-eater, and think like a mushroom-eater and continually ask, “Why not?”

Now, The WANA Plan had a few of my own unique suggestions and original ideas, but would I have been blessed with this perspective had I not walked among the WDW mushroom-eating clan? Could scientists have invented chemotherapy had Marie Curie not died asking questions? No such thing as a totally original idea. The WANA Plan surely stood on WDW Pub shoulders.

Self-publishing has a stigma, but that is changing. Some authors knew that self-publishing could mean career death, but they dared to wonder if maybe they could slice it differently. Think of the puffer fish. There is only ONE TINY PART of the puffer fish that is not deadly. Oh, and if you don’t know how to cut a puffer fish correctly, you can unwittingly unleash deadly poison into the non-poisonous part.

Herb: Hey, this kind of tastes like chick–…*grabs throat and falls over*

Fred: Note to self. Don’t eat the butt.

Kait Nolan, a friend and loyal follower, charted off on her own, determined to make her way up the indie mountain…and it earned her the admiration and respect of an agent who saw her comments on THIS blog. This agent, also happens to be a super cool lady and a perfect fit for Kait and her work. But, before an agent came calling with an offer, I’m sure Kait caught a lot of flak that she wasn’t doing like everyone else.

Query. Rejection. Eat chocolate. Sugar coma. Repeat. Query. Rejection. Drink heavily. Repeat. Query. Rejection. Vow to give up writing. Repeat.

Kait was a mushroom-eating maniac and was willing to take a bite, chew and swallow…no matter what could happen. She studied where other writers went wrong (I.e. Didn’t take time to build a platform), and took steps to do it differently (Built platform using WANA methods).

In short? Don’t eat the butt.

Not everyone is meant to be an innovator, but perhaps we should at least strive to be early adopters. Pay attention to what the risk-takers are doing and be willing to take a leap of faith. We gain nothing of value if we aren’t willing to risk failure.

The more we risk, the greater the success…or failure. But we puke in our shoes, ride out the visions of Mr. Peanut with a Thigh Master and, like Bob and Kait, take notes. Don’t eat the butt.

For all you guys out there hiding behind monikers, afraid for people to know you’re a writer, maybe it’s time to walk among the mushrooms ;). There are a lot of publishing options out there beyond traditional publishing. Some of you are scared to go for it, believing (mistakenly) that this will shut the door on a traditional deal. If you are a solid writer and build an equally solid platform, just because you take the scenic route doesn’t mean the agent won’t find you. They have a nose for roasting portabella :D.

So who are your favorite mushroom-eaters? I already told you some of mine—Bob Mayer, Jenni Holbrook-Talty, and Kait Nolan. But I would like to add members of the WDW Pub Team, Amy Shojai (brilliant pet expert) and Joy Held (Writer Wellness expert). They were willing to take a risk too, and it has been awesome to work with such great people. Susan Bischoff, a friend and indie author, recently celebrated 10,000 sales in six months (she used WANA, too). I was also very impressed by Amanda Hocking, a self-published author featured in USA Today who sold 450,000 books last month alone. WOW. She credits her success to a strong social media platform (hint, hint ;)).

I want to hear about your mushroom-eating experiences. Or, do you have mycophobia? Fear of mushrooms. I had to look it up. Heck, feel free to share the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten. It counts! I’ve eaten conch, alligator, rattlesnake and some other things that I suspect were ookie parts of a goat (lived in Syria for a short bit). What’s your theory about the first person to eat a raw oyster?

Mint?

I want to hear from you. And, to prove it and show my love, for the month of February, everyone who leaves a comment I will put your name in a hat. If you comment and link back to my blog on your blog, you get your name in the hat twice. If you leave a comment, and link back to my blog, and mention WANA in your blog…you get your name in the hat THREE times. What do you win? The unvarnished truth from yours truly. A free critique from me on the first 15 pages of your novel.

Also, I hope you guys check out my guest post at Writer Unboxed. Bring Back that Lovin’ Feeling–What to Do When You Feel Burned Out.

Happy writing!

Until next time…

In the meantime, if you don’t already own a copy, my best-selling book We Are Not Alone–The Writers Guide to Social Media is recommended by literary agents and endorsed by NY Times best-selling authors. My method is free, fast, simple and leaves time to write more books.

Also, I highly recommend the Write It Forward Workshops. Learn all about plotting, how to write great characters, and even how to self-publish successfully…all from the best in the industry. I will be teaching on social media and building a brand in March. For $20 a workshop, you can change your destiny….all from the comfort of home.

The post The World of the Mushroom-Eater–Learning to Embrace Risk appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

Many of you reading this blog aspire to be professional authors, and that is a fantastic goal. I blog three times a week to help you guys reach that goal and far sooner than you imagined. Writing can be the best job in the world, but I feel too many beginners glamourize the profession and fail to get the proper emotional preparation before traipsing off to battle. That is a formula to get creamed. So, today I am going to give you some perspective and tools to be successful.

Becoming a professional writer isn’t all rainbow and unicorns. Let’s face it. Many of us are screwed from the beginning. We have our basic personality working against us. What do I mean? To put it bluntly? Writing is a vortex of flakes. We creative people are not usually known for our self-discipline. I’ve been there. I don’t know about you guys, but I am a notorious procrastinator. I was once the High Queen of Do-It-Later Land, a sorrowful place of forgotten Post-It Notes, where the roads are paved with shiny good intentions.

What I have observed over the years is that very often, the personalities that are the most creative, also tend to be free-spirits who flutter around like fruit flies with severe ADD high off a case of Red Bull. Now, we are great at being creative, but unless it’s channeled and focused, creativity just looks like that kid who likes to run head-first into a wall over and over while giggling. Thus, it is easy to see why people might roll their eyes the day we announce we want to be a writer.

Writing is a very emotional business, and to write well, we must reach into the deepest parts of our being…and then place them out for public display. After running countless critique groups and helping hundreds of writers, I will share some advice that will help you reach your dreams. We will resume talking about craft next week. But all the craft classes in the world will not benefit you if your heart and mind aren’t in the correct place.

Persistence can look a lot like Stupid

Oh Twitter. It is so fun to watch all these writing quotes float by. One of the favorites of the newbie writer (Yes, it was mine too :P) is You know what you call the writer who never gives up? Published. I have no idea who said that, and it doesn’t matter anyway. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great quote. But, it really kind of needs a caveat, because persistence can look a lot like stupid.

My goal can be to climb Mt. Everest, but if I am on Mt. Shasta then I am not persistent, I am a moron.

You are on the wrong mountain!

Can’t hear you! I’m climbing! Never give up!

But you are on the wrong mountain you idiot!

What??? You’re just a dream-stealer! My motivational coach said you would try to stop me! I’m climbing! Never give up!

I teach at a lot of conferences, and every year I see the same writers shopping the same novel that has been rejected time and time and time again. These writers show year after year spending good money, believing that they just haven’t found the right agent who will see the beauty in their vampire-mystery-romance-YA-horror-memoir. It is as if they are stuck in a feedback loop. They can’t move on until this book gets an agent. They believe that if they don’t get an agent for this book, then they are a failure. No!

I have been there. I shopped my first novel for three years then woke up one day and realized I was swimming against the current carrying a corpse. When you make a decision to become a writer, you will be swimming against the current. People are fascinated by people who dare to dream and do great things. But….deep down, while they admire them, they also resent them.

Do not expect your family to embrace your decision. In fact, expect them to believe your writing group is really a cult (see Writer Reality Check). So expect to be swimming upstream, which is a heck of a lot harder to do carrying dead weight. If your book is being rejected time and time and time again, move on. Maybe you will grow enough to fix that first novel at a later time. Or, maybe you will take it for what it is…a learning experience. Always be moving forward.

Persistence is a noble trait; tunnel-vision is not. Be persistent. Read more books on the craft. Sign up for on-line workshops. Read…a lot. Be persistent the right way and the payoff will eventually come.

Learn to Fail Forward

One of the biggest frustrations I have with writers is their attitude toward failure. I think we like being tragic. Goes with our artsy side.

Hand over the beret. Give. This is for your own good.

Learn to have a healthy relationship with failure. One of my favorite books is Failing Forward by John Maxwell. I highly recommend everyone to read it. This book changed my life.

I used to have constant panic attacks. I was absolutely paralyzed by fear. All I could see was what I hadn’t accomplished. I magnified my failures and minimized my progress. Instead of looking forward, I was always looking over my shoulder to the past, crying over the broken dreams and what ifs? That is a load of crap.

Want to know the difference between winners and losers? There are 2 critical differences.

1)      Winners have a healthy relationship with failure. Losers cry and whine and self-flagellate when they fail to meet the mark. Their focus is always on failure so that’s where they stay. Winners, however, look at failure as a stepping stone. They land on their tush and scratch their head and ask critical questions.

Why didn’t this work?

What went wrong?

At what point did my plan go south?

What can I do differently next time?

Do I need to adjust my goals?

All through the month of November I kept my eyes on the #nanowrimo hash tag column. For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, a # symbol will put you in a group bound by that topic. Time after time I wanted to scream as writers posted crap like this:

My goal was 1000 words today. Only wrote 300. #nanowrimo #epicfail

I saw that stupid #epicfail over and over and over. Now how do you think the Epic Fail group fared for National Novel Writing Month?

But, I also saw tweets like this:

My goal was 1000. Only made 500. Hey, 500 more than I had. Will start earlier tomorrow. #nanowrimo

Which writer do you feel will have a better chance at success?

Hear me now—Where the mind goes, the man follows.

If our mind is always on our failure and where we blew it, then that is where we will go. But here is the thing, we are in control. We are the boss.

I’m going to give you guys a great tactic to keep your mind on the positive. I want you guys to picture a monster crouched in your soul. Every time you beat yourself up, call yourself names, whine about how life isn’t fair…you feed it. As you feed this monster, he grows larger and larger and hungrier and more demanding.

How do you kill him? You can’t. We are human and he is a part of us. We can’t kill him, but we sure as hell can weaken him. How?

We starve him.

Every time you go to open your mouth and gripe about some way you failed to make the mark, stop yourself. Take a breath and rephrase in the positive.

I didn’t make my goal of 1000 words…..BUT I did write 300 and that is 300 words in the right direction. Every day I am getting better and better. I’m not where I want to be, but I am not where I was.

Starve that monster in your soul and he will get skinnier and smaller and weaker. Eventually he will be starved long enough that he will lose his appetite, and you will be a happier, more optimistic person for it.

2)      Winners have an internal locus of control.

Your locus of focus is very important. People with an external locus of focus believe other people or things hold all the power to their lives.

Well if my family would just take me seriously, then I know I would write more.

If I just had a better computer, then I’d write more.

If I just had quiet time, then I would be more productive.

IF we want to be winners, our goal is to maintain an internal locus of focus. We are in control of all things. We cannot control others. We cannot control events. The only thing under our power is our attitude and how we react to other people, events, and circumstances.

Well, my family thinks I’m a nut. I hope that changes. The only thing I can do is work hard and maybe one day my work ethic and commitment will change their opinions.

This old laptop crashes every other time I use it. What can I do to get a new one? In the meantime, maybe I can borrow one, or go to the library, or even write long-hand. It isn’t ideal, but Shakespeare didn’t have a Mac. I can do this.

I know I need quiet time to be productive. Can I stay up later? Get up earlier? Either I need to actively seek quiet time, or I will just have to be happy with a lower level of productivity. At least I am being fruitful with my time.

Be the captain of your own ship; the master of your soul (Invictus). No one is control of your destiny but you, and you have a lot more power than you believe.

Face Your Fears

I owe my friend and mentor Bob Mayer a lot, but the biggest lesson he taught me was to learn to face my fear. Do what is counterintuitive. I know that if I start feeling a flutter in my gut, then I am likely on the right path. The best writing in you lies behind your greatest fears. Think of it this way. Just expect a dragon to be guarding the cavern of treasure. In fact, the bigger the treasure, the bigger the beast standing sentinel.

Courage is not being without fear.

Courage is feeling fear, but then doing it anyway.

Only idiots and sociopaths are devoid of fear. Fear is your friend. Fear is like a water witch guiding you to your greatest reservoirs of creativity and strength. When you feel fear, keep going. Likely you’re onto something. No one ever accomplished anything great staying in the comfort zone.

I hope you guys feel fired up, and that you’re ready to take on 2011. I’ll be here to help you every step of the way. So what are your biggest challenges? Any advice? Suggestions? Do you see fear differently? Do you feel more hopeful? What are your deepest fears? Toss them out there. Sometimes the monster in the closet is only a coat when you turn the light on ;).

Happy writing!

Until next time…

Give yourself the gift of success so you can ROCK 2011. My best-selling book We Are Not Alone–The Writers Guide to Social Media is recommended by literary agents and endorsed by NY Times best-selling authors. My method is free, fast, simple and leaves time to write more books. Put that gift card you got for Christmas to good use.

Also, I highly recommend the Write It Forward Workshops. Learn all about plotting, how to write great characters, and even how to self-publish successfully…all from the best in the industry. I will be teaching on social media and building a brand in March. For $20 a workshop, you can change your destiny….all from the comfort of home.

The post Searching for Treasure–The Winner Inside appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and we are standing on the threshold of a shiny new year. It’s almost as good as getting new school supplies. The smell of virgin paper not yet touched by a ballpoint. A new start. No mistakes. Nothing but potential.

Okay, so if you are anything like me, your initial New Year’s Resolutions might look something like this.

1. Lose 20 pounds by February 1st
2. Run a marathon
3. Go to gym 5 hours a day
4. Win the Nobel Pulitzer by my birthday
5. Save 85% of my income
6. Go on vacation to Bora Bora (Note to Self: Look up actual location of Bora Bora)
7. Clean out garage
8. Paint house inside and out
9. Finally have all my socks match
10. Write 3 award-winning novels by summer

There is something about facing a new year that instills us with such hope that we lose all touch with reality (and I haven’t even started drinking yet). It’s great to set goals, but most of the time we are our own worst enemy.

Odds are, if you are a fan of this blog, you are likely a writer, an aspiring writer, or this is a condition of your parole. Regardless, all of you need to learn to set effective goals and learn habits that will keep you from sabotaging your success. Hey, I hear ya! I am the world’s worst.

But this past year, 2010, has been one of my best. I reached a lot of goals. Why? Because I learned some good lessons and applied them consistently. I hope to do even better this year. So I am going to pass these lessons on to you and hope that you will benefit as well.

1. Grant Permission to be Imperfect—Perfectionism is a noble trait taken to the extreme which can serve as an excuse for mediocrity and a mask for fear. Perfectionists tend to be self-saboteurs (I would know nothing about this *whistles innocently*).  We perfectionists nit-pick over every single detail often at the expense of the big picture. Perfection is noble, so it makes a great shield. I mean, we just don’t believe in churning out shoddy half-ass work, right? Um…maybe. Or maybe we have a fear of failure, or even a fear of success. So long as nothing is ever complete, we never have to face our demons and can happily fritter away our days perfecting our scenes and dialogue.

            Here’s the deal. No publishing house ever published half of a perfect book.

2. Give Baby Steps a Chance—All or nothing thinking, a close relative of perfectionism, can tank the best projects. It is so easy to fall into this trap of, If I can’t do X, then I do nothing at all. Baby Steps are still steps. It’s like the question, “How do you eat a whale? One bite at a time.” Small steps, over time, with consistency add up. It’s sort of like working out. We can choose to show up January 2^nd at 5 a.m. and work out three hours, but that is a formula to end up sore, injured and burned out.

So often when I go to the gym I am so tired I want to die. I used to be the person who went hell bent for leather, only to end up sick or injured. So two years ago I made a key change in my attitude. Now when I go to the gym I tell myself, “All I have to do is ten minutes walking on the treadmill. Ten minutes. If I still feel tired, horrible, sick, fatigued, disenchanted, etc. I can stop, go home, and climb back into bed. In two years I have only stopped twice. Usually all I need is to push past that initial wall and then I am off like a rocket.

Same with writing. Make small goals. “I will write 15 minutes.” “I will write 100 words.” Sometimes all we need is a little momentum. Can’t rev the motor if we never turn the key. A good way to get going is to use kitchen timers. Set the clock and write for 30 minutes. I use sticky notes and set my big goal, then I divide it in half. One sticky note is on the left-hand side of my monitor (starting count). I then place the half-way point in the middle, and I am not allowed a break until I make that number (even if all I write is pigeon poo). The finish line is on the right. Getting started is always the hardest part. I generally find that if I can make it to the mid-point, I am golden.

3. Establish Accountability—Earlier in the week we discussed the pros and cons of a critique group. Critique groups and partners do keep us accountable. It is easy to blow off writing when it is just us, but when we will be a let-down to others? Different story. This is one of the reasons I LOVE blogging. Blogging has done so much to change my character. I adore you guys and love helping you and hearing your comments. I feel that you have given me your trust and that I need to always put my best effort forward. The funny thing is that this change in my writing habits, has sifted into other areas of my writing. Sort of like, when you get in the habit of going to the gym, you also start noticing that you take the stairs or don’t mind parking at the back of the parking lot.

This is why writing down your goals is imperative. If nothing else, it is a cue to your subconscious that you are committed to something. You will feel a lot more conviction if you write out a goal than if you decide to let it float around your gray matter. I would even advise taking it to the next step and sharing your goals with others. I feel this is why so many writers have a hard time saying aloud, “I am a writer.” To say it means we have to own it and that people will be watching. We are going to invite a whole other level of accountability and people will notice if we are screwing off. But I say that accountability is the best way to reach your dreams faster, so bring it on!

4. Small Change Will Grow into Big Change—Good habits have a way of filtering through our lives. I have a saying, “Smaller truths reveal larger truths.” We don’t have to do mind-blowing alterations in our routines to start seeing real change in our lives. I guarantee that if you just start making your bed in the morning that other things will fall in line. Soon, you will notice that your bedroom is neater, and then the kitchen. As your house gets tidier, so does your purse and your car, and so on and so forth.

Just start with small writing goals and I guarantee that bigger better changes will follow suit.

5. Understand that Feelings LIE—Modern pop psychology loves to ask about our feeeelings all the time. Feelings are important, but they are a lousy compass to guide our actions. Why? Feelings can be affected by so many things—fatigue, diet, too much sleep, too little sleep, jerks at the office, kid toys underfoot, PMS, hormones, too much caffeine, not enough caffeine, cat vomit in our house slippers, and on and on and on. If I can pass on any lesson that will change your life it is for you to understand that your feelings will almost always take the path of least resistance. If we are going to accomplish anything in life we cannot let our feelings have a vote.

I blog whether I feel like it or not. I don’t wait until I feel like writing to sit my tuchus in a chair. Feelings can be the enemy and steal your dreams. The Crappy Excuse Trolls and Procrastination Pixies will capitalize on your feelings and do everything in their power to convince you that you will get to it later when you feel like it. Shut them down. Don’t give your feelings a vote.

The best way to shut down your feelings is to make lists of goals. I make lists every day and it keeps me focused. I can be exhausted, disenchanted, disillusioned, but it doesn’t matter. I look to the list. It’s like my earlier example of the gym. I say, “Okay, I will just do the first three.” Funny thing is that once I get started, I usually keep going. Like most things in life, overcoming that initial inertia is the hardest part. Lists keep us focused and don’t give feelings a say.

6. Make a Plan—There is a saying in sales, Fail to plan, plan to fail. A good plan will keep you focused, accountable, and give you clear benchmarks to measure success. I recommend buying NY Times Best-Selling Author Bob Mayer’s Warrior Writer. He teaches how to craft a plan for a writing career. In fact, at WDWPUB, they are running a special and you can order a special bundle package of Warrior Writer along with my agent-recommended book We Are Not Alone—The Writer’s Guide to Social Media AND Bob’s Novel Writer’s Toolkit that will take you from idea to finished product. These three books are the basic pillars to a successful career. I also recommend the Write It Forward Workshops. For $20 a workshop, you can learn everything about self-publishing, writing a novel, social media, and on and on…all from the comfort of your home and for less than the cost of eating out one meal.

In the end? Just Do It. Put that slogan on a Post-It notes and paper your house if you must. Put a Troll doll on your computer to remind you to be wary of Crappy Excuse Trolls in your midst. If any of you are new and don’t know the M.O. of the Crappy Excuse Trolls and Procrastination Pixies, go here. They make 12% commission off your shattered dreams.

And remember:

1. Grant Permission to Be Imperfect
2. Give Baby Steps a Chance
3. Establish Accountability
4. Trust that Small Change will Grow into Big Change
5. Understand that Feelings LIE
6. Make a Plan

What are some struggles that you guys have? What are tactics you use to keep focused? What are your goals for this year? Be brave and put them in the comments. What are some goals you’ve always wanted to reach but haven’t? Why? What is your advice?

Happy writing!

See you next year!

The post 2011 and Planning for Success in the New Year appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

Sorry for the delay in posting, but have been very busy with writing jobs, which is a good thing.

The topic for today is an interesting one and even possibly controversial. Editing is great, but it can KILL a novel. If you are hoping to either one day be published or even write that break-out novel, you could be your own worst enemy.

Some of you reading this may be on Twitter, and if you are, there is a hash tag group called #writegoal (the brainchild of talented romance author Anna DeStefano http://www.annawrites.com). Definitely worth following and even joining. The purpose of #writegoal is to inspire and to create a system of accountability. Other writers will cheer on people they have never met, and there is something oddly convicting about posting “Goal today is 500 words.” There are no writing police to drag you away if you fail to meet those 500 words. Yet, those who participate feel they must at least give it the good college try in order to appease the group. But, I digress. Accountability is important, but a topic for another day.

I keep tabs on #writegoal, and #amwriting and even on MySpace and FB groups. One consistent post I see looks like this. “Looked at the pages I wrote last week and now editing. What crap”…or something to that effect.

Editing can be CANCER to a novel. Yes, editing can be devastating to shorter works, but doesn’t have quite the killing power it possesses when introduced into longer works. In a novel that can span anywhere from 80-120,000 words (depending on genre), editing can be catastrophic if done at the wrong phase.

Think of it this way. Driving is great. It gets us from point A to point B much quicker, and we do not know what life would be like without our cars. Yet, do we hand car keys to an eight year old? NO! Why? Because that child needs to develop into at least pre-adult (known as an adolescent) to be handed a two-ton piece of metal and fiberglass. Is it because we sit up at night thinking of ways to make the lives of our eight year old children miserable and that we take sick joy in depriving them of fun activities like driving? Um, no. As older wiser adults, we know the child doesn’t have the height, motor skills, and cognitive development to take on such a task without possibly fatal results.

Yet we edit novels three chapters in? No!!!!! Can you edit a novel this early? Sure. But just like handing an eight year old car keys, prepare to endure some consequences.

In my opinion, a novel has not developed enough to sustain any reasonable edit until at least the first draft. Your first draft is essentially your fifteen year old who can now go to Driver’s Ed.

Some of you might be screaming right now. “Kristen! What do you mean? Are you mad? Are you suggesting I leave a document rife with spelling errors and grammatical flaws just lying around?”

Yes. Yes, I am. You will thank me later.

If you are writing a novel, you need to leave any kind of edit for once you have finished the entire first draft. Breathe. Get a paper bag. You will be okay. Just trust me.

Now is it okay to reread what you have written in order to get grounded? Sure. And when you reread, it is even okay to make notes of things you believe at the time should be fixed or even expounded. But don’t you dare hit that backspace button! Nothing gets deleted. Period. Feel free to highlight. Make a note that you believe something should be taken out at a later time, but leave it be. Also, anything you decide needs to be added needs to be written in any color other than your main document. Red, purple, blue. Doesn’t matter. Just make it a different color.

Also, if you take part of your novel to a writing critique group before you are finished with the first draft, then you are taking a HUGE risk.

But, if you choose to do so, I recommend that you still follow my rules of editing. Any changes or suggestions need to be inserted in the form of notes (highlight possible deletions and make a notes as to why this section needed a change). Any additions need to be in another color…then sally forth.

Don’t look back, or you will turn into a pillar or unfinished novels.

Premature editing is very dangerous for three reasons:

1. Uproots Subconscious Seeds—Your subconscious mind is an amazing machine. It sees the big picture in ways the conscious mind cannot. As you write, your subconscious mind is planting seeds that, when viewed in a microcosm of one or three chapters, will likely seem to make no sense. Duh. That is like an acorn trying to envision life as a 100 foot tall oak tree. These seeds need time to gestate. When you edit prematurely, all you see is a hunk of something smooshy. You don’t realize that a possibly mind-blowing idea is trying to take root in the fertile soil of your story. By editing too early, you can possibly cripple your novel. By the end of the first draft, however, you will be able to look back and see sprouted weeds, which you can feel free to uproot. But the sprouts will be mature enough to distinguish from seedlings that need to be nurtured to their full potential.

2.  Makes us Mistake Busy Work for Real Work—Premature editing indulges our fears. Many times writers do not continue forward due to subconscious fear. Deep down we might know our original idea is flawed, or not strong enough, or convoluted, or unclear. We may know that we don’t have a solid outline or framework to support a 100K words. We may realize our characters have problems, but it is going to take work and honesty to fix them. Or all of that might be just fine, but we fear failure or even success. We fear writing the gritty stuff because it leaves us exposed and vulnerable, or we fear writing real conflict because our human nature is to avoid it. Premature editing gives us a false belief that we are being productive, when in fact it is sabotaging our work and reinforcing our fears by permitting us to procrastinate. Fears can only be conquered by facing them, and premature editing keeps us “busy” and gives us justification to stay mired.

 ***This is one of the reasons I started Warrior Writer Boot Camp, based off Bob Mayer’s teachings about fear. I felt that, for many, the traditional critique group of piecemeal edit kept writers from facing and really working on the real weaknesses.

 3.  Premature Edit Can Discourage and Keep a Writer from Finishing—This is another reason that traditional critique groups can be counter-productive. Other writers are seeing your work in a microcosm, and that limits how well they can critique. This is why I suggest using the techniques we discussed earlier. Just make notes. Your fellow writers are invaluable, but you have to appreciate that they are seeing your work from a limited point of view. Their opinions may be dead-on (We HATE your protagonist and hope he dies), but they could be far off-base and serve only to uproot those subconscious seeds we discussed.

If you continue to go back changing things chapter by chapter, changing, changing, changing, either due to critique group feedback or your own self-edit, what happens is that you KILL your forward momentum with a big ol’ red-penning, back-spacing machete.  Do that long enough, and it becomes hard not to be discouraged and ultimately give up. If you have been reworking the first act of your book for months, it can very easily end up in the drawer with all the other unfinished works.

Now I know all of you care about your work, and you desire to put your best foot forward. If that means waiting a few months before you bring anything to read at your critique group, then so be it. Mark my words. It will take a lot of self-restraint NOT to go back through your writing with pruning shears after a hard critique.

But writing a novel is like planting a field of green growing things that will eventually bear fruit. If in the beginning, you can envision the magnificent rows ready for harvest, then it is easier to be encouraged and to refrain from digging up the seeds and starting over.

Good luck and happy writing!

Until next time…

Here are some resources to empower you on your journey to successful published author:

I highly recommend Candace Havens website. Candace often runs on-line writing workshops with Rosemary Clements-Moore that teaches Fast Draft techniques. http://www.candacehavens.com

As  always, I recommend, Bob’s Novel Writers Toolkit as a foundational text to learn how to write a novel and also suggest Who Dares Wins as a fantastic book that teaches how to address and conquer fear. Bob also runs the Warrior Writer Workshop, designed to develop amateur writers into professional authors. Bob now offers the course on-line for greater convenience. http://www.bobmayer.org

The post Editing–Meet the Novel Killer appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

“Hello! Egg People!”

Last week, we discussed the “proper” way to begin crafting your novel. In my opinion, the best creative process is the one that best works with the way your mind operates. You can read books on writing until the cows come home, attend workshops, read articles, but the best method to approaching the creative process is going to be one that works in tandem with your preferences. Trying to emulate what works for others will only take you so far.

In Bob’s Warrior Writer Workshops, he makes attendees spend time getting to know themselves. Really, really know with brutal honesty. For those who might like to do a lot of this intense self-therapy, I recommend Bob’s Who Dares Wins (www.bobmayer.org). Learn about your strengths, weaknesses, fears, etc. all of which drive or sabotage your creative energy.

And this blog is partly about you getting to know YOU. So last week, we talked about what I called “Chicken People” or “Character Writers.” I am definitely among the Chicken People. I always begin with a character in mind, and I don’t care what the story is, so long as it works with THAT particular character. This latest book I am working on has the badass female action hero. I could have cared less if she was battling Al-Qaeda, Russians, or the Asian mob so long as she got to kick ass and chew bubblegum (…and she’s fresh out of bubble gum).

But I’d always had trouble with plot. Bob helped me understand why. My mind needed to know, really, really, really know the cast before I could even begin to wrap my mind around my plot. Bob made me get to know my characters first. And I cried and moaned and groaned because I wanted a conflict lock. I wanted him to teach me a super-duper way of outlining. I wanted my outline, my organized story, gosh darn it. But, in retrospect, I now realize that Bob could talk to me for five minutes and know I was not an “Egg Person” and beginning with plot would be a waste of time. He was correct.

But what about the other side? We have talked about character writers (scroll down to last week’s blog if you missed it), but what about plot-writers?

One of our Warrior Writer Boot Camp authors is a huge WWI buff (Hey Nigel!). He knows everything there is to know about WWI. He has the story he wants to tell, but needs help when it comes to casting.  He is a “Plot Writer”—yes, one of the “Egg People.”

So when beginning a novel, which comes first? Plot or character? Well, we are still sorting through that. In Warrior Writer Boot Camp, we require that the writer start where he/she is strongest.  In WWBC, the plot-writer’s process looks a bit like this:

EGG PEOPLE—For Those Who are Strong at Plot

1. Original idea—get at the very least an idea of the story you would like to write. Most plot people have this down pat, but still a good idea to write this down first. Are you writing a thriller? A mystery? Chick lit? YA?
2. Begin constructing your plot. First, what is the inciting incident? What one thing puts Joe Schmoe in direct conflict with your antagonist? A REAL antagonist. Not war or a storm or fascism or even global warming. A REAL antagonist, literary flesh and blood. For those who desire more insight into the antagonist, I suggest an earlier blog on this exact topic, “Beyond Bastards, Bullies, and Bad Girls—Understanding the Antagonist.” http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/beyond-bastards-bullies-and-bad-girls/ 

Also, keep your plot simple. Conflict is not complexity. There are only so many plots, no matter what anyone says. As an editor for many years, I always have new writers who feel like they have written something entirely new. Um…no. Sorry. Nothing new.

 Think about it this way, in mathematics, what numbers do we have to work with? 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. That’s it. No “new” numbers. Now, the combinations and applications of these digits are limitless. Same thing with writing. Like our number pals here, there are only so many plots. Plot is not where you will be unique. If your plot can’t be paralleled to a biblical story or Shakespeare, you have a problem.

 That’s why Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet could be so easily made into modern day renditions. People don’t change. Human drama is immutable. It will be in character and how YOU go about your plot that will make your story unique.

 There is some debate how many basic plots there are, but here is a good site that discusses all the theories and it might help give some clarity.

 http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/plotFARQ.html

 Keep plot simple. Simple clear conflict.

 3.Create your ending. Seems counterintuitive, but your ending is the question that the entire story is designed to answer. How does your protagonist eventually triumph over your antagonist? Answer this and the plot will fall into place MUCH easier.

 To use last week’s example. If you know Joe Schmoe will beat Drake Dashing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and save the rare Tse-Tse Monkeys from being slaughtered, then back-tracking the plot becomes easier. If the story ends with Joe at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tse-Tse Monkey in hand, then the plot is going to have to somehow get Joe Schmoe from his job shoveling Orangutan poo at the Brooklyn Zoo to Tanzania saving rare Tse-Tse Monkeys in a logical fashion.

Now that you are working backwards, start fleshing out the plot. Refer to Bob’s Novel Writers Toolkit for a novel template, and he can help you frame this original idea onto a structure. I also highly, highly, highly recommend Jack Bickham’s Scene and Structure. Basically, and there are dramatic variations, most novels will fall into the three act structure. Here are two nice blogs for further explication, but, in my humble opinion, the two books I suggested are invaluable and should be in every writer’s library. http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/Structure&Plot.htm http://fiction-plots-pacing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_plot_a_novel_for_beginners_in_writing

4.  Now that you have a pretty good structure in place, NOW you need to go about casting this drama. Looking at the story you have created, who will be best for each role? For instance, we likely would not cast Hannah Montana in a “Silence of the Lambs” type of movie (no matter how much we’d like to, :)). There are certain personalities and images that go well with different roles in a book…just like in a movie. And ideally, make your characters unique so they are more easily made distinctive in the reader’s mind.

 5.  Get an idea of supporting cast members—mentors, minions, allies, love interests. You know your plot, so get at least a basic idea when it comes to your story’s supporting cast.

 6.  Create your bad guy/girl antagonist. Who is he/she? What does she want? What is her endgame? Remember, your protagonist will have a happy-happy-joy-joy life if the antagonist dies at birth. The antagonist drives the story, so I recommend figuring him or her out first. And make their goal interesting (not complicated). And since you already have your story framed out, this step should be easy.

 7.  Create your protagonist. Who will be perfect for taking down your antagonist? The protagonist has to be inherently good or have good qualities (even anti-heroes—we desire their redemption for a reason), and she will have to be flawed in the beginning. Why? Because if your protagonist was perfect in the beginning, then she could take out the bad guy right away. Makes for a super short novel. Remember, plot writers have already gotten an idea of the story so this part should be relatively simple.

8. Refer to Bob Mayer’s Novel Writers Toolkit for the character template. Take all these characters (your rough ideas) and use Bob’s tools to help flesh them out and make them multi-dimensional. Make sure they fit well with your story. I recommend John Douglas’s Mind Hunter and Anatomy of Motive. Knowledge of psychology will be extremely helpful with all your characters. The BAU capitalizes on this to profile criminals. Why? Because behavior tells a lot about psychology. Make sure your characters’ actions are congruent with who they are.

9. Get feedback from others. A writing partner or writing group. Do your characters make sense? Do they have the ability to emotionally resonate, or are they one-dimensional caricatures? Are your characters flawed in a good way or are they TDTL (Too Dumb to Live)?

We recently had a writer who wanted a conniving money-laundering mogul who ran all the booze and casinos. But in the character background he wrote, this antagonist was a brutal rapist who liked to rape and chop up women. His string of killings propelled him to move West. BIG problem! The psychological profile of a misogynistic sadist who ritually rapes and kills women is not even remotely congruent with the antagonist he needed for his story. He needed Al Swearengen from Deadwood NOT Ted Bundy.  He created a good antagonist, just not a good one for his story.

Your fellow writers see your work from a distant perspective, and they are less emotionally attached to it. Their feedback can be priceless.

If after these two blogs, you are still unsure whether you are a character writer or a plot writer, I suggest try both ways and see if one feels better than the other. Regardless what you do, make sure your approach is the best fit so as to make the most of your creative potential.

Good luck and happy writing.

Until next time…

Sign up for a Warrior Writer Workshop today! Now offered on-line. Bob teaches writers how to become authors with his innovative workshop designed to take you and your writing to a whole new level. www.bobmayer.org

The post Writing a Novel–Plot or Character? Which Comes First? Part II appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

What comes first? Plot or character? Ah the famous “Chicken and the Egg” enigma. Can a story survive being weak on either? Sure. But, in order to write a truly great novel, both plot and character are essential. Last summer, Bob held his very first Warrior Writer Workshop here in Dallas, Texas. Many members of my writing group attended the Novel Writers’ Workshop he often gives the day before (and I have to say for those who have not attended…you only think you can write, and then Bob Mayer gets a hold of you).

Using his Who Dares Wins principles, Bob forced each of us into the areas we protected the most, and made us address our writing weaknesses. Not an easy thing to do. I always liked creating characters and writing dialogue. Why? Because that is where I shine. But wanna make me scream like a little girl? Make me write an outline. Thus, after two days of hard training, it became clear to me and some of the other attendees that we needed a totally different kind of writing group. The traditional critique group gravitated toward thinking in a microcosm and was a vastly inadequate for framing a literary structure capable of supporting a story that eventually would span from 70-111,000 words. Also, Bob had pushed us to address where we were weak. Awesome for a weekend, but what about the long haul? We needed accountability and a place where we could “work out” weekly and strengthen those weak writing muscles. And since Bob refused to let us all come and live with him, Warrior Writer Boot Camp was born.

The past several months have taught us quite a lot. One thing is for certain. None of us will ever return to the traditional critique group. But, since this was such an innovative approach, it has had its share of bugs and kinks that we never could have anticipated. The plot vs. character question has been one of those bumps in the road, and it has taken almost eight months to get past it and gather momentum.

What we have learned…

Character is important. Most readers will forgive minor problems with the plot if the characters truly resonate. Think about it. People you “connect” with on some level tend to get more leeway even in your personal life…but there is a flakiness limit. Cast awesome characters in a pointless story that drifts here and there, and roams down one bunny trail after another and  this “story flakiness” will quickly frustrate a reader.

Plot is essential. But, without characters that will resonate, one risks the reader ultimately losing interest in the work because of the lack of emotional connection. Humans are not robots. We are driven by emotions. A story can survive with carbon-copy characters, but it likely will not be memorable.

So when beginning a novel, which comes first? Plot or character? Well, we are still sorting through that. In Warrior Writer Boot Camp, we require that the writer start where they are strongest. And to minimize the length of today’s blog, we will address CHARACTER (The Chicken) first. The process looks a bit like this:

CHICKEN PEOPLE—For Those Who are Strong at Character

***I recommend using Bob Mayer’s Novel Writers Toolkit for a good character template.

1. Original idea—get at the very least an idea of the story you would like to write. Thriller? Suspense? Romance? YA? Is it a vampire story? A spy story? A love story? A spy-vampire-love story? This will give you the first impression of the characters you will need. You can’t cast actors for a movie if you don’t know what the movie is about. You wouldn’t likely put Jack Nicholson in a children’s movie, but he would be perfect in a psychological thriller. Ben Stiller would be great in a comedy, but we would have a hard time taking him seriously in a dramatic film. You get the idea. So what book (movie) do you want to write? Write it down and REMEMBER IT. It is very easy to listen to feedback and edit, edit, edit and then lose the original story you wanted to write in the first place.

 2. Create your bad guy/girl antagonist. Who is he/she? What does she want? What is her endgame? Remember, your protagonist will have a happy-happy-joy-joy life if the antagonist dies at birth. The antagonist drives the story, so I recommend figuring him or her out first. And make their goal interesting (not complicated).

 3.  Create your protagonist. Who will be perfect for taking down your antagonist? The protagonist has to be inherently good or have good qualities (even anti-heroes—we desire their redemption for a reason), and she will have to be flawed in the beginning. Why? Because if your protagonist was perfect in the beginning, then she could take out the bad guy right away. Makes for a super short novel.

 4.  Get an idea of supporting cast members—mentors, minions, allies, love interests. Don’t get too bogged down with supplemental characters. Plot likely will change them. But, it is a good idea to have at least an idea of the supporting cast.

 5.  Begin constructing your plot. First, what is the inciting incident? What one thing puts Joe Schmoe in direct conflict with your antagonist? A REAL antagonist. Not war or a storm or fascism or even global warming. A REAL antagonist, literary flesh and blood. For those who desire more insight into the antagonist, I suggest an earlier blog on this exact topic, “Beyond Bastards, Bullies, and Bad Girls—Understanding the Antagonist.” http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/beyond-bastards-bullies-and-bad-girls/

 6. Create your ending. Seems counterintuitive, but your ending is the question that the entire story is designed to answer. How does your protagonist eventually triumph over your antagonist? Answer this and the plot will fall into place MUCH easier. If you know Joe Schmoe will beat Drake Dashing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and save the rare Tse-Tse Monkeys from being slaughtered, then back-tracking the plot becomes easier. If the story ends with Joe at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tse-Tse Monkey in hand, then the plot is going to have to somehow get Joe Schmoe from his job shoveling Orangutan poo at the Brooklyn Zoo to Tanzania saving rare Tse-Tse Monkeys in a logical fashion.

 7. Now that you are working backwards, start fleshing out the plot. Refer to Bob’s Novel Writers Toolkit for a novel template, and he can help you frame this original idea onto a structure. I also highly, highly, highly recommend Jack Bickham’s Scene and Structure. Basically, and there are dramatic variations, most novels will fall into the three act structure. Here are two nice blogs for further explication, but, in my humble opinion, the two books I suggested are invaluable and should be in every writer’s library. http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/Structure&Plot.htm

http://fiction-plots-pacing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_plot_a_novel_for_beginners_in_writing

8.  Get feedback from others. A writing partner or group. Does your plot make sense? Or does it rely on author intrusion and massive coincidence that will likely make the reader hate you? Yes, Joe Schmoe could logically win the NY State Power Ball Lottery and then set out for Africa to realize his life-long dream of saving the rare Tse-Tse Monkeys…but that’s pushing it, and frankly, not that interesting. Maybe your writer pals could be more inventive. Maybe Joe Schmoe could be selected by Drake Dashing (antagonist) to come along on an expedition to Tanzania as the official Monkey Poo Shoveler. Joe rises from poo shoveler to hero, by discovering then foiling Drake Dashing’s plan to make his fortune from Tse-Tse Monkey hand puppets. And yes, I am being a little silly, but your fellow writers see your work from a distant perspective, and they are less emotionally attached to it. Their feedback can be priceless.

So today we have dealt with Chicken People—Those Who Are Strong at Character. I know all of you Chicken People will have a blast creating your cast using Bob’s character template. Hopefully, you will put this fantastic cast to better use now that you have tools to keep them on track and in their place.

For Egg People—Those Who Are Strong at Plot, we serve you up next week, ;).

Until then…

 Go to bob@bobmayer.org for a copy of The Novel Writers Toolkit or to sign up for a workshop near you. Bob now offers on-line Warrior Writer training, so sign up today!

The post Writing a Novel–Plot or Character? Which Comes First? appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

Two things we cannot avoid? Death and taxes. Death I cannot help you with. But taxes? Maybe I can. As a quintessential optimist, I would like to believe that almost every writer aspires to one day get paid for doing what they love. The bright side of that? You will get paid to write. The down side? So will Uncle Sam. How much he gets paid will be up to you. After almost ten years of writing for a living, I can honestly say that self-employment can be a blessing or a nightmare depending on how well you learn to handle the business side of your craft. Best to get in good habits as soon as you possibly can.

There are so many workshops and blogs dedicated to the fun stuff…the writing. The craft. Frankly, characterization sounds way more exciting than itemization any day. Yet, ignorance is costly. How many talented actors, musicians, artists and athletes ended up going from multi-millionaires to using a squeegee at a car wash because they failed to understand the business side of their business?

My last two blog postings have been geared to help writers understand that there are two sides to the entertainment business. The entertaining is fun, but the business? Let’s just say us artsy creative types often find it more than a little intimidating. In fact, most of us would rather get major dental work while being forced to listen to Paris Hilton’s CD set on repeat. A lot of us have a tough time with spreadsheets and business plans. We struggle to be organized and think that Excel takes all the sparkle out of life. But, alas, we do wish to be successful at our writing business. So if we must gut through the not-fun stuff, we might as well make it as painless as possible.

One bright side to being a writer is that it is shocking how many things are tax-deductable. Thus, it is a good idea to get into the habit of collecting receipts. And don’t wait until you are published or making decent money or any money for that matter. Do it now. Depending on tax laws, you can use several years of expenses (more on that later) once you do get to the point that itemizing makes sense. I am not an accountant and the tax laws change every year, but I have been self-employed for a very long time. Thus, the greatest advice I can offer is save everything. Now, that said, how do you keep it all organized? Yes, that $3000 computer, the writer’s conferences, and even your cable bill are all deductions…if you can find the receipts.

Back when I was in corporate sales, I had a nine-state territory and northern Mexico. That meant I was on the road almost 100% of the time. When you are on the road that much, you can quickly be up to your eyeballs in little slips of random papers. Everything went on the expense report, and I was almost always reimbursed exactly what I had spent. It was shocking, however, how much money my fellow salespeople basically threw away because they didn’t effectively organize receipts. Okay, I’ll confess. It was shocking how much money I threw away before I learned to effectively organize my receipts.

Since tax laws are changing continually, I advise saving everything you can, then let a professional accountant tell you what you can and cannot deduct. And then keep a record of all these receipts in case you get audited (the IRS tends be more apt to hassle self-employed people).

A simple way to keep up with all these little slips of paper? Ten easy steps.

1. For ladies? Carry an envelope in your purse. Every receipt goes into the envelope. When it gets full, empty into a large manila envelope in your office area marked with the current month. Guys? When your wallet fills with receipts, just dump them in the big folder.
2. It is a good idea to write a name on any receipts for meals you would like to deduct as business meals. Who were you at lunch with and what was the purpose? An extra step, but one that will make life easier later on.
3. At the end of the month, it is time to sort. But before doing anything else, take a black ballpoint pen (NOT BLUE! AND NO HIGHLIGHTERS!) and underline the following information on every receipt: date, amount, place of purchase, type of purchase.
4. Sort. I sorted chronologically into one pile.
5. Get a big stack of cheap copy paper (legal size is good for this) and some Scotch tape.
6. Start taping the receipts in chronological order down the left side of the paper, leaving room to write on the right side.
7. Once everything is taped, go back to page one. January 1, March 1, whatever. Remember the stuff you underlined? Now WRITE it out to the side in clear bold letters in black ballpoint pen. Blue will not photocopy and highlighters can smear your original receipt and make it illegible.

Your information will look something like this:

May 1, 2010

$43.85

Exxon

Gasoline

May 3, 2010

$39.14

Barnes & Noble

Research Materials for Article

May 4, 2010

$29.32

Chilis

Business lunch with Joe Schmoe to discuss Writer Workshop Agenda

8.  Once all this information is noted, make two photocopies of your original documents. One for your accountant and another for back-up just in case.

9.   Clip your originals together with a large alligator clip and then slide back into the large manila envelope you originally used to collect them.   Make two more envelopes. One for back-up copies and one for your accountant.

10. File. I recommend that originals go in a fireproof safe. In the digital age, you may also wish to scan the pages into your computer and then save them on a flash drive or server.

Also remember, once you are self-employed, a portion of your utilities, cable bill, cell phone bill, Internet service, car payment, and even your mortgage can be possibly deducted. It is a good idea to photocopy these monthly bills and then file accordingly. The original bills can go in the folder with the original receipts. Copies in with the copies, and another set put together for your wonderful accountant. Keep these receipts for ten years ideally. Laws change, so I like to err of the safe side. You might keep only hard copy for the past five and digital for the five years prior to that. As I said earlier, tax laws are always changing. You might not make a dime from writing until three years from now, but the computer you bought at the 2009 After Christmas Sale might be  a deduction in 2012.

Now when your accountant goes through your receipts, he or she will no longer be desperately trying to make up from down out of a shoebox of coffee-stained slips of paper. He can just scan through the pages and circle the items you can deduct or mark a big X through items that might make Uncle Sam take an unwanted interest in you. Since the information will be chronological and organized, you will find that your accountant will be able to help you keep a lot more of your hard-earned cash.

I recommend saving everything. Never hurts. That Jones of New York suit you bought to teach at a writing conference might not be a write-off, but then again? Maybe it is.

Collecting receipts in this manner offers a number of benefits. Since you will lose far fewer receipts, you will be able to possibly take many more deductions. But the biggest benefit? You can sort when you feel like it. If you toss all receipts into a monthly file, they are contained. No longer wandering in the bottom of purses or junk drawers. If you are super-disciplined, feel free to organize and file once a week or at the end of the month. But, if life explodes, or you naturally tend to procrastinate? No worries. You can just sit and organize three months at one sitting. Since the receipts are corralled by month, feel free to organize when it suits your life and schedule.

For more on the business side of the entertainment business, I recommend NY Times Best-Selling Author Bob Mayer’s Warrior Writer Workshops (bob@bobmayer.org) which are designed to teach writers how to be commercial savvy.

The post Death and Taxes–A Writer's Guide to Keeping More of What You Make appeared first on Kristen Lamb.

I have had the unique privilege of experiencing Warrior Writer now on three levels—as an individual, as part of a group, and now as part of on-line training.  The Warrior-Writer concept is so life altering, so mind-blowing and unique that I find it a real challenge to put its essence into words, but I’m going to give it a try.

One of my favorite shows is “Kitchen Nightmares” with Chef Gordon Ramsay (Series Premiere tonight 1-29 on Fox).  Why? Because it is amazing how much the culinary world and the world of writing have in common. Opening a restaurant is, by and large, an emotional thing, fueled by ego and unfulfilled dreams, often attempted by amateurs with no real professional training for success. The restaurant business is brutal, with a standard failure rate of almost 62% in the first year. And while many will chalk up this shocking rate of failure to the “ways of the industry,” Chef Ramsay certainly provides us all with “food for thought.”

Bob Mayer, with Warrior Writer, is doing something very similar. Most of us didn’t become writers to make money, much like most independent restauranteurs. We write because we have to. It fulfills, releases, or validates something inside. For many, writing is the reward for living a responsible life of working a “real job” for others. Likewise, watch “Kitchen Nightmares” and I guarantee that, within three episodes, you will meet the retired police officer or the former construction worker, or the mom who wanted a family business, all of whom opened a restaurant for very emotional reasons…yet they are dying because they didn’t understand that one must possess more than passion to succeed.

These eager, well-intending individuals remind me of so many writers I’ve known over my career (including myself). Many writers dive head-first into the publishing world with little to no training, and struggle to thrive in an industry that doesn’t properly value the talent it depends upon. In one of my earlier blogs, I stated, “To believe college English constitutes proper schooling for commercial fiction is like saying Home Economics is proper training for a chef.”  This is true when it comes to the writing, but it is much truer when it comes to the mentality of the professional author. This is where Warrior Writer comes in.

The publishing industry may or may not change, but with Warrior Writer, thankfully, we authors can.

Until now, there has been no real formal training on what it means to be a professional author. It is highly complex. Thus, I have decided to dedicate a new series to exploring it. As Bob will tell you, we writers are in the entertainment business, which is an oxymoron. Entertainment is emotional, while business is rational. The two have a tough time coexisting.

 And I will be blunt here. Part of what hurts most writers (especially new ones) is that they fail to understand you cannot separate entertainment from business or vice versa. Thus, many writers tend to either focus all their energies on the writing, or they scope-lock on the business. Both have to coexist.  What good is a brilliant novel if we don’t learn the business well enough to survive, let alone thrive? Similarly, what good does learning about finding an agent or even great marketing serve us if our product is crap?

For the sake of brevity, I have chosen to tackle only one half of this today. I believe one has to let this part of Warrior Writer sink in for the others to make sense. So today, we will address the entertainment part of the entertainment business, because these two words alone lend to internal conflict that will translate into external conflict if not understood and handled properly.

Writing is something all of us love, ergo why we became writers. Yet, after going through the Warrior Writer training, my eyes were opened to something key. As an editor for going on ten years, I had a hard time understanding why writers simply came undone if their work was criticized, sometimes violently so. I mean, this is a business, and that isn’t being very professional. We are critiquing the writing, not the writer. WRONG.

The writing is a key indicator of the person producing the product, both strengths and weaknesses. When Chef Ramsay is invited to help save a restaurant that is on the verge of disaster, what is the first thing he does? Does he look at the location? The menu? The management? The advertising? No. That all comes later. The very first thing he wants to see and taste is the food, and there is a very good reason.

Food, like writing, is interminably linked to emotion. Ramsay often can tell virtually everything about the restaurant that needs to be fixed by the food he is served that first day. Does the chef have pride in the food? Is the dish far too fancy with 20,000 ingredients and more garnish than substance? Is the food rotten, raw? Did the chef focus more on the presentation than quality of the food? Does the chef have focus, or is he making Mexican Irish Spring Rolls with a Curry Chutney?

This is a direct parallel to writing, and a lot of what Warrior Writer teaches us to see. What is the quality of the “food” we are serving up? And, more importantly, what is CAUSING us to do what we do? If you read Who Dares Wins (used in Warrior Writer), the first question Bob asks is, “WHO?” for a very good reason. We have to define who we are before we can find what we fear. Warrior Writer’s FIRST goal is to kick our FEARS out of the driver’s seat to our careers, and replace those fears with something more positive…like talent.

No writing class will fix this. I will give you an example. Last summer, I sat in the Warrior Writer class very dutifully, near the front with my laptop. Bob instructed us to write down our big goal for writing. Right away, I typed in, “My goal is to become a best-selling author in five years.” For a second I felt very proud and daring, then I looked closer (remember I had already run through an individual Warrior Writer, so I had new eyes).  I swear I literally heard the tumblers in my mind falling into place. A best-selling author of what? Romance? Suspense? Origami cookbooks? Here I thought I was making a specific goal, yet I was miles off base. But here is the strange part. Up until that point, I had been taking classes and reading books on structure, structure, plot, structure, plot. I was going crazy on why my novels kept breaking down over the long haul. Why could I fix it in others, but kept screwing it up myself? This one-sentence goal revealed my answer. If I, the author, had no clear direction or focus, why would my writing or my characters? No wonder I was serving up Mexican Irish Spring Rolls with Curry Chutney.

I have to say that after Bob’s Warrior Writer class, after understanding my critical flaw, I was able to finally see my own unwitting sabotage, and am now almost half finished with a fast-paced action thriller. Unlike all my other works, this one was well-planned ahead of time, was clearly outlined and now has focus. All the characters have a specific role, are no longer randomly created to force my unplanned plot in a needed direction.

The truth is, everything we put on that page is a part of who we are. For those who read my blog “Facing down the Beast,” http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/what-is-warrior-writer-facing-down-the-beast/ we can end up sabotaging ourselves by not digging deep enough, not putting enough out there and thus failing to deeply resonate with the reader. If we the writer are not genuine and vulnerable, how can our characters ever hope to be? The plain fact of the matter is that we cannot separate who we are from what we write. Thus, we must become the best to write the best. Bob always says, “To become is hard; to be is even harder.”

And later, I will explore how this translates into how we handle the business part of the entertainment business because I guarantee you that the same fears that hindering our writing are going to, at the very least, be kissing cousins with the fears that will hold us back in the business part of the equation.

So, in the meantime, think about what food you are serving up as your signature dish.

Until next time…

**********

I highly recommend visiting Bob Mayer’s site for more information on Warrior Writer training near you www.bobmayer.org. He also offers WARRIOR WRITER ON-LINE! Wow! So nothing stands in the way of the writing career of your dreams. Sign up TODAY!

If you miss Gordon tonight on Fox, then just make it a point to catch his show. Or, for instant gratification, you can also get familiar with Chef Gordon Ramsay via this link http://www.hulu.com/kitchen-nightmares. Episode 5 “Olde Stone Mill” is a great one to watch to better understand Warrior Writer.

The post Warrior Writer—Formula for Disaster Meets the Recipe for Success Revisited (Part I) appeared first on Kristen Lamb.