Category Archives: On Writing

May 24, 2021 · 1:52 pm

Write a Book in 90 Days?

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You can write a book in 90 days if you have the dedication and endurance to do so. I did it. You have to follow some simples steps in order to get it done:

  • Set up a schedule based on how much time per week you will dedicate to writing.
  • Organize first! Knowing where you are going with a story helps keep you moving.
  • Get beta readers. (Have at least 3 people read and give you suggestions/edits)
  • Be open to criticism.
  • Do your homework. (Enter your storyline into internet search)
  • Read other authors in your genre.
  • Practice writing daily. (Short stories, journaling, workshops, exercises)

Investigate your storyline before you begin writing. If your story is too close to someone else’s, you could be accused of plagiarism. It is okay to emulate the style of authors you love, but be careful not to reproduce their whole story or plot with new character names!  This is still considered plagiarism.

Outlining a story may save you a lot of wasted work. Sometimes plots or storylines just don’t go anywhere. We all do it but some never stop to consider that the story just isn’t interesting and feel the need to finish it without tweaking the plot along the way.

I had beta readers following the developing story and making suggestions. Some would say, “hey, this doesn’t make sense…” and I would add backstory, a literary device, or cut something altogether. In one instance a cut sent my story in a new and better direction completely than my original intent. Outlines don’t prevent this, but it gives a simple map to prevent you from getting lost if you are one to wander.

Everyone has their own way to write. Some sit down and do it quickly, some struggle with beginnings or endings. I know an author who loves to sit in a loud coffee shop and type at a table. Your space and process is whatever works. Go do it!

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November 23, 2020 · 3:46 am

Advice to Young Writers

“You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.” Stephen King from On Writing

When students ask me for advice about writing for a living, I begin by asking them a question. “Do you write every day, even if you don’t have to?”

If the student responds yes, then I tell them, you are already a writer. No matter what I tell you, if you have a passion to write, you should try to improve your skills in every way possible and keep writing.

To be a good writer, you should practice all types of writing. This means excelling in writing for school and for enjoyment. Writing is not easy if you are doing it for a living. Like anything else at a professional level, it is hard work. But it does have it’s rewards if you love what you do. If you are disciplined enough to try and improve in writing you don’t necessarily enjoy, then you have the endurance to do even better at writing something you enjoy.

In order to write well, you should read just as much. In his book, On Writing, Stephen King states, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.” By reading a lot of classic books, the writer begins to see how plots are written differently. Elements such as setting, character, conflict, and themes emerge and help the reader understand the importance of incorporating the best samples of those elements in their writing style. These are lessons learned from middle school through college.

The next question I ask of a writing student who likes to write is: “Do you write because you want to be a famous writer someday?”

Many will respond, “yes”. It makes me wince because I once felt the same way. As I aged, I realized that less than one percent of writers make money writing books, and less than that actually achieve recognizable fame publishing books. Most will share that going through today’s publishing world has a lot of frustrations. I try to encourage the young writer by encouraging smaller more achievable goals that can increase their skills, experience a few setbacks, and pay some bills. There are many professions that give a great deal of experiences that can be used to create fascinating stories. While those skills are growing, I give the following advice about a career path in writing.

  1. Read as much as you write.
  2. Emulate styles of writing and genres you enjoy.
  3. Join writing groups outside of school.
  4. Join academic writing groups (journalism, newspaper, yearbook).
  5. Go to college and major in something that helps you manage your career (business, computer & graphic design, publishing, or contract law).
  6. Investigate professions that depend on good writers and aim for those.

I have told the student to read more, write more, and practice. The last basic advice next to practice all forms of writing is to write what makes you happy, and practice it daily. Practice how to cut, edit, rework, read, and rewrite your stuff again and again. Use criticism from others as a challenge to improve. If a piece of work still doesn’t seem right, put it in a drawer for a few days or weeks and write something else for a while. When your brain is ready to look at it again, start at the beginning and read it through without stopping. Mark spots you want to revisit, but do not make any notes that will stop the reading process. Never throw it away, but don’t be scared to shove it in a drawer. I have stories filed away I may never publish, but revisit once in a while that spawn other ideas for stories. Not everything you write is gold. In fact, you will write a lot of garbage if you write often. However, begin able to recognize and appreciate your garbage takes time. Writing well and analyzing texts are important skills for most practiced professions.

Most of the famous writers today are doctors, lawyers, politicians, teachers, or other financially secure professionals. Their education helps them meet people who can help their writing careers advance, and gives them a firm financial ability to fund some of their writing aspirations. Limiting your career to sitting and writing does not give you much life experience to write about. Traveling, meeting a lot of interesting people, and communicating with others who have had exciting experiences are invaluable to a writer’s notebook of ideas for writing.

There is no limit of written dreams on shelves from authors who never “made it”, and I try to explain to students of writing that it is a hard road if you write entirely to become famous. Instead, write because you like doing it. If you get paid for writing, that is just a happy bonus. There are always more words to write, but know when it’s time to say the end–until tomorrow.

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September 21, 2020 · 3:25 pm

She was a prisoner on the inside and we were prisoners on the outside.

I want to talk about my mother by writing a book. I lost her recently and my way to deal with pain is to write. She was 94 and mortal, so I didn’t expect her to live forever. There is never enough time to do all the things or say all of the things you want to and death seems to focus that reality. Regret, guilt, anger, longing, only some of the feelings to bear with grief. But to write a book about it in a way that helps others channels the emotions into a positive light.

I write for many reasons. In this time of grief, I also want to help others. My mother was in a nursing home and during that time she contracted COVID-19 from a worker. It was difficult enough that they closed the facility to protect the residents two months prior, but then they actually carried it in to her and passed it through a lack of attention to infectious disease protocol. So, I had to start making notes to myself to decide what the purpose will be in writing this book.

I always begin with the same three questions:

Am I writing to entertain?

Am I writing to inspire?

Am I writing to educate?

If the purpose of my writing is an emotional or cathartic release, then it is a diary and is not likely to help or inspire others as much as to help me cope. Although a book can serve all three of the purposes listed, one usually stands out as the primary purpose. In my case, I feel that I need to educate by offering a map of transition from home to nursing home and help others understand what happens after those decisions are made. The next questions I ask relate to the expected outcome. I ask myself the following:

What outcome do I hope for the finished product and who might this book serve?

Is this book going to instruct someone on how to navigate a similar circumstance or problem?

Is this a platform for change?

Once I have answered all of these questions, I am able to identify the type of book I want to write. The next question is imperative to understanding my mindset at the time of the writing.

What essential question do I want answered or what is my strongest desire to fulfill in writing this book?

In order to really stay focused on writing, I have to be passionate about the cause or the purpose for writing. I try to stay on track and not go off on wild tangents that are fueled by anger or regret in a story, but ultimately it happens. That is why I edit later and do a lot of rewrites. But getting as much down as fast as possible is typically how I roll once my basic outline is set up and beside my computer.

I was a nurse for 30 years and have 15 of those in long term care. I understand the system from both sides. I understand the nurses mindset and how they cope with low staffing and not enough time in the day to do all that has to be done. I understand the endless charting to cover your butt from lawsuits and the state and federal laws related to long term care facilities. I was an administrative nurse acting as a DON at an assisted living facility for two years and met with state reviewers during annual reviews. As a family member with medical training, I witnessed poor care, substandard PPE use and lack of professionalism during care of my mother when I was visiting. I understand the feeling from the point of view of a family member with no control and limited information of how my mother was treated day to day. in my absence. I visited, helped with what I could, and walked away hoping they would care for her but knew it would not be with the same detailed care I could give.

That is how I begin. I am beginning a book about my mother. I will probably write two. One will be to help others to navigate the maze of long term health care for the aging, and the other will be about who mom was before she was seen as an old lady. Understanding the difference in these books and separating the two by purpose is important so the audience is not trying to navigate an unclear trip through a grieving brain of a motherless daughter.

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August 17, 2019 · 10:24 pm

Writing Practice

Every day that you write in your journal, comment on someone’s work, or post on Facebook, you are practicing the art of writing. But what are you practicing? Are you developing reasonably intellectual arguments or comments, or describing a picture of a cat as cute and fluffy?

The practice of creative writing requires some dedication to consistency. Like any talent, if you do not practice regularly, your work will not be as sharp and lack focus. This does not mean that a practiced writer will not make mistakes. On the contrary, I edit my work several times before allowing it to leave my possession.

I recently offered a first draft to a colleague who agreed to review my work for content. I know she will end up doing line by line editing because she was an instructor for so many years.  I write daily, but I found four mistakes of syntax and punctuation on page one of my draft after viewing the printed copy. I should have reviewed the work more closely before showing it to my mentor.

Printing out your work and reviewing it offers a different perspective from seeing it on line or on the computer screen. Perspective in writing can be expanded by trying on different genres and styles of writing. Switching from fiction to non-fiction, from journalistic style to fan-fiction, or from business format to poetry can give any writer a creative boost.

Creativity and inspiration is important in the practice and production of good writing. Look for inspiration anyplace you spend time. If that is on line, in a library, or sitting at a concert with friends, then find your motivation there. Practice writing every day and you may be signing your autograph for a fan inside the cover of your next book. You will not find success if you don’t try through applied practice.

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February 6, 2019 · 9:27 pm

Ideas for writing

I have never had a problem finding lots of story ideas. Writing stories started with my love of books in elementary school and going to the local library on Saturday morning. I loved stories of characters in an adventure like Curious George and Madeline. I wrote little stories on notebook paper in my room and read them to my mom and dad while they tried to watch the evening news. I have always had an active dream life and wrote many of those dreams down in my journal.

Journaling sparks ideas for stories later. When I write about my day, people I know, or things that happened to me at the store, it often results in an idea. Traits displayed by strangers in stores I visit often end up in my stories.

Stories are just a mirror of every day life with a little adventure and mystery added for entertainment sake. Simple errands on a Saturday can take a turn with a flat tire or a lost cell phone. Expand on those little complications, add more complications, a villain, a hero, or a big environmental event and you have a story, or a book.

When my story is dead, or I cannot think of ways to bring an idea into a full story, I do some exercises in writing.

Exercises for Ideas:

  1. Look at old pictures and ask “What if my Aunt Sally had not finished her final vows as a nun and instead had been jailed for a crime she didn’t commit in 1941?”
  2. Read a classic novel, take out the main character and change their motivation to something sinister in the book. Can you create a whole new story?
  3. Watch a movie. Write a paragraph of a scene from the movie, changing the gender or species of the main character.  How did the story change?
  4. Go to a mall, coffee shop, or café and sit down with your computer. Listen to every conversation around you and secretly type out three sentences you hear. Make one of them the opening line of your story. Develop a story from there.
  5. Make your fantasy come true. Did you wish to be born in a different era or follow a different career path? What if you had followed your childhood dream and become a ballerina, a fireman, or a congresswoman? Make yourself the character in a one page description of that life.

The ideas or imagination were never any problem for me. My problem has always been weeding through many pages of ideas to find the one that could become a short story or a book. These are just a few suggestions to help you on the way to your next big idea for a story.

 

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February 5, 2019 · 3:24 pm

It’s never to late to learn

At the age of 40, I returned to college to get my Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, or English Literature to be exact. While that may seem to many people like a study that has no real purpose, I quickly point out that it is a difficult major. Just as science, math, and business, an English Literature degree requires a great deal of study and dedication to acquire.  As a student of this particular subject I had to learn to read differently. I learned not just to read a story for entertainment, but to identify deeper meanings within the words.

As an artist uses different hews of the same color to create shadows, a skilled writer will use words within phrases to create double meanings. Symbolism, archetypes, metaphors, similes, these are just a few of the first things that I learned as I read the classical masters.

My favorite author in literature quickly became Nathaniel Hawthorne. He had a way to weave a story so deeply in my mind that I could not leave it with the last word on the page. I lived his characters over and over in my mind for days after having finished the story. And even though I had been writing stories myself, including publishing a novel, I had never dissected any story and looked at it back to front as I did in my literature studies during college.

Some friends of mine told me they would rather go to the dentist twice in one day than to read all the books on my required reading list. Actually at times I felt much the same. I dragged through Gertrude Stein with concrete in my shoes as the instructor hailed her majesty as works of art. I learned to appreciate her work, but never really enjoyed any of it. It seemed the more far fetched I “interpreted” her work, the better grades I got. That is not really understanding her work as much as using my seven year old imagination to sprinkle a confetti of possible interpretations over a minimum word count essay. Some of the epic poetry studies bored me to tears, but I survived it. Shakespeare was tortured reading for me because, let’s face it, it’s not written in modern English language, therefore, it reminded me of a foreign language.

There are certainly things about returning to college classes that I hated. I disliked being closer to the age of the moms of the students. I was several times at the beginning of the semester mistaken for a teacher. Then there were the standard required classes of math and language. Math in general made me miserable. If I could have written an essay for math and passed, I would have been in heaven. Letters and numbers don’t belong together and Algebra will forever perplex me.

I barely passed the Spanish classes, and the teacher did so purely out of pity and not wanting me to return the following year into her class. My lips and tongue were not meant to roll the “r” and my old brain leaked information and resisted learning the conjugate the tenses of the Spanish language. I struggled more than any freshman student in class and in the end, the Freshmen were tutoring me just so I could pass.

Overall, I loved this time back in college. Even when I had 12 essays due because I stupidly took five English courses one year. My advisor tried to talk me out of it, but I insisted. I did well. But I spent every moment when not asleep, day and night,  reading and writing.  For me, even with overwhelming work and deadlines, I loved it. I cried when it came to an end. I never enjoyed anything more in my life except for becoming a mom.

No classes I could have taken would have prepared me better for a job requiring analysis and critical thinking than English Literature. I have never had to think so hard in my life. Pulling apart a manuscript and identifying the structure, plot, allegory, metaphors, character archetypes, symbolism, and even style of the authors in general requires a lot of patience and attention to detail. Analyzing a story in pieces can give the reader an entirely different view on the outcome of the story. Learning about the author writing the story can also clue the reader to certain recurrent symbols shown in their stories.

So, when someone makes a remark about my degree and what good is that for preparation in the work place, I just smile.  I developed more patience, dedication, and analytical thinking skills during my years studying English Literature than I ever thought possible. I have used these skills to analyze situations, to recognize people’s skills and potential, prioritize needed actions, and determine possible outcomes that help me meet challenges better prepared. Without a doubt, I would do it all again. At any age, it’s never to late to learn new skills.

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March 17, 2013 · 11:56 pm

How Do I Get Published?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI get this question at my writing workshops and from most aspiring authors. They ask, “Do I have to be represented by a big publishing house to be a successful writer?” Twenty years ago, I would say that held very true. However, modern technology has given the unknown author an edge. With the right marketing using the internet, twitter, and other social networks, the little guy can be noticed as a contender on the largest publishing markets. Getting an agent to help introduce your writing to the right people does help to move your career in the right direction.

First you have to begin with a good product. Let’s assume you have a solid manuscript that you feel is complete. Have you spent time editing your work or have you hired a professional editor? Producing a print ready product free of errors and formatted correctly is the first step. This is the most important step. If you produce a manuscript full of incomplete descriptions, or flawed plot, regardless of how pretty the writing, it will fail to find a successful audience. But once you have a manuscript that has been through several rewrites and edits, you may decide to move forward with publishing.

Finding the right publisher or printer is the next obvious step. There is an abundance of new self-publishing options on line. But which one do you choose? Beware of those that do not offer examples of the work they have produced. If possible, purchase a book printed by that company for viewing. Also, check out the printer’s business history through the better business bureau and any consumer reports services in your state. If there are complaints about the publisher, dig deeper to see if it is a one time complaint or if the history reflects poor business practices.  Before taking an offer to publish your book, consider if you want to risk paying the publisher if they have no identified history of successes. You should never invest in publishing your book with a pay to print company without a contract. However, if you are paying $1000 with 25 copies of your book and only 5% profit of all sales up to 5000 copies (as was offered by a company I went with) then you will likely not see much success from your large investment.

There are small publishing houses that promise editing services (for a fee), marketing services (for a larger fee), and cover design and formatting (for another fee) but the finished product sits on your shelf and are offered online without much movement on sales. Unfortunately, these pay to print publishers are more interested in making money than marketing your manuscript. They expect you to do the real work in marketing the product. Often this type of company offers editing that only includes spellcheck and making sure your manuscript fits into the formatting model to print. If your storyline doesn’t make sense, or has problems of verb tense or grammar usage, it will not be corrected. Make sure you speak to a representative that can answer all your specific questions about editing, marketing, and reimbursement for sales clearly – before you write them a check. Ask for a printed copy of their contract, and do not sign off or agree to anything on line that you have not thoroughly investigated.

The literary agent who has experience and references is the best representative of the author who intends to make a career of writing. Be aware that if the writer doesn’t get paid, the agent often does not get their commission.  If you have to pay the agent to represent you before you have a published work, then you are with the wrong agency.  Scammers are out there and will take advantage of an author who seeks instant fame and success from  writing. There are books, such as “Writers Market” by Robert Lee Brewer, and “Guide to Literary Agents” by Chuck Sambuchino that are a great reference for new authors looking for representation.

Self-publishing success is possible. There are writers who have self-published before getting picked up by large publishing houses. Using your search engine, investigate the following authors: Alan Sepinwall, Terry Hawkins, and Theresa Ragen. These authors all self-published and through smart self-marketing platforms and speaking engagements they brought attention from large publishers and agents.  There are those that will openly say that a self-published author is not really an author.  If you listen to those critics and stop writing, who does that benefit? As strong as those critics defend their point that real success is shown by your representation, I often refer them to the classical authors of 200 years ago who were never recognized in their time, but whom we now count as the masters of literature on which we base good writing techniques. If the writing is good, it will stand the test of time, no matter how well known the author.

The information is available at your fingertips to publish successfully if you have a realistic understanding that you will have to market yourself by using the technology available to you. My advice is to do your homework, believe in yourself, and never stop trying to improve your work.

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March 13, 2013 · 1:23 am

Writing from Personal Interviews

It has been a couple years since I interviewed someone for an article or essay. Today I revisited this type of writing after an interview with a lovely lady entrepreneur in Columbus, Indiana. Her business  has taken off after only ten months and shows no sign of slowing down in growth. It was exciting to see another business woman succeeding.  It was also a challenge to step out of my comfort zone of editing and writing fiction to return to non-fiction. When a writer gets comfortable, their creativity can stall.  I know that when I am forced to write in a controlled manner with a limited word count, I have to pick and choose my words carefully. This results in my appreciation for journalism, and also reminds me of how much I enjoy the freedom that comes with writing fiction.

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February 11, 2013 · 2:42 pm

Writing Memoirs

You Don’t Have to Be Old to Write a Memoir

Ann Frank wrote in her journal daily and her story has been told through a book and movie. Other authors who write do so to share their misery, their fame, their politics, or their ideas of how to do or not do what they did in life.  Writing down these moments of an individual’s life offers a public witness to their existence in the world. As people age, we often forget that our grandparents lived life much as we did. They had worries, bills, kids, friends, and jobs. They had hardship and sadness, and said things they regretted. All the people that ever existed lived with the same emotions we have today. The times were different, challenges different, but the emotions they had as friends, lovers, parents, and children were much the same as ours.

When we die and our children’s children take over this world, will we be remembered? Will a funny story we always told at Christmas be repeated or forgotten because we are long gone? Writing your story, writing any part of the life that you experienced, if only the memory of one special event, will become a treasure someday to a family member.

No memoir is a waste of time. Short or long, it leaves behind a trail to who we were in our family. It speaks from the past in a distinct voice that those who knew us heard clearly. It whispers to our grandchildren that they are because we were first.

It sounds a little desperate to grasp at witnesses to our being through writing. But that is what we do as writers. We are leaving bread trails with each word dropped so that someone, anyone will follow. Someone will note that we made the effort, that we were here. So write moments, write memories, and be proud of being at whatever age you are.

Writing Memoirs Workshop on February 15th at 9 am – Traylor Writing Services Center, 3025 25th Street, Columbus, In. Call 812-348-2590 to register now. Also Friday, March 1st Memoirs class available.

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October 28, 2012 · 2:19 pm

Free Writing Workshops

Beginning in November – Free Writing Workshops in Columbus, Indiana

Saturday, November 17, 2012 – Bartholomew County Library Computer Lab

10 am to 12:30 pm

Thursday, November 29, 2012 – Bartholomew County Library Meeting Rm 3

6 pm – 8 pm

Saturday, December 1, 2012 – Bartholomew County Library Computer Lab

10 am – 12:30 pm

Saturday, December 8, 2012 – Bartholomew County Library – Conference Room

10 am – 12:30 pm

EACH CLASS WILL HAVE A DIFFERENCE FOCUS ON CREATIVE WRITING: Character development, plot, building suspense, mystery, romance, and writing for different genres.

If you are interested in signing up for any of these workshops, please email me to reserve your place as seating is limited.

EMAIL: sherry@traylorwritingservicescenter.com

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