Jen's Writing Journey

I’ve been thinking about how to build a platform for my novel.

While perusing Christina Katz’ responses to fiction writers on yesterday’s discussion at Writer’s Digest, I got a kind of cool idea. The main character in my book is looking for her missing sister. Wouldn’t it be fun if she had a “Have You Seen My Sister?” blog?

Then I started to wonder if people would take it seriously, as they did when Orson Welles broadcast War of the Worlds. And what would happen if they did? How long would I be able to blog about Lauren’s search for her sister before I would have to cop to the fact that it was a work of fiction? How would I eventually tie it back to the book? How much story could/should I give away to potential book readers?

Many questions to explore, but I still think it could be a cool way to build some buzz–and probably a lot of fun to do.

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Michelle Goodman learned the hard way how to build a freelance writing business. Then she captured her wisdom in an easy-to-follow guidebook so you don’t have to make the same mistakes.

My So-Called Freelance Life takes you from the beginning dreams of leaving the cube farm behind to planning for your retirement, with great advice in between. One of the most important points she makes is to ensure that you charge what you are worth. As writers, we see the ads for ridiculously low-paying article and blogging jobs ($2 for 500 words? really?). Goodman describes why those types of jobs are simply not worth your time–and she gives you tips for deciding when a pro bono or low-paying job is worth it.

My complete review will appear in the July 2009 issue of The Willamette Writer.

Related Posts:

• Book Review: Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanny
• Book Review: The Freelancer’s Guide to Passive Income by Thursday Bram
• Book Review: Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb
• Book Review: The Boss of You
• Book Review: Writer Mama by Christina Katz

Award-winning and prolific author Philip Jose Farmer died overnight at age 91.

My favorites of his books were the Dayworld series. What will you most remember him for?

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I began this blog last September with the goal of honing my craft by reflecting on the work I had done and my own growth. I also wanted to capture my stages of development as a writer.

Oh my god, how boring.

Since then, I’ve had so much fun interacting with readers through comments and emails, collecting the resources I love and sharing them with you each week, and reviewing books that could help you grow as a writer. Yes, all of these things have been of help to me, but I also hope they have been of help to you.

Living in the blogosphere and the twittersphere and a couple other spheres that I don’t feel like typing, I’m finding joy in the collegiality of the online world. The people I follow on twitter share their own and others’ blog posts and articles, and I learn a lot by reading those stories. I share posts I come across when I think they will be interesting or useful to the people who follow me. And I save those resources to share here, too, so that the message gets to people who interact with me in these different online venues.

As I have grown more comfortable in my writer skin, I have even worked to move beyond my shyness and interact with writer-types in the real world. Last weekend, I attended a session in the Northwest Author Series, even though I was a little nervous about going into a room full of people I didn’t know. I made it out alive and edified.

So what is the point of all of this rambling? When you write, think about what it will do for your readers, not what it does for you. When you interact in the online and physical world, think about what you can give not what you can take. You will benefit from this shift in attitude, but more important, so will those you encounter along the way.

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Reasons to Write: Writing for Love
Christina Katz reminisces about the romantic notions of a writer’s life she held when she was younger and dreamed about being a writer. Then she provides an easy-to-follow road map to move beyond dreaming into doing.

Tips for Recognizing Great Article Ideas
In the current economic climate, your article idea needs to be so amazing that a magazine can’t afford not to have you write it. But how can you tell if your idea is where you need it to be? These tips will help you separate the good ideas from the great.

Despite Recent Events, the American Magazine Is Not an Endangered Species
Finally, some reason instead of doom and gloom about the future of magazines. Hearst’s Cathie Black puts the current downturn in context and looks to the future.

The Northwest Author Series
Online conversations, books, and other asynchronous media are great ways for us to hone our craft and learn from our fellow writers. But, there is nothing better than a face-to-face interaction. Christina Katz coordinates a series of seminars focused on various aspects of writing. I attended my first session yesterday, and it was great. Christine Fletcher presented the important underpinnings of a good work of fiction. Upcoming sessions will focus on freelancing and writing children’s books. If you aren’t in the Portland area, look to see if there is a similar offering in your area.

Why Kindle Should Be an Open Book
Finally, someone who is anti-Kindle for solid business reasons. As you know, I have been struggling to decide if I want a Kindle or an e-reader or just plain old paper books. This article makes me want to wait.

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I just heard about Harper Collins Authonomy from the comments on another blog post. Has anyone seen it? Used it? What do you think about it?

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Should writers use different names for different genres? Using me as an example, I have a non-fiction book coming out in July, I have an idea for a fantasy novel, I’m working on a paranormal romance, I’ve submitted erotica, and I came up with a fun idea for a children’s book this morning. Should all of those appear under one name?

I’m not sure. Judy Blume used one name for all of her writing (at least all that I know about). She wrote kids books and adult books. I never “accidentally” read any of her adult books until I was ready emotionally to handle the subject matter. The fact that she wrote things that could serve me well at all stages of my life is appealing to me. I find the right stories by looking in the right section of the bookstore or library.

But, this was quite a few years ago. Publishing seems to have changed in such a way that it is essential to brand a variant of your name for each genre—or a completely different name, as is the case with Jessica Bird and J.R. Ward. The goal is not to shield yourself from what you write in each genre, but to let readers know what to expect when they pick up one of your books. In my example, that would be 3-5 different author names, each with its own platform.

Thoughts? I’d love to hear from authors who did it both ways. And from agents and editors who have worked with authors who pseudonymed and those who didn’t.

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Tayeb Salih, a writer of ground-breaking and controversial works died in London Tuesday. In addition to writing fiction, Salih worked for UNESCO and the BBC.

Read his obituary. And get a copy of his book Seasons of Migration to the North, if you haven’t already read it.

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I am campaigning for a particular dog in the Bissel MVP contest. It isn’t my dog, although I do own a dog of this breed (Bernese Mountain Dog). The winner of the contest will choose a pet-related charity to receive a $10,000 donation.

The owner of this particular dog, Moonshine, has chosen Berner-Garde to receive the donation if Moonshine wins.

Berner-Garde is a repository of health and breeding information that is an invaluable resource as the breed works to isolate and understand genetic issues. It is a tax-exempt foundation.

To vote for Moonshine, and by extension for Berner-Garde, click here.

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I was watching Down with Love last weekend, and it got me thinking about how many movies and TV shows there are about writers. And most of them are a pretty idealized view of writers. Here are some of my favorites.

Down with Love
Whenever I stayed home sick, I watched TBS. Invariably, I saw an episode of Perry Mason followed by a Rock Hudson -Doris Day movie. So I couldn’t help but love this refresh of that franchise–even though the originals are better. The main characters are both writers leading a fabulous and glamorous NYC lifestyle. How many writers in our country’s publishing capitol really live such a fabu lives? Have such great clothes? Have their own tables at expensive restaurants?

Misery and Secret Window
I’ve listed these together because they are both Stephen King stories about writers facing torture. In Misery, the agent of torture is a crazy fan. And in Secret Window [SPOILER ALERT], it is the writer himself. Or corn. I’m not really sure. But these are both fun movies with a lot of twists and turns.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Dorothy Parker used her pain to create some amazing one-liners. I hope to have one hundredth of the wit that woman had. I find this movie painful to watch. The beginning–when she is the toast of the writing community–is great fun. Sure, she’s drunk all the time, but she is fabulous so who cares. But her star shines less bright and it becomes obvious that her drinking is killing her and her career.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
I hope my life as a writer is never this drug-addled.

Castle
The new show starring Nathan Fillion would have been on my list of mid-season replacements to give a chance even if Fillion hadn’t been playing a writer. I like Fillion, so I’m willing to see at least one episode of any show he is in.

Everybody Loves Raymond
Raymond was a sports writer, but the show rarely focused on him doing his job. The actual act of writing does not lend itself to broad comedy, so that was probably a good choice. The firm middle-class lifestyle of the family was a good representation of a writer’s lifestyle, though.

The Dick Van Dyke Show
Dick and his fellow writers made TV writing look like a heck of a lot of fun. Any TV writers want to weigh in on the accuracy of the portrayal?

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