Award for Straight From Hel

I and Straight From Hel have been honored with the Thinking Blogger award. How cool is that?

Lillie Ammann at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye tapped me for the award. Since her blog is one of my favorites, I was honored she listed me among her top five.

She wrote:

Although Helen’s blog is fairly new, she has been making me think about writing for years through her newsletter. I’m glad she’s joined the blogosphere so I don’t have to wait for her newsletter to benefit from her excellent writing advice.

Iker Yoldas at The Thinking Blog created the award to recognize blogs that make people think. Those who receive the award then pass it on to five blogs that make them think. You can find out more about the award and the rules in Thinking Blogger Awards.

I blog about six days a week. That’s a lot of blogging, but, even so, it’s hard to believe I’ve now been blogging at Straight From Hel for almost a year now. Mostly it’s about writing; sometimes it’s about my life or travels. But really, when I think about it, it’s all about writing. And it’s so interesting to visit other blogs, especially by writers. You find out about their thoughts, their beliefs, their projects, their lives.

There are so many bloggers today. I chose five that do indeed make me think. Each is different. Each is interesting. Each is personal.

Sherry Thomas at Plotters & Manipulators United. Sherry writes about her writing and her life and how the two interact. She also has great advice and information, no matter what genre you write.

Marsha Moyer at Marsha Moyer Blog. Marsha’s not afraid to blog about her own writing life, the whole publishing process, and the trials and tribulations of both.

Therese Walsh at Writer Unboxed. Writer Unboxed is a conglomeration of many writers, but one of my favorites is Therese Walsh. She keeps you up on goings-on in the writing world and does interviews with other writers, but also talks about her own writing.

Karen MacInerney at Poisoned Pen Letters. Karen is an award nominated author with two series who is a working mom. Her blog centers around her life. She’s candid, funny, honest, and a great writer.

Eveline Maedel at Ebenezer Scribe – Musings, Poetry, Journeys. Eveline has such a wide variety of interests that you never know what she might be blogging about. Whatever it is, she’ll have you thinking and smiling.

Thank you to Lillie Ammann for passing the Thinking Blogger Award to me. And thank you to everyone who spends part of their day with me here at Straight From Hel.

Stumbling Blocks

If you lose your momentum on a book project, is it possible to get it back? Most times, I would say yes.

Let’s say you’re writing along and things are going great. Then you hit a block. You don’t know where to go from there. You’re stuck. Here are some ideas. Run through the plot so far. If you’ve been keeping a Book Bible, refer to that. What has been the sequence? As you do that, envision the characters. (Get up and walk around, if that helps.) Now envision what your character would do next. Or perhaps envision what would be the absolute worst thing that could happen to your character at this point. Then either sit down and write it or make notes on the different scenarios you come up with.

Or if this kind of walking, talking and visualizing is not your thing, then get out paper or sit at your computer and type ideas. Doesn’t matter how wild or crazy, you’re not judging them at this time. Right now, you just type ideas as they come into your head. You can go back and filter them later.

Maybe your block is not on what should happen next with a character or situation. Maybe you’re at the editing stage and you’re just sick of it. Then put the manuscript away. Not for good, but for a time-out. How long of a rest you take from it depends on you. Work on some other project, be it writing or knitting or cooking or volunteer work. Maybe even go to a writing conference or workshop to reenergize yourself. But not only put the book out of sight, put it out of mind. When you feel you’re ready, you’ll come back to it with new eyes.

Sometimes you hit a stumbling block and you have to work your way around the block. Sometimes you have to turn away from the block and go some other direction until you’re ready to come back and tackle it.

Entering Contests

Yesterday we talked about how to choose a conference or workshop to attend. Today, let’s look at contests.

It seems like the main thing writers look at when it comes to a contest is how much prize money will be awarded. And that’s a legitimate concern. But, first off, some prizes are things other than money – and those contests can be worth entering. The prize might be a one-on-one with an agent. That’s a pretty good reward if you’re looking for an agent. The prize might be inclusion in an anthology. If it’s a well-known or respected publication and you’re looking for pub creds, then that can be a worthwhile contest.

In addition to the prize money, consider other factors. Who is putting on the contest? What person or organization is the sponsor? Do you trust that person or group? Is this their first year for a contest? If you trust the organization and it’s their first year, your chances of winning might be better because word has not gotten out about the contest. Have they been doing this contest for many years? If so, then they are probably more organized and ready to handle entries.

Who will be the judges of the contest? Are the judges published authors? Book consultant or editors? Academics? Unpublished local critique group members? If a critique is part of the prize, then you want professionals or those with credentials doing the critiquing.

How much does the contest cost to enter? Is the pay-off and odds of winning worth the entry fee? If you’re on a budget, are you going to blow it all on one contest or divide it up and enter two or three?

If you’re considering a particular contest, do some googling and online research to see if there have been complaints or praise for it. Ask your friends and fellow writers if they have entered.

The bottom line for entering contests, like deciding on a conference and workshop, is do your homework. Don’t enter blindly.

Choosing a Conference or Workshop

If you’re new to this blog you may not know I do an e-newsletter called Doing It Write! that comes out every week. Been doing it for eight years now. (If you want to sign up, it’s free.) It has consistent sections in it. For example, it always starts off with a Hot Topic Column. Every issue there are new listings of a contest and an event for writers. There are websites for writers, and so on.

For the contests and events, I, of course, try to find legitimate ones, but I can’t guarantee anything. That’s why I look for ones that have websites or addresses so subscribers can check them out themselves and make their own decisions. So far, knock on my wooden noggin, I’ve had no complaints.

I do sometimes get questions about whether someone should enter a particular contest or go to a conference or workshop. They might wonder if they should enter a writing contest that’s in its first year. Or they ask what they should look for in a workshop. The answer is usually, “it depends.” And what it depends on is the person doing the asking, the one thinking of entering the contest or going to the event.

An event that’s perfect for person A may be totally wrong for person B. You have to first of all figure out what you’re looking for, what you want to get out of a workshop or conference. Do you want to learn craft? Are you looking to network? Hoping to find an agent? Want to meet your favorite authors? Looking to get advice while still having time to write and explore? Desperate for quiet time to write on your own? Wanting instruction on marketing your book? Are you looking for a workshop specializing in a particular genre?

You have to figure out what you’re looking for. You may find several that fit your needs. Then you look at who are the instructors, the speakers, the attendees. Maybe you recognize the names, maybe you don’t. If you don’t, then do some research.

For example, a friend of mine just did a workshop out in Alpine, TX, on marketing your book and how to get it into Barnes & Noble. You may have never heard of her – Jo Virgil. If you haven’t, then you might have crossed it off your list. But if you’d done your research, you would have learned that she knows her stuff – she works for Barnes & Noble and she knows marketing because she’s a Community Relations Manager at one of the Austin stores. She is, in fact, a fabulous CRM and probably one of the hardest working CRMs at promoting authors.

Another thing to look for is location. Some people look for conferences in exotic locations like Maui. Some want something close to home. It’s cheaper if it’s in your own city. But some are willing to fly or drive and stay at a hotel in order to get particular classes and teachers.

There are a lot of other factors like whether you’re looking for a half-day workshop or whether you can commit to an eight week class. Who’s running the conference? Have they done it enough times to be organized and have all the kinks worked out? Are they new enough to still be excited and trying new things?

What it all boils down to is you. You know what you want and need.

Climax and Denouement

While sitting in the doctor’s waiting room this morning, I finished The Poet by Michael Connelly. Had a few problems with the ending, but I’ll try not to give it away here, in case there’s anyone left in the world who hasn’t read it.

I mentioned yesterday that the protagonist did something I considered stupid. Still think that. I know why the author had him do it, but that’s sort of the point. It felt like the author having him do it in order for something to happen a little later on. But it also felt out of character.

This action eventually led the protagonist down a path that also felt forced. There was no set up, no clues, left that would allow the reader to understand the protagonist’s conclusion, so, naturally, the protag/author had to lay it out for us. This led us down a wrong path. But that’s okay. It’s just that the correct path had never been set up or alluded to with any clues either.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book. I’m just saying the ending didn’t satisfy me.

The Poet, Sangria and Fajitas

Still not finished with The Poet yet. Closer, but not done. This weekend proved quite busy. We had two different house guests on two different nights. Then tonight there will be twelve at my house for dinner, so Friday I went to the grocery store to get dry ingredients and to the liquor store to get wet ingredients. Then Saturday I went back to the grocery store for produce. Yesterday and today are taken up with cooking. The main dish will be fajitas, which would be okay if that’s all there was. But you can’t have fajitas without having a whole slew of other dishes. Like Spanish Rice and Black Bean Soup. And Refried Beans. And all the fixings that go with those dishes. And then there’s Caribbean Tres Leches Cake. And Sangria. Gotta have Sangria. You wouldn’t think there’d be much work in Sangria, but you got all that fruit to chop. And then there’s taste testing. The soup, of course. Not the Sangria. Well … you do want to make sure you got the right mix of brandy, grand marnier, and triple sec.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, books. The Poet. The book is still holding up. Although the protagonist has now done something I wish he hadn’t. He did something stupid. Not forgetful or thoughtless. Just stupid. If he’d done something like this in the beginning of the book, it would have been okay. But this late in the book, I hoped he had learned. It feels not only out of character for him. But just stupid.

Hasn’t stopped me from reading. Not today, though. Right now, I need to run to the store. I need an onion and a bell pepper, or two. And I need to go check that Sangria right now. I might need to make another run to the liquor store. Wonder what time they open?

The Poet by Michael Connelly

Ever read a book and forgot you did? It's odd that sometimes a book will make little impression on me but then I re-read it and am awed by it.

I'm still unpacking books that have been in storage for years and putting them out on my new bookshelves. A lot of books. Some I've never read.

Years ago(ten or eleven) I went to the Mid-South Booksellers Conference (I believe that's what it was called). I came home with tons of books. If I remember right, when I got home, I spread them out on the table and counted about 80 books.

One of those books was an ARC of The Poet by Michael Connelly. I remember when it came out it got great reviews. Yet here it sat packed away in a box.

I started reading it. It felt familiar. I figured I had started it, but then set it aside.

I'm about two-thirds of the way through it and it's still feeling familiar.

I must have read it when I first got it. Yet, I didn't remember it. Even though I'm getting close to the end, I couldn't tell you how it's going to end, even though I'm now sure I read it all those years ago.

Despite the great reviews, it didn't make an impact on me. But it is now. As I'm reading, I'm thinking, this is a good book. When I finish, I plan on going back through and making plot and structure notes on it.

The book hasn't changed. Well, actually it has. This is an ARC and I'm noticing mistakes that I'm sure where corrected in the final copy. But the point is that it's not the book that has gotten better or has changed. It's me.

Over the years, I've learned to read not as a reader, but as a writer. And I've learned to appreciate good writing.

And The Poet is an example of good writing.

You Can Write Personal Essays

You can write a personal essay. Use my friend in Florida as a template. Pick a group of friends and/or family whom you trust with your inner thoughts. Start writing them emails. You don't have to tell them you're doing an exercise in personal essays. Just keep in touch with them. Write about your life and what you’re doing. Maybe even stir things up with some controversial topic that has snagged your interest. Express a pet peeve. Play witness to some big event -- or even a small event.

After a while, ease yourself into thinking that these are indeed personal essays, not just random writings. Did you start with a hook? Were you descriptive? Did you dig deep within yourself and your emotions? Did the essay come full circle and end with a hook or twist? What was the theme of your story? What was your purpose?

Why should you write personal essays? It's a good way to improve your writing. It keeps you writing, even when you may be stuck on some other project. It keeps you in touch with family and friends. It allows you to express yourself. You learn about yourself. You learn about those to whom you're writing. Eventually, you produce your life story, or at least a big chunk of it.

I could go on and on. You could come up with plenty more reasons to write personal essays. Feel free to write me an email with your reasons and how they are personal to you. Tell me a story to demonstrate. Remember Miss Lacey and her jump-up-twirl-around cussing in church? She had an epiphany. Now it's time to have yours.

Personal Essays

How many of you write personal essays? There's a good chance some of you write them and don't even realize that's what you're doing.

Think about it. You know what an essay is if you've been to high school. Seems like they were always being assigned. Write about what you did over the summer. What are your views on smoking? Tell of the experience that changed your life's direction. Certainly, if you've applied for college, you've written your share of essays. And, possibly, if your kids have applied to college, you've written their share.

And if the essay is personal, then it's about you. It focuses on something you've done or experienced.

Put those two together and you've written a personal essay.

Still don't think you write personal essays? What about those emails you send out to family and friends? Remember when you wrote Grandma about little Jack? You made him wear his new shoes to church, even though they were kinda tight. In the middle of the sermon, he insisted on taking them off, only they were so snug, the first one popped off and flew two pews in front of him. It smacked ol' Miss Lacey in the back of the head, waking her up, and causing her to jump up and curse before she remembered where she was. Then you started giggling so hard you had to slide down in your pew and hide.

A lot of us don't write letters any more, at least not like we used to do. But we do write emails. I have a friend who for a while was in another state. She writes wonderful essays. I don't know whether she recognized she was doing it, or if it occurred to her after I pointed it out. But either way, I encouraged her to save her emails.

She wrote long, descriptive tales of her life. It might’ve been something as simple and funny as frogs committing suicide in her pool ... Or the awesome thrill of watching the space shuttle taking off ... Or a quiet walk at sunset with her college-bound daughter. She didn’t just describe things or events. She pulled you into her life because she's open and frank with her feelings and emotions she's experiencing.

Although she didn’t have a regular schedule, about every couple of weeks, she'd send out one of these essays to a group of her friends. Sometimes people wrote back to respond to what she'd written or to tell her what they thought of her writing. Sometimes they wrote her their own experiences that coincided or mimicked hers.

Tomorrow – How you can start writing personal essays.

Stay on Target

Sometimes I find it difficult to jump-start myself. If I have a project I’m working on and I finally get it finished, then it’s not easy to start on the next project. I end up taking “down time” and relaxing or doing house cleaning, which by that time is usually sorely in need.

But then, the longer I put off starting a new writing project, the harder it is.

I’m thinking I need to either set a time limit for relaxing and stick to that limit … or not take a break at all – immediately start on the next book or story or article or editing work. To be realistic, I probably should do a combination of the two. Allow myself time to decompress, but make that window short. I’m thinking I could give myself one day, a twenty-four hour period, to not think about writing at all. Then hunker down and start the next project.

For me, this is a necessity. I can waste days on cleaning windows or dusting. I can find all kinds of things that I need the computer for, other than writing, like balancing the checkbook or downloading pictures off my camera. I can spend hours reading a book or two. Then there’s always TV to watch – who knew Sanjaya would still be on American Idol after all these weeks? Just writing this, I’m thinking of things I should be doing.

Must. Become. Disciplined. I’m remembering a Star Wars movie, don’t know which one, in which Luke hears a voice in his head: Stay on target, Luke. Stay on target. Guess that should become my own inner mantra.

Stay on target, Hel.

Prayers for the Virginia Victims

My thoughts today are with the people of Virginia. Prayers go out for the victims, the survivors, and their families.

As a mother who sent her child off to college in a faraway state, I know the anxiety that goes with not being able to check daily on your child and the worry that something might happen to them. At no time would I have imagined something like this, though.

The coverage reminds me of 9-11, since it’s been practically non-stop. You want to know what’s happening, but listening to it makes your stomach hurt. The TV is playing in the background even now. Around here, of course, it always brings up the sniper in the UT Tower. I was too small to really remember that, but it is an imprint on my mind since I had a sister who was living in Austin at the time. She was working as a telephone operator and has stories to tell about how everything suddenly lit up and the phone lines went crazy. In those days you had to have an operator to make a long distance call.

This story will go on for weeks as more information is uncovered. But for the victims, the survivors and the families, it will go on forever.

Cutting Characters

As I work on more synopses from students in last month’s The Synopsis: Four Steps to the Ultimate SALES Tool, I’m coming across writers having a common problem. Their books are so full of interesting characters, each with their own story, and interweaving story lines, they’re having trouble cutting the story down to one or two pages. The synopsis will sound almost like a laundry list of characters and so many story lines, you can’t understand it all.

Of course you can’t! If you take 300 or 400 pages and condense it into two pages, you’ve got to kill characters and story lines. For such a short synopsis, focus on the protagonist, the opponent or antagonist, the main story line (protagonist’s problem), and one or two supporting characters. To get just this much in while making it read like a mini-me of your book both in story and voice, that’s all you’ll have room for.

And don’t forget to tell the ending. You don’t tell the ending in the query letter, but you DO in the synopsis.

First-Hand Research

This past week in my e-newsletter, Doing It Write!, I wrote about research. In addition to searching for information though the Internet and reading books, it’s good, when possible, to do first-hand research. Go visit places, talk to people, and accumulate all the sensory input you can. And take pictures.

I heard from some of the subscribers to Doing It Write! about how they do research. They have some good suggestions and examples which will run in the next two or three issues of the newsletter. The consensus seems to be that first-hand research is great, but you’ll have better experiences and get more useful information if you do your Internet research before you go.

And this is true. If you do the preliminary work, it’ll make your job easier and you’ll spend your time looking for the things you can’t find on the Internet or in books. You’ll also free yourself up to enjoy the first-hand experiences that might make your book better.

If I had only done book or Internet research on D.C. before I went, I might have been able to describe the color and shape of the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin. But I wouldn’t have known what they looked like after they’d been hit by a freeze. I wouldn’t have thought to describe the cold wind scraping across my face and tangling my hair in twenty directions, or the joy at finding the leather gloves tucked into a pocket of my coat. Or the rumbling of the trains running outside my hotel window. Or the brightness of the sun as you ride up the escalator from the Metro tunnel. Or the warm familiar smell of hot dogs near a vendor’s cart.

Do both kinds of research if possible – the research you can do sitting at your desk and the kind you do on your feet in the streets.

Synopses

Last month I taught a workshop called “Writing the Synopsis: Four Steps to the Ultimate SALES Tool” for the North Texas Professional Writers Association (and I’ll be teaching it again next month for the Brazos Writers’ This Business of Writing Conference). Attendees to the workshop in Bedford could send me their up-to-3-page synopsis and I would look at it for them. I’m starting to get some of them now.

Writers tend to dread writing a synopsis. When they do write one, it often reads like a dry piece of toast. No flavor. It’s a listing of events that take place in the story. Even a book that’s exciting and a real page-turner can seem drab and lifeless if only the major events are presented like a paragraphed grocery list in the synopsis.

I can tell that the people sending me their synopses paid attention in class. They’re working to make the synopsis read like a “mini me” of their book. Put flavor into your synopsis. The voice of your synopsis should be the same as the voice of your book. An agent or editor should be able to read the synopsis and know exactly how the book will sound.

There is so much that goes into producing a “good” synopsis, but if there’s one key element it’s the voice of the synopsis.

Touring D.C.

I’m officially a limpin’ fool. Seriously, my left heel is hurting and all this walking has sorely aggravated it.

This morning, I went to tour the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, they weren’t in session. I’d love to come back when they are. The tour guide said when they’re working, the line sometimes stretches clear around the building. But it’d be worth it to see them in action. As it was, I got to walk around and see the displays and also got to sit in the courtroom while the tour guide talked. Even that much was interesting.

Then in the afternoon, I went to the Holocaust Museum. Again. This is my fourth time to visit. I think I’ve seen all of it now. Surely. It’s always interesting. And depressing. And uplifting. And unbelievable. And scary. How could Hitler have come to such power and complete control? How could the holocaust have been allowed to happen? How can it be stopped in Darfur?

Some of the most interesting times, though, were when I went off the beaten path onto side streets. Usually in search of a Starbucks or a market to get fruit. Those are the bustling areas where the locals live or the downtown workers venture for lunch. Yesterday when I toured the National Cathedral, I walked by huge houses. I think I may have been on Diplomats Row, since I kept passing huge houses, mansions really, each one with a different flag hanging.

I’ve decided I could live in D.C. Metro stations are always fairly close and riding the trains is easy and relatively inexpensive. I could do this. Austin should put in subways. Friday, it’s back to Austin and driving cars everywhere.

Library of Congress

Still in D.C. Yesterday, I headed to the Library of Congress. I’ve been to D.C. several times, but have never gotten around to the Library of Congress, so I was excited to have the day to myself to wander.

The Metro was a short walk, four or five blocks, from the Mandarin Oriental, then it was only three stops to the station closest to the Library, then another short walk to the doors. First, I took a guided tour of the Jefferson building. A great way to get oriented and to learn things you couldn’t find on your own, such as a lot of information about the architecture and history.

I’ll insert here that it’s still cold in D.C. – I wore a shirt, a jacket, and a coat with gloves and needed every layer. But because of the cold or that it is after Spring break, there weren’t huge crowds. I had no trouble getting close to the Guttenberg Bible or any of the other interesting items on display. There’s lots to see, from the first map to label the U.S. “America,” to some of the earliest photographs and recordings. My favorites, of course, were early books, manuscripts hand-written by authors, and works by authors we all know of and have read.

The research room was gorgeous -- a huge quiet room for those over 18 who need to do research. And all the glorious floor-to-ceiling wood book shelves filled with enticing books. Not to mention all the statues and murals and … everything. It was enough to make you want to throw out a sleeping blanket and stay all night.

Every time you write a manuscript or publish a book and send in two copies to be copyrighted – this is where it goes. Oh, the books!

After I left the Library, I walked through the neighborhood for a while. Found a market where I bought a couple of bananas, some grapes, soy crisps and a diet Dr. Pepper – my breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the way back to the Metro, I stopped at a Starbucks to get dessert – a non-fat soy Chai.

Great day.

Writing Historicals

Hope everyone had a great Easter. My husband and I spent the afternoon in Historic Williamsburg.

It’s an area that’s basically a tourist attraction. People dress up in historic costume and talk about life during the time when Virginia was still part of the British colonies. Since it’s early in the season, quite a few of the shops and homes weren’t open. The good thing, though, was that it wasn’t as crowded as I bet it is during the summer months. It was also cold!

But it was a fun taste of the town. What we did get to see was interesting, especially the book binder – for me at least. I wish he’d talked more about exactly how he binds books. What he did discuss was the cost of paper in that time. A single page of blank paper would have cost the equivalent of a penny, which was about what a laborer made for an hour’s work. Imagine buying a whole book of blank pages. For the average person, buying a book would have been an extravagance.

What I did come away with was that if you write historical and set your books during the colonial times, this would be an excellent place to go to do research. You could spend days there taking notes and talking to people.

The Criminal Mind

Busy day around here. Went to a talk by Diane Fanning at the University of Texas this morning. Now I should be packing for my 7 a.m. flight tomorrow for D.C. Then tonight I have a birthday party to go to.

But wanted to take a minute to tell you about Diane’s talk. I’ve heard her speak before at book signings. Today was a talk geared toward a big crowd signed up for a six week class on the criminal mind in fiction and real life. Diane had slides, interesting stories, and expertise to share. It was fascinating to hear details about the research she does, the insight into the criminal mind she has gained over the years, and her personal experience with the killers and criminals she’s written about.

For anyone who might think she can’t be an expert since she’s not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, she’s a writer … think of how much you learn with each book you write about whatever your theme is. Now, imagine writing book after book after book on the same topic – the criminal mind. Not only writing the books, but getting up close and sometimes personal with the killers. Some of her subjects continue to correspond with her after the book is done. She goes to death row and interviews the killers.

The audience had lots of questions, including on cases Diane has never written about.

If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, do so.

More on Doing a Book Reading

Before you go out on your book tour or attend your first signing, pick out what you want to read. Choose several so you'll be ready whether you're allotted two minutes or twenty. Mark them in your book so they'll be easy to locate. Practice reading aloud. Practice again. And again.

Feel free to mark up the passage. Highlight words you want to emphasize. Mark where you feel a pause would fit, or where you want to be sure to look up at the audience. Got a word you continually stumble over? Write it out phonetically.

Does speaking in public make you really nervous? You might want to go so far as to mark where you want to take a breath. I'm not kidding. Better to mark it and remind yourself to breathe than to pass out from lack of oxygen.

Record yourself, then listen. Did your voice convey the emotions of the piece? What about the dialogue -- were the characters distinguishable from each other? Or did they sound all the same -- like you, instead of different people? You don't have to speak with accents to distinguish characters. Try softening your voice for a woman, or raising the pitch for a child, or turning up the volume slightly for a man. Does a character have a gravelly voice? Try reading it that way.

Most of the time, you'll find you need to slow down. You know these words, but your audience doesn't. They need time not only to hear them, but to digest -- understand -- them. I'm not talking about sounding as though you're on Star Trek, traveling backwards in time. Pronounce your words clearly; don't slur. Don't rush toward what you know will be the climax of the piece. That's like laughing at your own joke before you get to the punch line.

Think about the tone of the piece. Light? Funny? Smile while you read. Serious or scary? Let your expression fit the mood. Sexy? What are your eyes saying to the audience?

Now, I'm not saying you should act out the piece. But to bring your work alive, you have to be alive. You want the people in the audience to jump up when you're finished, grab a copy of this fascinating book, and get in line for your autograph.

SIDE NOTE: Starting tomorrow, my posts may be hit and miss for a few days. I'm off to D.C. for about a week.

Doing a Reading

A lot of times, when you're at a book signing, you're asked to read a section of your book aloud. Readers are more likely to buy a book if they can meet the author. They're even more likely to buy it if they can hear the author read or speak. It personalizes the book. Just as an autograph makes the book memorable, so does a reading.

It's important you keep in mind, though, that you should be doing more than reading your book. You should be interpreting it.

My specialization when I got my Masters degree in Speech Communication was Oral Interpretation. That meant taking the words someone else had written and orally interpreting them for an audience. In a great sense, it's like acting. You memorize the passage then bring it alive -- through your voice, primarily. You'll put some facial expression into it, maybe even a gesture or two when appropriate. But you won't be expected to walk here and there or act out the scene.

As the author at a reading, you won't have to go that far. First of all, you're reading your own words, not someone else's. Secondly, you don't have to memorize it. Of course, you wrote it; you edited it a trillion times. You have it practically memorized already. This is good. When you're reading, you want to be looking out into the eyes of your audience more than you're looking down at the book.

But you don't want to do a flat reading. Even if what you're reading is an exciting part of the book, if you read it in a monotone, you'll lose your audience or put them to sleep.

Tomorrow: How to Prepare for a Reading

Volunteer for Yourself

The Writers’ League of Texas will be having their annual Agents Conference this June. The conference will have a full line-up of workshops, as well as opportunity for attendees to meet and talk with agents and editors from around the nation.

If you’re not ready to pitch your book or don’t have the money to attend the conference, consider volunteering to work at the conference. You won’t be able to attend the workshops for free or have a free one-on-one consultation, but you will learn a lot about what goes on behind the scenes of a conference, you’ll probably have the chance to see others pitch and thus learn from watching, and you’ll meet a lot of people who are also working the conference, as well as the staff of the Writers’ League. And, on top of all that, you’ll most likely have a good time.

No, I’m not part of the League any more. I’m not on the Board or staff. But I have been. I’ve also been a member and a non-member. So I know all sides. As a former Executive Director, I know how much volunteers are appreciated. As a volunteer, I know how valuable the experience can be.

So, if you’ve got the time, volunteer. If not for the WLT Conference, then for whatever literary group you’re interested in, be it Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, your public library, or a book club. Trust me, it’ll be worth your time. You'll be doing more than volunteering for that organization. You'll be volunteering for yourself.

Synopsis Workshop in College Station

For those struggling with writing a synopsis for your book, I’ll be teaching my workshop, The Synopsis: Four Steps to the Ultimate SALES Tool, again next month. I’ll be at the Brazos Writers This Business of Writing 2007 Mini-Conference in College Station, Texas.

The workshop will take you step by step through your synopsis -- how to make the process less intimidating, what to put in the synopsis, and how to use the synopsis as a selling tool. The odds are that sooner or later you’re going to have to write a synopsis. By learning the tools, you’ll feel more comfortable with writing a synopsis -- whatever length an agent or editor asks for – and using it to create your query letter copy ad and your pitch.

Also at the conference will be Mike Farris and Susan Morgan Farris of The Farris Literary Agency. There will be a reception Friday night then the conference on Saturday.

So if you missed the workshop last month, join me in College Station May 25th and 26th.