All you accomplished authors can ignore this listing. It just outlines a few tips picked up during the past half-century - or so - from being in the business of writing for a living.
On the other hand, if you've ever thought YOU could do a better job than the author of the latest book you read, or movie you saw, this blog couldn't hurt - much.
Too often those half or hour-long addresses to groups blow off with the wind, unrecorded. Its a pity because not all the life experiences of someone can possibly be committed to paper. That burning question you've always wanted to ask may not have been included in the books you've read.
A living source could provide an answer.
That was my premise. Prime the pump, stimulate a Q & A session for readers who wanted to become writers, but did not know how.
Here's the gist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How To Turn Readers into
Writers [1,800 words ]
Talk for Hawthorne
Public Library Readers, March 22, at Two
by JACK OWEN
HOW
TO GET STARTED
It is said it takes
10,000 hours of practicing something before one becomes proficient at
it.
Lucy you!
By the end of this
session you will only have 9,999 to go!
By some calculations
that's about eight years. BUT...and there's always a BUT – is that
a lineal, uninterrupted, 10-thou' where you did not take time to
sleep, eat and take care of other bodily functions. Or, is it the
actual time spent practicing, learning, honing, improving the task
you have undertaken?
Like so many sayings, and
cliches, it needs to be taken... with a pinch of salt!
FIRST
HURDLE – READING – TAKEN!
Most
articles and books about writing – written by name-authors –
advise READING as a path to Writing.
Most
of you ARE readers already. The difference between reading for
Pleasure – and reading to Learn – will hopefully become apparent,
soon.
TURN
YOUR SKILLS INTO WORDS
There are people in this
room who can throw together a dinner party for eight at eight in a
flash. And others who have no difficulty describing the toppings, on
a take-out pizza ordered by phone, to comfort all participants in the
feast. These are acquired skills, And, with the right spin, could be
passed on to others through communicating by an article – or
several articles – which in turn, could become: a BOOK!
You are within reach of
becoming an author. Just by utilizing those untapped skills acquired
while you accumulated YOUR 10,000 hours of credibility.
Wow... I bet you didn't
know, when you arrived, you were just a heart-beat away
from...CELEBRITY !
And now, for a dash of
reality.
We all know how to ride a
bike. But we don't possess the desire and devious dedication of Neil
Armstrong to become a World Champion of the Tour de France.
The good news is
– we also don't share in his downfall from grace.
IS
THERE A PULITZER IN YOUR FUTURE? 2
Not all writers have
Pulitzer Prize potential. When was the last time you heard of the
author of a famous cook-book, such as Julia Childs, winning that
award? The actors who played her, and writers who claimed her in
biographies, did. They were the ones who re-created a personality
the viewing public, and cooking audience, was not prepared to say
good-bye to, with her passing in 2004.
There are also audiences
for John Paul Jones, Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston and –
coincidentally – an American hero of history I have recently
written about: Midshipman David Porter – In
Harms Way. The world may not know about him
yet...but they will by the time Book SEVEN is in print!
Porter may not be my
path to a Pulitzer Prize. BUT, I already consider myself singularly
successful amongst writers. I am the only one to have been awarded
the exclusive “Pulitizer Tummy-Rub”...
from Roxanne. Of course, that was BEFORE she read the contents of
my book, Palm Beach Scandals – An Intimate
Guide.
WRITE
ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW
It is NOT necessary to
become a murderer to become one. Court records are filled with
chapter and verse of horrific homicides to chose from. The task of
the writer is to present the facts in a way which will make readers
want more.
Many readers become
writers when their favorite character(s) die off or become so
formulaic they have shifted from 'comfort' reading to a predicable
irritant. At that stage, in order to sustain the pleasure of their
company, the Reader creates a replacement protagonist. It may not
match Hercule Poirot or Miss Marples – but its
a start.
By the way – anyone
know Miss Marple's first name?
Its Jane!
BREAD
& BUTTER WRITING
But (there we go again)
as you walked through the library into this room you passed the
stock-in-trade of most publishing houses, which are the Non-Fiction
bread-and-butter books of realism. NOT not literary escapism.
The comfort of cozy
mysteries, romantic Renaissance historical heroines, mysteries,
vampires, wolverines and horror stories only provide 30-per-cent of
all books published. Though their mega-copy sales by top writers like
Harry Potter's magical creator R.K. Rawlings...the first to nett One
BILLION Dollars, the supporting cast of characters like thee and me
would probably have a tough time making the mortgage payments.
As Dirty Harry posed in
that classic shoot'em-up cop-flick, “You gotta ask yourself, are
you feelin' lucky?”
That is part of the
equation but practice, Practice, PRACTICE is needed [did someone say
10,000 hours? ] as well.
3
WHAT
TURNS YOU ON ABOUT WRITING?
And – WHY do you want
to write? To see your name in print? Make money? Teach the world?
Leave a legacy? Show THEM!
Motivation –
inspiration and PERSPIRATION are all called for if you want to become
a writer; whether its for personal satisfaction or to answer a
calling. Like
the insurance-company agent's cell-phone reminder of an overdue
payment date [or the librarian's notice; it is time to return that
book you've been using to prop up the leg of the wobbly table.]
My motivation was a way
to explore the world that interested me – and get paid to do it.
It was an era devoid of
journalism schools. There were classes for typing. There were classes
for shorthand. The only class available to teach How-To find a story
was through observation and a curiosity about everything. The theory
was...if it interested YOU then, properly packaged, it could capture
the interest of READERS!
JOURNALISM
AS A PATH TO WRITING
Journalism, in the days
when every community in every country in the world relied primarily
on newspapers for a news-fix, seemed like a good idea at the time. It
enabled me to get first-hand exposure to everything from
Mushroom-Farming to Murder. Those experiences, translated into pithy
prose, became the “stop-press' call for street-corner
newspaper-boys, wire-service feeds and sometimes, a front-page
headline for Fleet Street.
Inspiration can come from
anything, anywhere, BUT – the writer has to be AWARE...of potential
for a story. Plus WHERE and for WHOM it will appeal.
Of all the writer guides
available in glossy magazines, costing upward of $10.00 each, only a
tiny amount of space can be devoted to potential sources of sales for
freelance writers. However, a professional Writer can get all the
information needed, quickly and cheaply by merely searching the
magazine he/she has in mind, and finding the 'Writers
Guideline' field. Usually buried way down
on the editorial page, it states who the publisher, editor,
art-director, copy-boy, coffee-girl are.
There's even an online
web-page available, now, which indexes submissions by category, at:
http://www.freelancewriting.com/guidelines/pages/
KEEPING
CURRENT – AND POLITICALLY CORRECT
However, the editorial
guidelines are only an educated guess to the mind-set of the current
editor. Keep in mind, the staff of magazines are as ephemeral as the
products themselves. Today's cutting-edge crusading crew may be
dispersed on the next tidal-wave of conglomerations seeking to 'Rule
the Publishing' world.
I once worked for a
newspaper who encouraged me to dig deep into the workings of a local
Sheriff. When my multiple-chapter series was turned in for editors
and lawyers to scrutinize before publication – they killed it.
4
The new owners – from a
far off land – AGREED with the politics of 'their man' on the
ground.
Another job-change for
me, though!
KNOW
YOUR FRIENDS AND FOES – AND WHICH WAY TO ROW
Few who have ever visited
a doctor, dentist or vets office can be unaware of dog-eared copies
of Reader's Digest. It
is published in 49 editions, 21 languages and reaches a readership
greater than 40-million.
Guess how many original
stories this DIGEST prints?
But every year enough
people buy stamps to mail off their newly-birthed Vampire
Mom and the Wall-Mart Wolverine manuscripts
to support the GNP of a small country!
They spent their money on
postage...instead of an ice-cream...BECAUSE ?
They did NOT read the
'Writers Guidelines' section of the Reader's
Digest editorial requirements which
states: Please
note that Reader’s Digest
does
not print poetry or fiction.
It
will print original items from freelancers in its various department
sections: Making it Matter; My View; My Story, but its a very limited
market.
BUT...you
knew that was coming – what they don't say is the person writing
the story has to be
the person IN the story.
GHOST
WRITERS
For
every brilliant singer, scientist, golf-pro and soldier there is an
opportunity for a writer. Not all professional or skilled people have
the ability, or time, to write the book the public yearns to read.
A
writer who can strings words together, in the right sequence, combine
facts with entertainment and titillation, CAN vicariously live in
someone elses shoes – for a little while. Beware, though. The
glamor aspect wears through QUICKLY. The grunge and grunt reality
of getting the facts, then assembling them in an entertaining and
informative sequence – which also meets with the approval of 'X”
( and handlers) - can be INTERESTING!!!
HOW
TO GET STARTED
The
scariest thing for most writers, beginners and pros, is the blank
page or screen.
The longer one looks at
it the harder it is to start.
One writer I know employs
the “Letter to my brother” ploy. He begins to type a catch-up
letter, outlining familiar family situations, then tells about his
latest commission and begins to outline the story idea he has, then
CHOPS everything out - not relevant to his story. Then... he Writes
ON!
Remember
– You Can't Edit a BLANK PAGE
Ends...
HANDY
HINTS & SUPPORT SYSTEMS
When you leave here
95% of what you heard will float off and next time you sit down to
write that blank page will still be staring back at you.
Writing is a lonely
business. Here are some “CRISIS” Links to get you started.
It has branches
throughout the state. The 'Ancient City Writers', based in St.
Augustine, is the most active one locally. It regularly meets the
THIRD Saturday of the month at the Main Library. There's also a group
in Ocala and one based at Palm Coast. Check it out.
FWA also runs seminars,
a state conference, competitions, publications and creates awards
following writing competititions.
Closer to home, an
active group of wordsmiths based in Gainesville called WAG –
Writers Alliance of Gainesville – holds regular meetings at
Millhopper Library. They also feature PODS; groups of like-thinking
genre-specific writers who informally gather to discuss, critique and
give help and feedback to new material. Check it out at:
http://writersalliance.org/
Be sure to leave your
name and Email – LEGIBLE – before you leave. My Email is
owenobs@gate.net. And remember – the Library is your Lifeline to
the writing life!
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