Writing

URI Summer Writing Conference: 3 Big Lessons on Day 1

June 24, 2010 by Lisa Tener

I’d love to share some photos from day 1 of the Ocean State Summer Writing Conference with you: There’s the one of Cate Tucker (from my book writing class), Peter Covino (director of the conference), me and bestselling author Robert Leuci‘s thumb. Not his fault. My phone has a highly non-intuitive camera. Not that a phone can possess intuition, but even those with ESP would have a hard time figuring it out, not that Robert Leuci has ESP.

Anyway, can’t share the photos because I don’t know how to e-mail them from my phone.

The first lesson of the day, then: if you blog, bring an extra battery for your real camera. Or, if I were to generalize: be prepared.

Second lesson: Enjoy writing; be playful. I’d been putting so much pressure on myself to write the next blockbuster middle grade novel/screenplay/Broadway musical that I felt completely overwhelmed.

Meeting with novelist Crystal Wilkinson for a one on one, I realized that all the things I see as possibly insurmountable problems in my novel clearly are just that: possibly insurmountable. And, still, I’m attracted to the story.

Crystal gave me some exciting ways to play with the book: write pages of “What if’s” about the characters, their actions, the world I’m creating. Some images came to mind that made me laugh out loud as we toyed with what if’s and my muse came out to play.

I’ve given myself permission to make this fun–it’s a children’s novel, after all–and I finally realized that, in my previous state of seriosity (yes, new word), there was no way I could ever write the book. In my new found state of openness and chill, there’s potential, possibility, spark.

Lesson Three: Do your homework; put the writing first. Peter invited conference presenters to Jamestown for a light dinner after the reception and readings. And then he invited the whole gang. But we had homework!

I almost went. It’s a wonderful thing to meet writers, connect, find company in the sometimes-lonely world of writing.

But I knew that if I went to dinner, I would never get my homework done. Or I’d do a slipshod job and go to bed too late and wake up tired. I tell my book writing students all the time to get enough sleep and write when you”re fresh. I tell them to cut down on the socializing for the short time they’re writing their books. They can use socializing as a reward after completing some writing commitment. But don’t give up writing time to go out.

For the record, I took my own advice. And it felt great. I rewrote my “scene.” I read the three well-crafted stories we received in class. I’m going to bed by 10 and I may even have time to take a bath before bed. And I can socialize at dinner tomorrow as my reward. ‘Night.

More this weekend from the conference.

Your Muse Calls: A Poem

June 15, 2010 by Lisa Tener

Here's the beach where I teach my book writing class. Many students have found their muse on these shores. Photo by Erica Collins

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In a bit of a divergence from my customary marketing and publishing focus, here’s a poem I hope will inspire you:

your muse calls to you

across a great, rocky chasm

you look down

feel queasy

look across

but see no bridge

still

your muse calls

your heart stirs

yearns

pulls you

and

without thinking

you step forward

into thin air

and grow wings

The Right Way to Journal

April 27, 2010 by Lisa Tener

Inspired to Write? Begin Playfully

In my possibly-very-controversial opinion, there’s a wrong way and a right way to journal. The right way naturally brings you good feelings—elation, joy, relief, triumph, peace. It may not feel good all the time, but over time you work through the challenging feelings. The wrong way makes you feel yucky. It puts you in an endless circle of yuckiness.

When I first became a writing coach, a client came to me who wrote in a journal, stream of consciousness, every morning. She’d read in a book that she shouldn’t worry about what she wrote, just get it all out.

Great if that works, but the more she wrote the more cranky and miserable she grew. Now, sometimes, to get to the root of an issue, you may need to travel to those deep, dark caverns in your psyche, but the idea is to shed light on the pain and feel good afterward–at least in my book.

This book will take you through a journaling process designed to bring joy over time: The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day.

Book Writing: Insights on Voice, Humor and Flow

February 22, 2010 by Lisa Tener

On the path to writing your book? Here's the view out the window from book writing class — On the path to writing your book? Here’s the view out the window from book writing class

Truth is, half the reason I started this post is to share the beautiful photo Carrie Beers took from book writing class last week. Can you imagine a more inspiring setting for book writing?

The other, more important half, is to share some of the insights that come up in class–and the great ideas that people share.

During a discussion on finding your voice as a writer and striking the right tone, Rudy Wilson Galdonik shared her secret for writing with humor. She goes to bed reading a book by a humorous writer whose tone somewhat matches what she’s going for. In the morning, Rudy gets up at [gulp] four or five in the morning and just writes.

Rudy Wilson Galdonik shares her secrets as a humorist

“It’s always funnier when I write immediately upon waking, after having read something funny the night before.”

You might worry about taking on someone else’s tone, but–in my own experience–it more tends to spice up your writing–it will still sound like you, only funnier (or sassier, more playful, wiser…whatever tone it is you’re going for). Try it and let me know how it works for you…

Several people in class decided to try this trick and Marjorie Foer reported that she immediately went to the library to get some before bed books to inspire her tone. The librarian recommended Studs Turkel, but, “His books are still sitting on the floor waiting to be opened.”

Marjorie Foer Turned to Her Intuition for Guidance on What to Read to Inspire her Writing for the Next Day

Instead, Marjorie, whose book is about speaking naturally and ending stuttering by using intuitive techniques, found herself returning home to trust her intuition. Bye bye Studs.

“I felt drawn to Judith Orloff’s Positive Energy. The first chapter is on intuition which is a huge part of my work. The interesting turn in this little story is that I decided to listen to my intuition for inspirational
sleeping. I got quiet and centered, asked for clarity regarding how to write my next piece and then wrote in my journal just before closing my eyes to go to sleep.”

“BOOM! My reception was clear and the next day the information came through. Today I wrote the piece that came through first, and I have other
ideas to work on after being stuck for weeks.

“Even though I knew which story I wanted to share, my writing flowed like molasses. I stuck with it and finished that story but tonight I’m adding a clear request for the writing to flow, for me to get out of the way and just let the writing download through me.

“I could see myself making the request tonight before bed and as I saw this, I got feedback about my need to walk, do yoga and eat healthier to clear my
channel. Pretty cool.

“Remember how I lost weight in the early part of your last course because writing and health were intertwined? Now I’ve entered that part of my learning spiral again, but with a different level of consciousness. Writing in my journal is the key, I can’t lie to myself there and I feel it’s becoming a sacred place for me to meet with my Higher Self.”

So, what do you do just before closing your eyes at night? What will you do? Please share your intentions and results with this community of writers by adding your comments below. This is an exciting experiment for us all!

The Process of Getting a Literary Agent

February 18, 2010 by Lisa Tener

head-on-hands-on-books1 — Your Writing Coach

People ask me about the process of getting a literary agent. You probably know you need to submit a query (or meet an agent who says, “Yes, I want to see your proposal”), then submit your book proposal (a significant document often 50-80 pages), then wait.

But what’s it like from the inside? I asked Dr. Randy Kamen-Gredinger to share her experience of finding an agent. And some of the things her agent asked for in the process before signing.

During a course at Harvard Medical School on Writing and Publishing Creative Non-Fiction Books, surrounded by colleagues interested in learning the ins and outs of writing books and getting them published, Randy says she, “felt confident I, too, had a book in me.” She decided her book would focus on relationships.

When Randy started in my book writing course, she “hardly knew how to use a computer” by her own admission. As a psychologist with a very busy private practice, she didn’t really need to use a computer much beyond checking e-mails and Internet searches.

Entering the world of the aspiring author meant learning many new skills–not just how to structure a book and write in a compelling way. Randy quickly became skilled on her Mac, began organizing material collected throughout her career as a therapist, and created keynote addresses on a variety of topics that related to her book.

Randy held a focus group to help find a title for her book

After making headway on the book, Randy wrote her proposal. Literary agent Jeanne Fredericks liked the book and saw its potential. Still she wanted to see several revisions to the proposal and a more compelling title. At a gathering of twenty-five women friends in Randy’s living room, led be a trained branding expert and facilitator, they came up with the title What Women Need: The 12 Keys to Gaining Balance and Happiness.

Jeanne requested an edited video clip of one of Randy’s speaking engagements and four chapters of her book. Nine months from the time of the initial submission, Jeanne accepted the proposal and formally became her agent.

Was it time to submit the book to publishers? No. Her agent advised her to continue building her platform and become a “thought leader” in her field as she continued to write her book. She developed a presence on Facebook and Twitter, gave an occasional radio interview and returned to the lecture circuit after a many year hiatus. (At one point she had shared the lecture platform with greats like Dr. Herbert Benson, Jon Kabat-Zinn and Joan Borysenko).

With the help of a dear friend and savvy internet marketer, Alan Bergstein, Randy built a new website and blog.

Response to this site about a wide range of women’s issues far exceeded expectations. Jeanne thinks the site will be an important feature in the selling and success of What Women Need.

Randy admits, “The process of writing my book became a much bigger deal than I ever imagined. It’s been an amazing, and sometimes frustrating, journey. Building my platform with speaking engagements, writing for various publications, building my website and blog, creating videos for YouTube (and next webinars) continues to bring all kinds of wonderful and unexpected surprises. The deeper I go down this path the more compelling it becomes.

“Developing the website is especially fulfilling because it all of the other elements. Though still in its infancy DrRKG.com has become the umbrella of all the other activities going on in my professional world. It continues to evolve.

“As a psychologist I have been somewhat constrained by the confidential component of my work. Expanding my horizons as a speaker, writer and coach have given me a venue for reaching a much greater audience and making a difference on a larger scale.”

While it may seem a bit frustrating for aspiring authors to do so much up front work, the platform building and advance preparation means that, when your book comes out, you’ll have pent up demand for your book and you won’t be rushing to catch up and create an audience from nothing. Can’t you just see those books flying off bookshelves and virtual shelves?

Writing a Book vs. Marketing a Book

February 15, 2010 by Lisa Tener

lisa-tener-head-on-hands — Your Book Writing Coach

I’ve been “talking” by e-mail to Dr. Ellen Weber Libby, whom I met a few years ago at the Harvard Medical School CME publishing course.

Elly and I immediately connected and I became first her book proposal coach and then her book writing coach for The Favorite Child, which was published last month by Prometheus Books and has been getting lots of buzz.

The Favorite Child, a ground-breaking book, is the first book written on favorite children and is the only relationship book that applies to everyone. Everyone grew up as the favorite, overlooked, or unfavorite child. The book answers many questions, such as:

– What happens when a parent has a favorite child?
– How does this favored relationship affect that child when they grow up and become and adult?
– How does it affect that person’s relationships?
– How does favoritism affect other siblings?
…and much more, of course.

Dr. Ellen Weber Libbys Book The Favorite Child came out last month — Dr. Ellen Weber Libby’s Book The Favorite Child came out last month

I asked Elly what it’s like for her to be suddenly marketing her book compared to writing it.

Elly replied, “When writing a book, I have 300 pages to tell my story. I pace the unfolding of the story, wanting readers to be interested in the details and wanting them to read on.

“Each chapter is a distinct unit with a beginning, middle, and end, smoothly connected to what comes before and after. Upon completing the book, readers need to feel satisfied and know they are wiser for having read my book.

“Promoting a book requires a different mindset. In just a few minutes I need to convey a sharp and concise message, which will entice each person in the audience to buy my book.

“My goals is to NOT tell the reader too much but to stimulate them to go to the next step – to purchase The Favorite Child. This is accomplished by consolidating the 300 detailed and well thought out pages in to the two or three major points which will be most engaging to the audience.

“What is common to both the writing and promoting of a book is the writer’s struggle of knowing how much or how little to say. When writing, the writer does not want to drown the reader in irrelevant details; when promoting the book, there isn’t the time to encounter this risk.

“Conversely, when promoting the book, the writer does not want to engage with interviewers in free-flowing discussion as one would with a friend over coffee: the writer wants to use the time wisely to make succinct points that will help sell the book. But, when I wrote The Favorite Child, it was the free-flowing discussions I had with friends and colleagues that added richness and texture to the book and helped me clarify and develop my opinions and prose.”

I asked Elly how she likes all the interviews and book promotion activity.

“I enjoy promoting the book. Everything about the experience intrigues me. I’ve been interviewed on shows with dramatically different audiences, and it is amazing how each interviewer gets to similar information from such divergent approaches, some with humor, others provocatively, and some directly.

“And, I still can’t get over the fact that while in Paris a friend listened to an interview I did on NPR in NYC on her computer.”

You can purchase The Favorite Child at Amazon.com. Read Dr. Libby’s blog on Psychology Today.

URI Summer Writing Conference: 3 Big Lessons on Day 1

Your Muse Calls: A Poem

The Right Way to Journal

Book Writing: Insights on Voice, Humor and Flow

The Process of Getting a Literary Agent

Writing a Book vs. Marketing a Book

Write a Book

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