More Gifts for Writers

A writer's "office" tends to be a cramped corner in the home. The right gifts can brighten and expand that space. Start by watching your writer at work. Is the chair a rickety yard sale relic? What about adequate lighting? Any room for files or file boxes near the desk? These are all gifts waiting to be given.

Start at the big box stores (Ikea, Target, Home Depot) to look for modular units that fit into the available space. These stores also have inexpensive shelves to add to side of desk for reference book storage. Even if there is no room for new furniture or wall unit, look for portable files. Staples and Office Depot have small files on wheels that roll up to the desk for accessibility then easily roll back into a closet when the writer is finished for the day. Any of the store mentioned as well as a lamp specialty store have many lighting options. My favorite is the OttLite; full spectrum and cool (not hot but still cool in its own way). Look at JoAnn's Fabrics and similar stores for a floor standing OttLite or desk top.

Any creature comfort that a writer can use in the prime writing space will be appreciated. The gift will also say that you value this writer's work enough to support it with something to enhance efficiency. That message alone is a great gift.

Gifts for Writers

The stocking is empty. . . what to get for your favorite writer? Inspiration, of course. How do you package inspiration? Start with a place, a mood and a feeling.

What place does your writer most often talk about visiting? Hawaii, Paris or Alaska?
If you can't afford the plane ticket for a long weekend get away, then package the place under the tree. Look for items that represent the place.
Paris is an easy start. In a basket gather fresh French macaroons, pastries, a black beret, stripe tee shirt, French perfume or scented candle, tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower, CD of French folk music and a Paris street scene poster. A truly dedicated gift giver will search online or in vintage bookstores for a book in your writer's favorite genre that is autographed by the author.
Now you get the idea - - - surround your writer with an inspiration gift basket and who knows what fabulous fictional ideas will be generated.

Zombies: writers gone wild

Fall brings out the zombie writers wacky tales of the inconsiderate undead. Dedicated zombie writers vehemently argue whether or not zombies eat, drink and make merry (the latter isn't likely considering their gruesome demeanor). I confess to baiting the argument to enjoy the mindless debate (which of course makes sense for zombies).

Character analysis is important for any genre. The personality and actions of a character must either be consistent or the story may spin on the inconsistency. Nonetheless, a writer must intimately know these characters to create believable presentations.

At this season, I cannot resist posing these questions to zombie writers:

• Do zombies have IQ preferences or is it any old brain in a storm?
• Why can't zombies stay out of the middle of the street? Traffic at rush hour is bad enough.
• Do zombies have thumbs or are these snack food between brains?
• Where do zombies rank in the monster pecking order?
• Why can't zombies be gracious enough to stay dead and leave us to the common terrors of taxes, pollution, war and pestilence?

Zombie writers actually have answer for these questions, however, be prepared for a battle of opinions. Perhaps that's the way to get rid of zombies, ask them odd questions about brains like what is the pi of brain?

 P.S. I am a huge fan of the Scott Kennemore's Zen of Zombie: Better Living Thru the Undead. He makes fun of zombies with style, which will clearly make him a marked man when the invasion occurs.

Exercise Writing Muscles

Daily exercise - it's necessary to keep our bodies strong. Exercising writing muscle is the same. Get your "write brain" moving regularly to strengthen your writing. I'm coming back to this blog after weeks of pain and distraction. The pain is an arm and shoulder injury from a falling cabinet. I find it tough to concentrate or be productive while in pain. For all those creative types who continue to produce after cutting off an ear or other personally maiming actions in the name of art, good for you; that's not me. My brain-on-pain is not my best creative brain.

What I have done for these weeks other than teaching is to increase reading. Think of it as a passive exercise, reading other excellent work until it's time to write again. Also like exercise, blogging is a regularly scheduled life event. Getting in the flow is easier than erratic production. 

So get your writing muscle moving! Grab a pen, paper, computer or iPhone and start writing. Aim for longer than a tweet but less than War and Peace, at least for this week. 

Blog for Bucks

Want to practice blogging and earn money? No HTML required, Squidoo was my intro to blogging. This popular site lets "lensmakers" keep the bucks or write for a charity. Online Teaching Jobs was my first blog, created as a learning tool during the 30 Day Challenge several years ago. To my surprise, this lens developed a following while I made money simply for sharing my love of online teaching.

While my online presence has grown to Facebook, Twitter and this delightful Blogspot format, I find that my first and second Squidoo lens continue to draw traffic.

Squidoo is free and simple to use for an internet novice. Start your lens today and send me your lens name. I'll make sure to send you some "squid love" (that means favorite).

Pet Words

What are your "pet words"?  You know, let's think outside the box since it's not rocket science. Whatever, I could care less; like you know, my bad.  Get the point?

Pet words may be over-used in the current culture or long over-due from term paper days such as; nonetheless, extremely, totally, very much more, etc. Problematic is a frequent flyer as is awesome, interesting and really.Give your work to another reader who will find the pet words easier than you do (after all, they are your pets). Another way is to word search the document. When a bevy of the same words jump out in yellow highlight, those are your pet words.

The cure for pet words is a thesaurus. I prefer the old school paper book to scan around and cross reference. Even an online version is better than nothing. Take this opportunity to find new names for your pet words. Your writing will sparkle and as a side benefit, your vocabulary increases.

Writing from Down Under

Alas, I am not in Australia. I've spent most of today peeking out from down under my blanket. Being sick is the worst way to stifle creativity, but I had to finish an academic paper. That's when habits of organization save the day. Clinging to my outline and my file of research, I muddled forward, slowly.

Writing while sick is generally counter productive. When facing down a deadline, you need to rely on practiced techniques to get the job done. Those may not be your most stunning words, but they can be adequate. Don't count on your ability to self-edit when it's all you can do to write. Get help from another competent writer who can do the overview edit for you. My writer-friend complimented some profound ideas in my paper. Maybe next week when I feel normal I'll re-read it and be amazed. For now, I'm thankful it's done and I can crawl back under the covers.

iPhone for Writers

 My first iPhone is as exhilarating as getting my first car. Beyond the coolness factor are amazing apps that are useful in writing and coaching. This phone replaces several old standbys useful for blogging and other writing. I can record sudden inspirations on my iPhone "Voice Memos". It even has a classic old microphone and VU meter, reminiscent of my years in radio news.

Also amazing is the ability to instantly post on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn from my iPhone eliminating another random note in my calendar that may be forgotten.

The iPhone camera is surprisingly excellent. I can take photos on the spot to add to my blog or social networking sites. This camera also takes video, which I discovered by accident.

There are apps with basic dictionary, thesaurus and other reference books. Looking for free wifi for laptop or netbook? I can easily find those locations anywhere in the US with WiFi Get Lite app. I used this app to find free wifi near a hotel in Indianapolis where I'm participating in a confernece. Why pay $12.95 daily hotel wifi rates, when a short walk gets free internet. If I'm lucky, it's only a few blocks to Starbucks where I get free internet plus my favorite latte. Finding free internet sites for the traveling writer is a money saver.

Since acquiring this long awaited electronic wonder phone, I am iHappy.

Critics can be wrong

Critics said the iPad was destined to fail. Who wanted a tablet instead of a computer? Answer: 3 million buyers in the first quarter it was sold. Apple's iPad radically changed the perceptions of mobile computing. Critics and end users don't always think alike.

The moral of this story for writers is that the critics, contest judges, agents and acquisition editors are not always right about your work. While these professional voices are valuable and need to be considered, look for the end-user (audience) for your product and deliver what they want.

If you can't break into traditional publishing, so what. Look at other options to reach your audience. E-Books, e-Publishing and blogs are the quick way to find and engage your audience. If you have a narrow target audience, even better, because it's easier to identify places they frequent online.

Remember when vampire and zombie stories were relegated to the bottom shelves for the quirky few. Now they are trendy and reach a wide audience who previously cared nothing about the underworld or it's inhabitants. Yes, the critics can be wrong, but the paying market never is.

Value of a Lazy Day

Write everyday! That's the writer's imperative however it can stifle creativity. Stepping away from the keyboard, turning off the phone and relaxing can be the best creativity boost for your writing.  A lazy day can lead to your next high productivity writing binge.

As a fan of Sean's Psychotactics blog, I recommend his article on "The Importance of Idleness".  I find this "brain break" particularly valuable after completing a major writing project.  Schedule a Lazy Day (or Lazy Afternoon if that's all the time you can spare) on your calendar. Do nothing work-related: picnic in the park, go on bike ride, lounge at the beach or spend the day doing a craft. The idea is to rest your Write Brain and let those other brain cells take over for a while. You will relax and return to your writing refreshed.

What do you want your readers to do?

Answer that question before starting to write, otherwise the end result may be another "crossing-the-desert" story that exhausts rather than inspires readers. Don't take this wrong; rich details are wonderful. Agonizing, obsessions are not. Vintage rocket fin caddy with faded red paint is enough. Don't park there to reveal every dent, bump, traffic ticket and back seat make-out session that makes the car special to you. Faced with TMI (too much information) that fails to enhance the story, and I'm done. So are many readers.

If you want me to read on, entice me. One of the best compliments I have heard for my novel, Taylor Kendall:Evil Inc, came from a psychotherapist colleague who said; "I was tired and planned to stop at the end of the next chapter, but there was another hook that kept me reading. By 4am, I finished the book; exhausted yet satisfied." That's what I wanted to do, get the reader so involved in the story, the characters and the suspense that continuing to read was the only option.

Signing for book buyers!

When writing a business article, do you want the reader to buy, subscribe or attend an event? Does your web copy grab attention and cause the reader to hit the "sign up now" button? Will your poem touch heartfelt memories so that the reader recommends your work to fellow poetry lovers? It's like the old saying, "begin with the end in mind." That's good advice for writers. Know what you want your reader to do and you are more likely to communicate that as well as motivate the reader to act.

Writing Endorsements -Show Not Tell

Effective endorsements show benefits. Telling is like shaking your fingers in someones face to get agreement. Showing with examples, metaphors or testimonies is more persuasive and action-oriented. In the recent Florida governor's race, a candidate's mother went on the air to tell us why her son was so wonderful and therefore deserved our vote. As my Mama would say, "consider the source". To begin with the source (his mother) is prejudiced. Secondly, the source is telling me as a voter to choose her son. Like most Baby Boomers, I don't like being told what to do without more information to persuade me.

No matter how much expertise you have, when you write an endorsement, your words have to fan the flames of reader interest not be a flame-thrower aimed at the reader.  Look at the endorsement sample in my previous blog for the birthday party book. There are specific ideas for a variety of ages, checklists and party activities. Mentioning these SHOWS what this book has to offer rather than Telling a reader that the book is "great".
Think about an eBook or information product that you would endorse. Write a paragraph then highlight the words that "show" v. words that "tell". Re-write to make it more about "showing" and notice the difference.,

Boost Name Recognition with Endorsements

New writers, or those changing genres, can build up credibility by writing endorsements. A quick way to do this is to endorse eBooks and other internet information products. Your name in that eBook is search-engine discoverable. That's another mention for a small project.


Years ago when I was breaking in to online ghostwriting, I did several endorsements and reviews. Here's a sample from an eBook titled, Planning a Perfect Birthday Party: 


    "Before you get wrapped up in what you like, pay attention to the golden rule of birthday parties: it's not about you. Planning A Perfect Birthday Party emphasizes that whether toddler, tween or teen, let your child choose the colors, theme and activities. There's also practical guidance on the numbers of guests and length of the party for each age group.

        Planning a Perfect Birthday Party is about organization, checklists, activities, tips, but most of all it's about making memories."

As endorser, your role is to read the material, relate it to your life experience or professional expertise and present highlights that show why this is worth reading. Get that - - - show, don't tell. More on that in the next blog on writing endorsements.

Oxymoron Alert: Workplace

Ever felt like your company's claim to empower workers, encourage creative thinking and develop new ideas was more promise than practice?  Then you understand the meaning of

Artificial Autonomy

Writing to the Trends

Consumer and social trends influence what people want to read. Whether business writer or fiction writer, you need to know these trends. My top source is Trendwatching. The free monthly trend report is a source of endless article and ebook ideas. Fiction writers also need this information to add authenticity to the setting in a given time.

Among the "11 Crucial Trends for 2011" is Online Status Symbols. That's what you are reading. A blog is an online status symbol that establishes a cyber-presence, defines the interests of the blogger and presents creative work.

Another 2011 trend is Social-Lites and Twinsumers which reflects how we share ideas online, recommend colleagues or products and follow the sub-culture of popular brands (like Amazon, Levis or Starbucks). Of course both of those trends involve ample tweeting, Facebook time and blogging!

Business writers may want more intense information which comes with the paid Premium service. For most writers, the monthly Trendwatching email briefing is robust and a fantastic free resource.

Oxymoron Alert: Spiritual Variety

While I plan to protect my source, this is worth sharing:

Minimally Orthodox

Hard to follow that with any commentary. If you think this is funny, the context was even better!

Oxymoron Alert: Food Variety

Heard a home cook's interview describing a delicious recipe for "12 ounce Pound Cake".
Do the math, people.
A pound is 16 ounces, so this is actually a 75% Cake.
No wonder children have such difficulty with fractions and conversions when adults speak in oxymorons.

Writers on Clutter Overload -2

            Clutter Overload 1: Paper remains the major cluttering item in any office. Papers, file folders, spreadsheets, memos, manuals and anything that can be printed is printed. Then it has to be filed somewhere but in the meantime, for a long time, it lands in a pile. Before long, every available surface is topped with paper piles. Paper consumes a huge amount of time and energy. How many e-mails are printed out "just in case" instead of saved electronically for reference?

            Clutter Overload 2: Second to paper are knick knacks, photos, collections or last year's grab bag gift. Scattered around the desk and stuck on bulletin boards, these dust magnets function like sand traps on a golf course, they slow down your game. Even photos or desk toys are a distraction in the work day which can connect to a pleasant memory or provide a way to waste time.

           Clutter Overload 3   The third most often complained about clutter in an office is wires. An endless stream of cables runs from computers, monitors, printers and phones. The electronic gadgets that keep the office going need their umbilical cord connection to power.

             When you think of McCartney's album title, Memory Almost Full, is your work space so full of clutter that you can't remember a project deadline, a fax confirmation to send or an assignment to send to a client? Clutter in the work space becomes mental clutter as your concentration is repeatedly interrupted searching among the piles or trying to remember what needs to be done next. There was a reason your elementary teacher told you to take everything off your desk and work on just one paper at a time. That's still the best way to complete jobs without missing something important.

             As Sir Paul said, "I think that we all need to delete stuff every so often." That's the truth. After all, when the memory runs out, the oldest items are lost to make room for the new. So help out the process. Sort without mercy in 15 minute time blocks at least twice a day until the pile is reduced. Do this twice a week and you'll control clutter instead of allowing clutter to control you.

Writers on Clutter Overload -1

Paul McCartney's cell phone flashed the message, "Memory Almost Full" and that became the inspiration for his album. Writers can relate as we attempt to work efficiently in cluttered offices and live productively in cluttered homes. It's no exaggeration to say that clutter, a nice word for "stuff", takes over without a struggle.

          A 2010 Office Depot survey found that 32% of workers from cubicle to corner office admit that clutter severely impacts their productivity. 82% of those surveyed admitted that de-cluttering would make a big difference in their job performance but most don't do anything about it. The "Everyday Minimalist" gives these stunning realities

• 80% of home clutter is due to disorganization rather than lack of storage space
• The average American gets over 49,000 pieces of mail in a life; more than a third is junk mail
• Americans spend about 9 million hours each day searching for lost items. And you thought lost keys were no big deal!

          Clutter isn't just about visual pollution; the emotional impact of clutter can literally drain the energy right out of the best writers. Spending a few minutes here and there searching for missing files, a phone number or reference book doesn't seem like much until it adds up to hours of wasted time each week.  Behind those mocking signs like, "A Clean Desk is the Sign of a Sick Mind", are people who are trapped by their junk. Do they feel like laughing? No, writers overrun with clutter are more likely to describe their feelings as anxious, embarrassed, angry or depressed.

        As much as writers protest that they need all that information "at fingertip reach", most are drowning in clutter. How many more words per day could be written if even half the clutter-interruptions were managed? Which is more satisfying: rummaging around piles for plot notes or actually writing the story?

  

         More on the Big 3 Clutter Sources in part 2