The Ups and Downs of Writing

As with most endeavors, writing has its ups and downs. We authors are told we must have a thick skin and must be able to let the harsh criticisms of our work roll off our backs. That can be easier said than done. But it doesn't mean we don't have to find a way to put the possibly harsh critiques and reviews of our work into perspective.

Every author wants a sterling five-star review of his or her book. Naturally. I've yet to meet an author who would say, "If I get three stars on this one, I'll be happy." And we revel in the four- and five-star reviews, the ones that tout our book as brilliant or a must-read.

But how do we handle the other reviews--the ones from readers/reviewers who find our book to be less than entertaining or engaging, possibly even poorly written? Our human tendency is to react out of hurt and shame and with anger and indignation. "How dare that reviewer say such a thing about my book!" It's as if the reviewer said, "Hey, lady, you sure have an ugly baby there."

Developing that thick skin can be a challenge, and often the thick skin is nothing more than an outer cover, a mask to hide the hurt we feel. As professionals, we have to find a way to maintain a balance and to keep things in perspective. I give serious consideration to every critique, every reader feedback, and every review, whether it's a standing ovation for my work or a less than enthusiastic one-handed clap. As a writer, I'm always learning--at least I hope I am. I can learn from the negative feedback as well as from the positive. It's just not as much fun. Are reviewers always right? No, it's a very subjective business. But if they're right just once and, by taking that negativity, I can strengthen my future writing, I win in the end.

Admittedly, there is a difference between a 'bad' or 'negative' review and a slice'n'dice job that's close to being a personal attack on the author. Reviewers have to keep perspective and balance, as well. But I believe that any of us who put our work out there for public consumption and then don't consider the good AND the bad of public feedback does ourself and our future work a disservice.

We can smile at the great reviews and frown over the less enchanting feedback, but it's all a part of this profession we call writing.

In Memory of My Dad

No matter how old I get, there are still days that stir fond memories from my childhood. My father, Dale Rettstatt, Jr., (nicknamed Sonny) passed away in 1981 at the age of fifty-nine. It's hard to believe it's been thirty years.

As we celebrate Father's Day, I take time to enjoy some memories of my dad. Mostly I remember him as a quiet, constant presence with a dry sense of humor. According to his high school yearbook, he wanted to be an engineer and to build airplanes. He became a soldier who served in WWII and received a Purple Heart for injuries during battle in France. He was a dedicated husband and father, never quite achieving his high school dream. Still, he worked hard to provide for his family, and did so without complaint.

He was in the high school band and played clarinet. He also loved playing cards and, suprisingly enough, creating paint-by-number paintings. I didn't think much about it at the time, but now reflect on the ways my dad tried to feed his creative spirit. Maybe that's where I get this passion for music, photography, and writing--the need to create.

My father was not a very communicative man. I wonder what he was like before he experienced the ravages of war at such a young age. But the man I knew as Daddy was quiet, sometimes brooding (though he did experience headaches from the shrapnel that remained in his head following the war). But he was 'there'. Always. To play ball in the backyard. To take me and my four girlfriends to see the Beatles movie, Help, at a drive-in theater because none of us could drive yet. (More than should be asked of any man!) To teach me to drive. To keep my car in good repair. To help me move out of my parents' house when I thought I was ready for the move. And to help me move back in a year later when I discovered I wasn't quite ready.

He didn't generally refer to my sister or me by our names. If a phone call came, he would shout, "Hey, you. Telephone." If the wrong daughter responded, he'd say, "Not you, the other one." Got so we signed his birthday cards from Hey You and The Other One.

The last time I saw my dad was the day before he died. I had taken a bus home from Pittsburgh for the weekend. He drove me to the bus station on Sunday before he went to work his shift. He lingered at the bus station with me, even though I told him I'd be fine (knowing he needed to get to work). We didn't talk, but he kept asking me if I needed any money--to which I said, "No, I'm okay." It was as if he did not want to leave.

But he left the next evening because of a massive heart attack. Medically speaking, my father had a bad heart. But my Dad had a great heart, a generous heart, the heart of a hero.

Here's to you, Daddy. Happy Father's Day.

The Other One

Outside the Lines

I awoke this morning and, once my vision focused, gazed across the room at the framed photograph on the far wall. It’s a picture I took when I was more engaged in outdoor photography some years ago. I captured the sunset off Norfolk Harbor (Virginia) while on a dinner cruise. And I experienced a flashback to an arts and crafts fair where I had set up a booth to sell my matted photo prints.

A man came by and flipped through the selections, holding up the print of the sunset. He studied it for a moment and then asked, “May I say something about this photograph?”

“Sure,” I said. He then went on to tell me everything that I’d done wrong in shooting that photo—the horizon is almost dead center and, according to my self-appointed critic, you never center the horizon. (I knew that rule.) You never shoot directly into the sun because you will get sun spots. (I knew that rule, too). The picture is bland because there is not much variation in colors—it’s all orange and brown. (I could see that.)

“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve studied photography and just want to be helpful,” he said.

“Thank you," I said, "but I actually love this picture.”

When I look at this picture, I don’t see a photo of the sunset over the water, with the horizon almost dead center (violating some precious rule). I see a variation in color and tone and shading. I see the orange stream of light the sun sends across the water and pulls the photo together. I see the beauty that can be captured by daring to step outside the bounds of ‘the rules.’ This picture greets me every morning, like a kiss from God.

Was I irritated by his presumption? Yes. Did I let his ‘suggestions’ change the way I approached photography? No. One might ask, "Why not?" After all, he studied the rules.

I used to always meticulously color inside the lines. And I rarely ever had purple grass or a green sun or an orange apple in any of the heavily outlined pictures in my childhood coloring books. Every color was as it should have been and nothing breached the boundary lines on the picture.

As I learned the rules for life, I approached them much the same way. Whose rules? Well, those of my parents, my teachers, my culture. But one day when I was in my twenties, something amazing happened. A friend invited me outside the lines—and I dared to accept. Wow—there was a whole new world out there. A world where I could be creative and innovative and paint in any colors I wanted. And nothing bad happened. Good things actually happened. I was filled a new energy and passion.

I’m not talking legal lines here. (Well, not for the most part. It was the seventies.) I’m talking music, photography, and the inner freedom that comes with experimenting and bending the ‘rules’ and daring to create something new. Even becoming something new. A musician friend, when hearing a composition I’d finished, said, “You don’t want to end a song on a minor chord.” I said, “But that’s where this song ends.” And it did, and it worked. For me. It turned out to be the favorite song of many on the ensuing recording that included my music and hers.

When I began to write novels, I was fortunate enough to not know all the rules involved. I knew rules for spelling, grammar, and punctuation, of course. But none of the rules of plot development, characterization, point of view… I just wrote. I wrote what I felt in my heart, what I heard in my head, and what spilled out from this new passion I’d discovered. Writing. That first book finaled for an award, as have two others since. But that's not the point. It's not about gaining awards. It's about the deep satisfaction that comes from the creative process.

This morning as I stared at the imperfect photograph of the sunset on Norfolk Harbor, several threads of a tapestry wove together. That gravitational pull I felt years ago to step outside the lines and give my creative passion free reign. The daring to compose music that came from my soul and may have stretched the boundaries of the rules of composition. And it all culminated in my eighth published novel, Shooting Into the Sun.

Read an Excerpt

I’ve known this book is my favorite (don’t tell the other kids), but I’ve not been certain why that is. Now I’m certain. Because in that book, I have bared my own struggle in Rylee’s journey to get free of her self-constructed boundaries. And in Rylee’s coming to terms with the way her choices have kept her safe and her life orderly, she is free to color outside those lines and create something new. And, when she does, she is surprised to find that the world doesn’t end.

We don’t usually come to terms with these issues in our twenties or even our thirties. We’re generally too busy living life and still building the life we desire. But, if we’re lucky, at some point (and this often occurs for women when we hit forty-five and older) we feel that tug toward something more, something deeper within ourselves. And if we’re smart, we go with it.

Embrace your passion to be creative!

Linda

Reaching the End of the Alphabet

Last week, we reached the end of the alphabet and the last posting for The Writer's Alphabet blog series. This week I just want to list for you the excellent writers who participated in this blog over the past months and their websites. Please visit their web pages and take a look at their books.

To these writers, I say, "Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. You've given us all new building blocks for our own writing."

In order of appearance, they are:

Angelica Hart and Zi                  
http://www.angelicahartandzi.com/

Mary McCall                            
http://www.marymccall.net/

A.J. Maguire                          
http://ajmaguire.webs.com/

Jim Woods                            
http://users.dakotacom.net/~jwoods

Karyn Lyndon                        
http://www.karynlyndon.blogspot.com/

Therese Kinkaide                     
http://www.theresekinkaide.com/

Celia Yeary                             
http://www.celiayeary.com/

Claudy Conn                          
http://www.claudyconn.embarqspace.com/

Judy Griffith Gill                     
http://www.judygill.com/

K.D. Pitner                             
http://kdpitner.webs.com/

Kimberley Dehn                     
http://kdpitner.webs.com/

Billie Williams                        
http://www.billiewilliams.com/

Fiona McGier                       
http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Carol McPhee                      
http://carolmcphee.webs.com/

Jane Toombs                        
http://www.janetoombs.com/

Elaine Cantrell                      
http://www.elainecantrell.com/

Allison Knight                       
http://www.allisonknight.com/

Lynn Romaine                      
http://www.lynnromaine.com/

Camille Cavanagh                 
http://www.camillecavanagh.com/wordpress/

Angela Verdenius                 
http://www.angelaverdenius.com/

Lauren Gallagher/L.A. Witt   
http://www.loriawitt.com/

Cindy K. Green                   
http://www.cindykgreen.com/

Judith Leger                        
http://www.judithleger.weebly.com/

Z is for...

We've reached the end of the alphabet. You might wonder how a writer would handle the letter 'Z' in relation to any aspect of writing. Well, author Judith Leger has no problem giving us something to think about as she shares her insight into Z's place in the alphabet and the importance of zest in writing.
~ * ~
Hi Linda, thanks so much for letting me guest with the letter Z. Did you know that Z is not really a letter? Yeah, I know. How is it possible for someone to say, out with the Z, and completely remove it from the alphabet? The slanted letter was so rarely used that Roman Censor Appius Claudius Caecus got rid of it. Why have it if it's not used, right? Fits perfect with the old saying, use it or lose it. Well, something like that. A couple of hundreds years later, the letter Z was put into the latin alphabet and voila, we had our Z back. I mean, seriously, you can't have Greek words without using the letter Z. Which is a great thing cause what we would do without the word zest?

I love this word. Why? Well, because of the its meaning, of course. Zest is a keen relish, a hearty enjoyment, and great gusto. It's also a wonderful flavor or scent placed on something to enhance enjoyment. Did I hear the word soap? Let me make myself clear. I'm not just talking about your Momma's soap. Every day I look for zest in life, in love, and definitely in my writing. I try to put a little zest into the words and scenes in my books. I'm not talking about zany, crazy antics from the hero/heroine. No, I shoot for the stars. I want there to be a spark of magic in my characters to where the reader can feel it.

So for me, Z is a very special letter and one I hope no one takes away too soon. Whatever would we do without zebras, zodiacs, zippers, zeroes...well, you get the picture.
Judith Leger

~ * ~

Judith Leger lives in SW Louisiana (yes, hurricane alley) with her family. Her first publication came when Chicken Soup for the Soul published her personal essay, A Heart of Compassion. Since then, she has had several other short stories and novels published. This year, her fantasy YA, Wraith's Forest under her other pen name LJ Leger, was released. Another brand new release is her fantasy romance novel, Dragon Wish, from Wild Child Publishing. She loves creating new characters and worlds for readers to visit over and over again.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading, watching anime or enjoying the country atmosphere of her home. She sits on her back patio and looks out over the pastures to where her Appaloosa mare is grazing. Her little dachshund is stretched out at her feet. With four men in the house, Judith needs all the female company she can come across, even the four-legged kind. Be sure and stop by her site to check out her other books.
Website : http://www.judithleger.weebly.com/
blog: http://www.judithleger.blogspot.com/
New Release: Dragon Wish - http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/

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Y is for YA: Writing for the Young Adult

As we near the end of the alphabet, I'm very pleased to welcome author Cindy K. Green who shares her thoughts and her expertise on writing Young Adult fiction.


Writing for the Young Adult

Like YA books? Curious about the genre as a reader or a writer? I’ve got some information for you. My love of YA literature began when I was a pre-teen myself and continued as I became a teacher of middle schoolers. When I took the step to become an author, the first manuscript I ever worked on was a YA story. Just like any other type of writing, you need to know your market/audience and genre well. Here’s some help.

What is YA?

YA stands for ‘Young Adult’ and most often refers to literature intended for older tweens and younger teens. These are books which have an interest for teenage readers and follow the growth and experiences of a teenage protagonist. They can have various tones. For example, Meg Cabot’s Princess Diary series is light and funny but there is a lot of truth and reality in there too. On the other hand, there are very dark, almost-adult themed books intended for the YA. They do not all necessarily end happily—that of course will depend on your tone. However, they should have a point and a reason to hope that through this journey the characters are better off either through the change in circumstances or through the lessons learned in the course of their experiences.

What is the age range for young adults?

The range for YA can vary. There is the low rage of 10-12 and then the 12 and up variety. There is even what is called ‘Teen Fiction’ for 16 and up. Generally speaking, young adult refers to those over 12 years of age. Write characters that are a couple years older than your intended audience. YA readers tend to enjoy reading about kids that are the same age or older than themselves. So, if you are aiming for the Jr. High market (12-14 year olds), write a story about a character 14 years-old or older.

Preparation

*Learn the writing craft. Everything you have to know to write for adults pertains to the YA market as well. IT IS NOT EASIER TO WRITE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. A key bit of advice is to not write down to your readers. Use language that you feel works for your story. If a YA reader doesn’t recognize or know the definition of a word, he can look it up or just deduce the meaning through usage.

*And like all authors know, to write in a certain genre you must read in that genre. So, if you want to write for young adults start reading the books. I have heard some authors suggest you try to read all the YA books in your library. That could be daunting depending on your library, but at least begin to sample them. As a middle school English teacher, I read a lot of YA books before I even contemplated writing in the genre; but that background really helped in writing my book.

*Knowing kids today also helps. You want to be able to get into the heads of today’s teens (as much as we can) and reach them with your story. Figure out a plot that teens can relate to in this day and age.

*Join an organization such as SCBWI, the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. This is one of the best organizations for Children’s writers and illustrators.

The Market & Resources

*Right now the market for YA books is booming. Check out the Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers and Literary Agents by Jeff Herman (Prima Publishers) an annual publication that has a subject guide in the back. Also look in the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market from Writer's Digest Books, also an annual.

*If you want a list of YA publishers, try this link. http://homepages.utoledo.edu/pmany/yapubs.html

*Another great website for it’s comprehension into publishing, writing, and reading YA literature can be found at http://library.webster.edu/netresearch/childlit.html.

*Check out Verla Kay’s Website for getting started in writing for Children and Young Adults.    http://www.verlakay.com/34getting_started.html

*There are a lot of print resources as well. Here are a couple I can recommend.

Writing for Young Adults by Sherry Garland

Writing for Children and Teenagers by Lee Wyndam

My best advice to you is to write and continue writing. Resolve in your heart that this is something you want to do. My favorite writing quote is that there are more quitters than failures in writing. Don’t be one of the quitters.

This is just a beginning of all the information out there on writing for the young adult. But you have to start somewhere. Any other YA authors have some bits of advice?

***************************

Cindy K. Green is a multi-published author with degrees in History and Education. Previously a middle school English & History teacher, she now homeschools her own children and writes in several genres: Inspirational, Contemporary, Suspense, Fantasy and Historical romance. No matter what she writes, she always throws in a bit of humor and fun. Under the name CK Green she writes YA romantic fiction.

Find out more about Cindy and her books at http://www.cindykgreen.com/ and http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/. CK Green has a website at http://sites.google.com/site/ckgreenauthor/ and a blog http://ckgreenauthor.blogspot.com/.

X is for X-rated: Writing Erotic Fiction

 We continue the Writer's Alphabet with the letter X. I welcome erotica writer Lori Witt to talk about writing sex in fiction.


A lot of people turn up their noses at sex in fiction. For some, it’s highly offensive (I won’t go off on my “why is sex worse than violence?” rant this time, but believe me, I have one). For others, it’s just not their thing. To each their own, of course.

Some readers, though, don’t believe it can possibly add anything to any story, so why bother? I’ve heard everything from “sex should be used absolutely sparingly and with as little detail as possible” to “sex has no place in fiction. It’s all gratuitous.”

And it is there I must disagree. Fiction involves humans, and humans have sex. But still, why on earth do some of us choose to write about that aspect of life? Is it really that big of a deal?

You’ll probably get a different answer out of any writer. We all have our reasons for writing it or not writing it. I can’t speak for anyone else, but here’s why this erotica author chooses to write copious amounts of sex.

My answer is, yes, sex really is that big of a deal. Big enough that it absolutely has its place in some fiction. The fact is, sex affects people. On countless levels, in countless ways, sex runs much deeper than just physical pleasure. After all, look at the lengths people go to in the pursuit of sex.

In my career, I’ve written sex between friends, exes, adversaries, strangers, longtime lovers, spouses, couples on the verge of breaking up, Dominants/submissives, you name it. Angry sex. Comfort sex. Sex to connect or reconnect. Sex to blow off steam. The possibilities are endless, and in certain situations with certain characters, sex can be the most powerful way to demonstrate the dynamic between those characters. It can change relationships for better or worse. It can show cracks in a relationship or help solidify a shaky foundation. Sometimes it’s a temporary escape from the bad things in life—a way to feel better, if only for a short time, when the rest of the world is falling down around them. The sky’s the limit, really.

If a couple is going through a difficult period, and can’t quite find the words to solve it, sometimes a little physical intimacy can go a long way toward getting back on the same page. As an example, this is a quote from Out of Focus, one of my upcoming books:

“I inched closer until his skin warmed my chest. Dropping a light kiss on his shoulder, I moved my hand down his arm to his hand, and just as I’d hoped, he splayed his fingers to let mine slip between. Squeezing his hand gently, I kissed the back of his neck, and his sharp intake of breath gave me a little more hope that he wouldn’t push me away.

I wanted to ask if he was okay. I wanted to whisper “I love you”. But words didn’t feel right. There was so much we needed to discuss, but at least for the moment, I just needed to know he was still here.”

On the other end of the spectrum, in my BDSM novel, Reconstructing Meredith, the title character is a traumatized submissive and a rape survivor. She has a great deal of psychological damage tied directly to sex, but she wants to take her sexuality back from her abuser, and that’s why she’s approached Scott. He’s an experienced Dominant, as well as a trusted friend and former lover. Little by little, he eases her back into being able to enjoy physical intimacy again, and believe me, it’s a bumpy road. Without showing the sex, I don’t believe the progression of her recovery or her relationship with Scott would have had quite the emotional impact.

In another of my own books, Between Brothers, Marisa is frustrated with the lackluster sex she’s experienced, but she also lacks confidence in all aspects of her life. The more she learns to be assertive in bed, the more she learns to be the same way outside the bedroom.

Sex is more than just two people getting sweaty between the sheets. Oh, it’s certainly hot, and not every sex scene needs to have a deeper emotional meaning, but the fact is, sex changes people. It changes relationships.

In short, while it most definitely does not have its place in every story, sex absolutely does have a very valid place in fiction.

Buy Link

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BIO:

Lori Witt is an erotica writer who is said to be living in Okinawa, Japan, with her husband and two incredibly spoiled cats. There is some speculation that she is once again on the run from the Polynesian Mafia in the mountains of Bhutan, but she’s also been sighted recently in the jungles of Brazil, on a beach in Spain, and in a back alley in Detroit with some shifty-eyed toaster salesmen. Though her whereabouts are unknown, it is known that she writes hetero erotic romance under the pseudonym Lauren Gallagher and gay erotic romance as L. A. Witt.


Website: http://www.loriawitt.com/

Professional blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com/

Personal blog: http://navywifeadventures.blogspot.com/

Twitter: GallagherWitt