The Writers Network News - August 2012 issue http://ezezine.com
The Writers Network News, August 2012
In This Issue
One: From the editor's desk--Gremlins
Two: Ask the Book Doctor-- About Pronouns for Deities, Items in a List,
Quotation Marks, and the CMOS
Three: This Month's Easy Editing Tip from Bobbie Christmas--Canceled or
Cancelled
Four: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Six: Got Muse?--Who's the Boss?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Writers Network News
No Rules; Just Write!
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Contents copyright 2012, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission; however,
you may forward the newsletter in its entirety to anyone who may be
interested in subscribing.
Newsletter Sponsor
Zebra Communications
Excellent editing for maximum marketability
1992--2012: Celebrating twenty years in the business of editing books
(We must be doing something right!)
As book doctors, we write, edit, and evaluate fiction and nonfiction
manuscripts, book proposals, query letters, and synopses. As book
shepherds, we guide writers through the process of self-publishing. We
are a top-rated Better Business Bureau Accredited Business.
Zebra Communications
230 Deerchase Drive
Woodstock, GA 30188
770/924-0528
http://zebraeditor.com/
Follow my "Write In Style" creative-writing blog at
http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet Fellow Writers
Do you live in or visit metro Atlanta? Sign up for local meeting
notices today! Send your name and e-mail address to
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Past Issues Available
To view current and past issues of The Writers Network News, go to
http://tinyurl.com/c4otf6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some links in this newsletter may include "tiny url" with the help of
www.tinyurl.com, which takes long Web addresses and converts them to
short ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer's quote of the month
"I believe that the so-called 'writing block' is a product of some kind
of disproportion between your standards and your performance ... one
should lower his standards until there is no felt threshold to go over
in writing. It's easy to write. You just shouldn't have standards that
inhibit you from writing. I can imagine a person beginning to feel he's
not able to write up to that standard he imagines the world has set for
him, but to me that's surrealistic. The only standard I can rationally
have is the standard I'm meeting right now. You should be more willing
to forgive yourself. It doesn't make any difference if you are good or
bad today. The assessment of the product is something that happens
after you've done it." --William Stafford, poet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: From the editor's desk--Gremlins and Gifts
Dear Readers:
A few days ago, I received a frantic call from a client. "I have the
proof of my book, and I have only two days to proof it. How much will
you charge to proof it for me?"
Normally I have to explain to clients that proofing is not the same as
editing. When we proof a book in layout form, we point out only the
gravest of errors. The book must have been edited in manuscript form,
before I will proof a book in layout form. I did not have to explain
the difference between editing and proofing to her, though, because she
and I had worked on the manuscript through several iterations, and I
had edited it two or three times. We had worked in hard copy, though,
which means she made the changes to the electronic file. Okay, that's
my ego speaking. I want to say any mistakes would be hers, not mine,
but even when I work on the electronic file, I make mistakes. We are
all human. Whenever we make a change to a file or design and lay out a
book, gremlins creep in. Mistakes happen. Nevertheless, I felt certain
that in a 300-page nonfiction book that I had edited at least twice, I
might find all of five or six things that needing correcting at the
proof stage.
Was it worth the trouble to pay an editor to proof the book before it
went to press? The author would probably give a resounding "yes." I
found a major error in--would you believe it--the title of the book on
the front cover. I found errors on the back cover, too. Marketers say
the back cover is vital in selling a book. The errors did not end on
the outside, though.
Inside the book I found missing punctuation and incorrect word
choices--spit instead of split, burry instead of bury--and much more.
By the time I finished proofing the sample edition this morning, I had
found more than forty things that needed repair.
Here's the lesson: If you plan to self-publish, always get a proof
before your book goes to press. Always check the proof from cover to
cover and catch and kill all the gremlins that slipped in when you
least expected it.
On to the next subject: Thank you for all your notes regarding last
month's letter from the editor's desk. I mentioned that I'd undergone
surgery, but I was doing fine. Here is but a sprinkling of the comments
I received from members of The Writers Network:
Lovely "from the editor" segment! I am so, so happy you are well and
that you are doing things you enjoy. Life is grand, ain't it? --Vicki
Flier Hudson
Glad you had a speedy recovery, as I much enjoy your newsletter. Thank
you ever so much for your Writers Network advice and information.
--Bill Moore
Thanks for your long, personal note. I'm happy you are doing well and
survived your scare. I've also lost three of my dearest friends--same
as yours, Diane Marcou, Dahris Clair, and Kaye Coppersmith. I have
three other editor/friends, including you, whom I would hate to lose.
Please keep well. --Paul DuBose
I wish you continued good health following your recent surgery; you do
an amazing job with The Writers Network. Stay well! --Alvin Guthertz
I enjoy receiving your newsletter and look forward to your writing
tips. I especially enjoyed the July issue and your heartfelt story
about your major surgery. I went through a similar experience in 2003,
where I had a major health issue that just smacked me in the face. It
really is a wake-up call, especially once you are over fifty. Thanks
again for sharing. --Laurie Searle
So very glad to learn you came through surgery so well. Sounds like you
were prepared for the worst but are now eager to experience your
"bucket list." Enjoy! --Ruth White
Regarding Enjoying Life: beautifully said, Bobbie. --Mark Diamond
How wonderful it has been to overcome an obstacle and discover it was a
gift. Because of my challenge, I awoke to life in the fullest. In
addition, I feel more loved than ever, because of the outpouring of
love from members of The Writers Network, all of whom are my friends.
Until next month, I am yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com)
Author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), owner of Zebra
Communications, and director of The Writers Network
If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, please sign up to get your
own copy. Simply go to www.zebraeditor.com, click on "Free Newsletter,"
and follow the prompts. I never share your address or send out spam.
Scout's honor.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Two: Ask the Book Doctor: About Pronouns for Deities, Items in a List,
Quotation Marks, and the CMOS
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: I quoted the Bible in my book, and my copyeditor lowercased the
pronouns that referred to God and Jesus. I have always seen them
capitalized, as in the following: "For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten son." Who's right? The copywriter, the Bible, or
me?
A: The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) 16th edition (8.94) says that
pronouns referring to God or Jesus are not capitalized. It also notes
these pronouns are lowercased in most English translations of the
Bible. Interestingly, in the King James Version, the passage is written
this way, with the pronouns in lowercase, but the word "son"
capitalized. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son." Regardless of the capitalization in any version of the
Bible, books written today should follow Chicago style, so I would not
capitalize "son" in a book.
Q: My husband and I have been discussing sentences that list multiple
items following a word such as "when." See my sentence below. After it,
I discuss the part that confuses my husband and me.
The author reveals common obstacles patients confront when making
appointments, arriving at facilities, sitting in waiting rooms, meeting
with nurses, and talking with their doctors.
My understanding is in such sentences the "when" applies to all items
that follow, such as "when making appointments, when arriving at
facilities," and so on. It still follows for after the "and," such as
"and when talking with their doctor," right?
My husband and I notice some authors add an extra "when," but we don't
think they should. For example they might say, "and when talking with
your doctors." The "when" from before is already there, though. (You
might also advise me that the "their" should come out so people don't
think I mean the nurses' doctors, but I left it in because I mean the
patients' doctors, not just any doctor.)
A: If modifiers (prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, or articles)
precede objects in a list, the modifiers apply to all items in the
list. In the case of the sentence in question, the word "when" applies
to all items that come after it. Although adding "when" to the final
item is not wrong, it is redundant.
As for the use of "their," pronouns do refer to the last stated noun,
so the pronoun "their" does refer to the noun "nurses," in the purest
sense. I doubt anyone would interpret the sentence that way, however.
Clarity is the important issue, and the sentence is clear as written.
Q: On the back cover of my upcoming book, there is a long quote by
another author, so her quote is in double quotation marks. She refers
to one of my poems, which is supposed to be in double quotes as a title
of a poem. Should the title of the poem go into single quotes? I am
only guessing here. I would like to know for sure that I am right.
A: Your guess is a good one. In American English, double quotation
marks go first, and then single quotation marks go inside double
quotation marks. Example: "I read 'The Raven' to the class," John said,
"and one of my students asked, 'What's a raven?'"
Q: My head is reeling with all I need to know as a writer. Should I
read The Chicago Manual of Style?
A: CMOS, with more than 1,000 pages, covers vastly more subjects than
most writers ever need to know. It is geared toward publishers who must
know every detail of style issues as well as issues with illustrations,
rights, documentation, production, and more. Reading it would be akin
to reading the Encyclopedia Britannica. The CMOS is not meant to be
read, but to be used as a reference. You may want to buy a copy to use
to look up specific issues, such as punctuation, capitalization, the
use of numbers, or grammar and usage, but I have a few reports that
cover a great of what writers need to know. Visit my website at
www.zebraeditor.com and click on the Resources tab to download any or
all of my free reports.
Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square
Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your
questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more "Ask the
Book Doctor" questions and answers at www.zebraeditor.com.
Would you like to read, save, or share the Ask the Book Doctor column
as a PDF file? At http://zebraeditor.com/files/ask_the_book_doctor.pdf,
the newest column is posted around the first of each month.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Three: This Month's Easy Editing Tip from Bobbie Christmas--Canceled or
Cancelled
Which is right, canceled or cancelled?
Although the second spelling appeals to the eye and is acceptable in
Britain, the first spelling is the correct American one. The spelling
rule is this: When the accent is on the first syllable, do not double
the last consonant when adding a suffix. The first syllable is accented
in cancel, so when adding -ed or -ing, do not double the l.
Use my trademarked Find and Refine Method to locate any misspellings of
the word above. Go to the Find function on your computer, and under
Find What, type "cancelled." In the Replace window, type "canceled."
Tell the computer to Find Next and Replace.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Four: Subjects of interest to writers
Member Jill Jennings debuted her second book of poetry, Dead Man's
Flower, Saturday, June 23, at Yawn's Books and More in Canton, Georgia.
Songs of death, loss, and longing alternate with lyrical glimpses of
Hawaii in a thought-provoking collection of poems. For further
information, go to www.jilljennings.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E-books outsell hardcover books in some markets
Note the research refers to hardcover books, not paperbacks; however,
in the US, e-book sales are now topping hardcovers for the first time
(story in TechCrunch). According to the Bowker Global eBook Research,
the global market for e-books is driven by India, Australia, the UK,
and the United States, in that order. The laggards are Japan and
France. See http://www.mondaynote.com/2012/06/18/off-the-ebook-shelf/
for the full story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ripped from The Chicago Manual of Style Facebook page
Tip of the day: Initial capitals, once used to lend importance to
certain words, are now used only ironically.--CMOS 16, 7.48
Contemporary writers avoid the urge to capitalize words such as Spirit
or Truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write In Style Soon to be Unavailable, but Do NOT pay $114 for a copy!
Write In Style by Bobbie Christmas is the first book to teach you how
to write tighter, stronger, and more creatively, PLUS you will learn
how to speed through your editing phase. Write In Style won the Royal
Palm Literary Award for education, Best in Division (Georgia Author of
the Year Awards), and was a finalist in USABookNews Best Books 2005.
Hurry! I have only a few copies left of Write In Style. After I sell
all my copies, you will have to pay the prices on Amazon, from about
$73 to $114 for a new copy on Amazon. To pay the high prices, see
http://tinyurl.com/4hc2bxu, but to pay only the original cover price of
$12.95 plus shipping, go to
http://zebraeditor.com/book_write_in_style.shtml. I will even autograph
the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From The Chicago Manual of Style Website Q & A This Month
Q: Hello, Wise Ones. If you were me, how would you pluralize B-26?
B-26es? B-26s? (Not, I'm pretty sure, B-26's.) None of them look right
to me.
A: If we were you, of course, none of them would look right. But since
we are CMOS, "B-26s" looks just fine. Please see CMOS 9.54.
Q: I have a question about the use of a hyphen in a compound modifier
after a noun if a form of the verb "to be" is used. For example, "He is
a well-known man" is hyphenated because the compound modifier comes
before the noun. What about "The man is well known"? I've looked at
various sources and they seem to contradict one another.
A: The placement of a compound modifier after a noun frequently
involves the use of a "to be" verb, so yes, the rule applies in that
situation. In your example, "well known" is open after the noun. You
can find more examples in the hyphenation chart at CMOS 7.85.
Q: Is co-worker hyphenated? The dictionary that I have does not list
coworker—it only lists the word in relation to the prefix co- and shows
co-worker in a list with other words. I looked in the hyphenation
section of the manual that shows examples, and I don't see examples for
a prefix (like co-) and a noun.
A:. Please see the examples in (can you guess?) the CMOS hyphenation
table at 7.85, section 4, under co: "coequal, coauthor, coeditor,
coordinate, cooperation, coworker, but co-op, co-opt."
The Chicago Manual of Style is the reference that book editors use. For
more CMOS Q & A, see http://tinyurl.com/2xscwn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Purge Your Prose of Problems
A Book Doctor's Desk Reference, Fifth Edition
Save thousands of dollars and edit your own book! Order my proprietary
book-doctor desk reference book online at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
In alphabetical order and in easy-to-understand language, Purge Your
Prose of Problems covers all you need to know to revise and edit
fiction and nonfiction books, including grammar, punctuation, word
choices, creative writing, plot, pace, characterization, point of view,
dialogue, Chicago style, format, and much more. The spiral binder lets
the book lie flat in front of your computer, for easy use. Available
printed or as a PDF e-book that allows you to keep all this vital
information on your computer for ready reference.
To save thousands of dollars by editing your own book, order Purge Your
Prose of Problems today at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terminology Writers Should Know
In Medias Res
In medias res is a Latin term meaning "into the middle of things." It
is a literary device of beginning a story at a dramatic point, well
along in the sequence of events, and it captures reader interest. When
authors begin a story in medias res, they usually use one or more
flashbacks to explain the preceding events. Example of in medias res in
an opening line of a novel:
Moonlight glinted off the gun pointed at Joe Baldwin, who saw the
pistol much more clearly than he could see the face of his assailant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free Tools for Writers from Bobbie Christmas and Zebra Communications
Order PDF reports on writing-related subjects, including correct
manuscript format, how to form and run a critique circle, how to
identify weak writing and repair it, self-publishing versus traditional
publishing, and much more. Go to
http://zebraeditor.com/free_reports.shtml. Newest report: Genre: A
Slippery Subject Essential to Fiction: Learn about genre fiction
categories and the benefits of complying with genre specifications.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Can You Find a Qualified Editor (and get an initial discount as
well?)
The Florida Writers Association offers an initial discount to new
clients to the Editors Helping Writers service, plus you have the
reassurance that you are dealing with fully vetted professional editors
who are overseen by a coordinator of the service as well as the strong
Florida Writers Association itself.
To learn more about the Editors Helping Writers, go
http://www.floridawriters.net/, scroll down to the section on the
service, and click the links. If, after reading all the information,
you want to participate in the service, contact me. You will have to be
a member of FWA, but the membership fee is low, the advantages of
membership are many, and you don't have to live in the state or even in
the country, to qualify.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ask the Book Doctor: How to Beat the Competition and Sell Your Writing
is a reference book that answers many of the questions you wish you
could ask an editing expert. Whether you write books, short stories,
articles, reports, or anything else, learn more about how to write,
edit, and sell your work. Paperback: $14.95 plus $4.99 S & H (total:
$19.94 US) E-book: $8.95, no S & H, with almost instant delivery.
You'll save almost $10 by buying the e-book! To order either, go to
http://tinyurl.com/lexp7n.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patricia Fry, freelance writer, author, editorial consultant, and
executive director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers
Network) has started a blog series demonstrating how authors can take
charge and become the CEO of their book projects from the beginning,
and why it is imperative that they do so. If you are just starting your
publishing journey, you may need to learn how important it is to take
charge of and control your publishing project. To see the blog series,
go to http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeling Rejected?
Before Irving Stone's classic, Lust for Life, was released and became a
bestseller in 1934, he received the following rejection and reason: "A
long, dull novel about an artist."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Member April Dilbeck shared the following New York Times article at our
recent local meeting of The Writers Network. It resolves the issue for
folks who would rather have a printed book than an e-book. See
http://tinyurl.com/7xpdvr7.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep up with Bobbie's activities on Twitter:
http:twitter.com/BookDoctor4u
Become Bobbie's friend on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bobbie.christmas
New! Zebra Communications on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/7vcxaxu.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Five: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Wisdom of Woodstock Anthology
Call for Personal Experience Essays
Were you living at the time the world came together in peace, love, and
harmony for the infamous Woodstock concert? If so, you have spent
enough years on earth to have learned some valuable lessons and
experienced unique, pleasant, or even unpleasant events that resulted
in wisdom. It is time to share that wisdom in the Wisdom of Woodstock
anthology. We are looking for original personal experience essays that
reveal any incident that took place anywhere, at any time, that
resulted in wisdom, revelation, or comfort. For details, see
http://zebraeditor.com/writing_competition.shtml.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOHAZEL PUBLISHING
Extraordinary Woman Next Door Anthology
Call for submissions! Deadline September 30, 2012. Application fee:
$25.00. Winners will be included in an anthology of true stories about
ordinary women who have shown courage and strength while dealing with
tragedy, loss of loved ones, or just the heavy burdens of everyday
life.
1. Stories have to be true and about a living woman.
2. You must have the woman's permission to write about her (signed
waiver to publish her story)
3. A picture (jpeg of the woman of your story) must be available for
publishing.
Extraordinary Woman Next Door will mix the literary and art world in
one publication.
For an application and details go to www.johazelpublishing.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANAPHORA LITERARY PRESS
104 Banff Dr.
Apt. 101
Edinboro PA 16412
Phone: (814)273-0004
E-mail: pennsylvaniajournal@gmail.com
Website: www.anaphoraliterary.wordpress.com
Contact: Anna Faktorovich, editor-in-chief (general interest).
"Our audience is academics, college students and graduates, as well as
anybody who loves literature. Regardless of profits, we love publishing
great books and we enjoy reading submissions. So, if you are reading
this book because you love writing and hope to publish as soon as
possible, send a query letter or a submission to us. But
remember--proofread your work (most of our editors are English
instructors). In the winter of 2010, Anaphora began accepting
book-length single-author submissions. We are actively seeking single
and multiple-author books in fiction (poetry, novels, and short story
collections) and non-fiction (academic, legal, business, journals,
edited and un-edited dissertations, biographies, and memoirs).
"Profits are split 50/50 with single-author writers. There are no costs
to have a book produced by Anaphora. We do not offer any free
contributor copies."
Fiction: "We are actively seeking submissions. Single and
multiple-author books in fiction (poetry, novels, and short story
collections). The genre is not as important as the quality of work. You
should have a completed full-length ms ready to be e-mailed or mailed
upon request."
Needs: adventure, comic books, confession, contemporary, experimental,
fantasy, feminist, gothic, historical, humor, literary, mainstream,
military, mystery, occult, picture books, plays, poetry, poetry in
translation, regional, short story collections, suspense, war
Poetry: "We are actively seeking submissions at this time. The genre is
not as important as the quality of work. You should have a completed
full-length ms ready to be e-mailed or mailed upon request."
Nonfiction: "We are actively seeking quality writing that is original,
innovative, enlightening, intellectual and otherwise a pleasure to
read. Our primary focus in nonfiction is literary criticism, but there
are many other areas of interest. Send a query letter if you are
considering submitting anything in the other fields listed above."
Needs: contemporary autobiography, biography, culture, creative
nonfiction, education, entertainment, games, government, hobbies,
humanities, language, literary criticism, literature, memoirs,
multicultural, New Age, philosophy, politics, recreation, regional,
travel, women's issues, legal, business, journals, edited and unedited
dissertations, general nonfiction, humor, illustrated book, reference,
scholarly, textbooks
Submission Method: Query with SASE. Submit proposal package, including:
outline, 1 sample chapter. Submit completed ms.
"We are actively seeking submissions at this time. The genre is not as
important as the quality of work. You should have a completed
full-length manuscript ready to be e-mailed or mailed upon request."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KNOX ROBINSON PUBLISHING
http://www.knoxrobinsonpublishing.com/submission.php
KRP publishes historical fiction and historical romance, any story set
in an era prior to 1960 is acceptable. We also publish medieval
fantasy. We do not publish science fiction. We do not publish fantasy
with children and/or animal protagonists. We do not publish novels that
involve any aspects of time travel.
We welcome the submission of a well-written, detailed synopsis and the
first three chapters of completed manuscripts directly from authors. We
do not accept proposals or incomplete manuscripts.
Before submitting the first three sample chapters, we encourage you to
ensure that your writing is of publishable standard. If you have not
heard back from us within two to three weeks, we have decided not to
pursue your submission.
Knox Robinson Publishing does not accept follow-up submission enquiries
via telephone or e-mail. We wish that we could speak with each of you,
but the volume of manuscripts we receive prevents us from doing so. We
appreciate your interest in publishing with us and if your submission
is not successful the first time, we encourage you to resubmit a
different manuscript after a period of at least six months.
Knox Robinson Publishing does not accept submissions made by mail/post
or fax. Submit only by e-mail to subs@knoxrobinsonpublishing.com.
In order to continue accepting unsolicited and unagented manuscripts,
we require that authors strictly adhere to our rules for submitting
manuscripts. These rules enable us to maintain a system whereby each
synopsis and sample chapter is read by an editor.
We require that you submit a questionnaire along with your synopsis and
sample chapters. The questionnaire is on the website. Submissions
without the questionnaire will not be considered.
Submission Format
Your e-mail should clearly state the genre and title in the heading,
ex. Historical Fiction - "The One Who Walked Away"
The body of your e-mail should contain a letter of introduction
explaining why you wish to become a KRP author and a short summary of
your novel
E-mail attachments should be as follows: synopsis, three sample
chapters, and the questionnaire
The synopsis and three sample chapters should be in .doc format, 12
point Times New Roman font, double-spaced
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAMILIUS
http://www.familius.com/authors
We find writers for our readers, not readers for our writers.
Whether you are married, divorced, raising children, empty nesters,
looking for family fun ideas, struggling with school, frustrated with
your teenager (or parent), managing your personal finances, or just
trying to be healthier, Familius publishes for you.
Do you have an idea that you think would help a family be happy? If so,
let's talk family. E-mail us at bookideas@familius.com. We look forward
to hearing from you.
Familius strengthens the traditional author/publisher relationship by
publishing immediately, not on the traditional one- to two-year
schedule. By focusing digitally, Familius publishes along the family of
desktop and mobile devices, including the iPad, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, and
library market. We pay higher royalties, and those royalties are paid
monthly, not on the traditional semiannual basis.
At Familius we are flexible. Do you have an idea for a book and want to
publish a few chapters to get feedback? We can do that. Do you want to
make a change after it's published? We can do that and update
immediately. Familius is dedicated to aligning our audience with our
readers in a more meaningful and powerful way. As an author, you
deserve nothing less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Six: Got Muse?--Who's the Boss?
To keep a dog from becoming aggressive or destructive, dog owners must
show the dog who is in charge. Uninformed dog owners may use force,
cruelty, or aggression to keep their dogs under control, but skilled
dog trainers show owners to be calm but assertive when handling dogs.
The calm, assertive dog handler then has calm, attentive, and happy
dogs.
The same behavior works with people. The best leaders stay calm and yet
are assertive, not aggressive, in their efforts to motivate others and
get a job done.
For this exercise, create three characters. One is the kind of boss
everyone hates. Perhaps he ignores employees entirely and gives them no
direction, or maybe she demeans employees. It's your character and your
choice to pick the traits you would not want in a boss. The second
character is the good boss, the one who handles situations in a calm,
assertive manner. The third character is an employee.
Next you will write two scenes with the following setup: The employee
has been habitually late to work and arrives five minutes late for the
fourth time in a month.
One scene shows the employee's encounter with boss number one. A
separate scene shows the employee's encounter with boss number two.
The purpose of this exercise is to show how personalities play into
interactions between characters and how people react to calm, assertive
behavior, as opposed to negative behavior. When you finish, read the
two scenes. Which one shows more promise and might work well in a short
story or novel? Does the kind of life we would like to have make good
scenes in fiction? What have you learned from this exercise?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Do YOU have news for The Writers Network News? Please send it in the
body copy, not an attachment, to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Deadline: The
15th of each month.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Send a copy of this newsletter to all your writing friends. Tell them
to join The Writers Network F-R-E-E by visiting www.zebraeditor.com and
clicking on "Free Newsletter."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
With the exception of Zebra Communications, information in this
newsletter is not to be construed as an endorsement. Be sure to
research all information and study every stipulation before you accept
assignments, spend money, or sell your work.
The Writers Network News: a newsletter for writers everywhere. No fees.
No officers. "No Rules; Just Write!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++