The Writers Network News: May 2024
The Writers Network News: May 2024
In This Issue
One: From the Editor's Desk: No Joke
Two: Ask the Book Doctor—About Expletives
Three: Subjects of Interest to Writers
Four: Contests, Agents, and Markets
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Writers Network News
Editor: Bobbie Christmas
Sponsor: Zebra Communications
Contents copyright 2024, Bobbie Christmas
No portion of this newsletter can be used without permission; however, you may forward the newsletter in its entirety to fellow writers.
Zebra Communications
Excellent editing for maximum marketability
Founded in 1992
https://www.zebraeditor.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Notes
Some links in this newsletter are created through TinyUrl.com, which converts long links into shorter ones.
Our format doesn’t support italics, so italics are indicated with underlines _before_ and _after_ words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writer's Quote of the Month
"A person is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do." –Bob Dylan (nee Robert Zimmerman)
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter. Often considered to be one of the greatest songwriters in history, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his sixty-year career. (Wikipedia)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If Your Email Address Changes, You Will Be Unsubscribed
We cannot add you or change your address because of our double-opt-in, no-spam policy. If our email to you bounces, our system automatically unsubscribes you. To ensure you never miss an issue of “The Writers Network News,” you must resubscribe with your new address. Please go to https://www.zebraeditor.com/ and sign up with your new address, and be sure to do it before you stop using your old address.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One: From the Editor's Desk: No Joke
Dear Fellow Writers:
On April 2 I received an long urgent text from a relative with the following message: “Oh, Bobbie. The worst thing has happened. Yesterday my cat got out, and despite our best efforts, [my partner] and I could not find him. Finally we looked in what we call the "goose condo," which is in the middle of a bunch of rushes across the street from our front door and saw her. (The goose condo is where our Canada goose incubates her eggs year after year.)”
To shorten things and not go into gory details, the long text message went into great details to say that the cat had broken the goose’s neck and wouldn’t let my relative come close to take the cat home. The message indicated that my relative was horrified and didn’t know what to do, so she asked her daughter, and her daughter suggested she contact me, because I’m good with animals. The message ended with, “We hope you can give us some advice. We’re sick over this.”
Because I love animals, I too became sick over the situation, but my son is a veterinarian and seemed the better person to give advice on cat behavior, so I told her to contact him. I gave her his phone number, but then I thought to alert him to the issue and sent him a text message about the problem. He texted back that he’d rather discuss the issue by email rather than by phone or text, so I then texted my relative again to explain my son’s preference. All this back-and-forth went on for quite a few minutes, while I was sick over what my relative’s cat had done and that she couldn’t get the cat to come home.
My relative then sent me a text message that said she had sent the message to my son by email, and she added, “But between you and me and the kitchen sink, that was a belated April Fool’s joke.”
A joke? First of all, it wasn’t April Fool’s Day anymore—it was the day after, but most of all, what on earth did my relative think was funny about losing a pet and not being able to retrieve it or about your pet killing wildlife? What was funny about blood and gore and animals in distress? Worst of all, why didn’t my relative stop me before I got my busy professional son involved?
Furious, I texted my relative that a plea for help is NOT a joke.
Her response was a two-word exclamation that included an expletive and did not include an apology.
I next had to contact my son to tell him it was my relative’s feeble attempt at a joke, and he became as angry as I was.
.
I’ve broken off all contact with that relative until I cool off, and I don’t know how long it will take me to get over what was—for me—anything but a joke.
My purpose for writing this missive is to show how one person’s idea of humor can be offensive to others. We must be careful with our words
Did you see any humor in the message I received? Did I miss something? What would you have done under the circumstances?
Yours in writing,
Bobbie
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two: Ask the Book Doctor: About Expletives
By Bobbie Christmas
For some reason I’m seeing more expletives than ever in the manuscripts I edit, so rather than a Q & A today, I’m going to address expletives in general.
Most of us know that obscenities such as “damn,” “bugger,” and “bitch” are expletives as well as some scatological words such as “shit” and “piss.” What some writers may not be aware of, though, is that expletives by definition are any—and I mean any—syllable, word, or phrase that fills a vacancy and doesn’t add to the sense of a sentence. Even writers who avoid obscenities in their work still fill their work with “empty words” that add nothing to the meaning of a sentence. Strong writers know how to write tight, and if a scene, paragraph, sentence, or word can be deleted, they delete it. Tight writing makes prose powerful.
What, then, am I talking about here?
Well, here goes. First off, I see “well” everywhere in manuscripts I edit. The word seems natural in dialogue; we use it all the time. Unless it refers to a hole in the ground for water or the condition of someone’s health, though, it’s a good chance it’s an expletive that can be deleted. The word seems harmless, but if you search your manuscript and see the word “well” show up more than four times in fifty thousand words, you’ve probably used it as an expletive. Delete it.
So, the next word is “so.” You’d be amazed at how often dialogue begins with the word “so,” especially when a character asks a question. Example: “So, when are we going to get together?” At the start of dialogue, “so” is often an expletive that can be deleted and the sentence will be equally as meaningful: “When are we going to get together?”
Often the word “so” is not an expletive, but many uses are adverbs that can be deleted. For example, when “so” is used to mean “very,” delete it and the writing is tighter. “So” can also be used to mean also, thus, then, indeed, surely, and therefore. In the interest in reducing repetition, then, search your manuscripts for the use of the word “so” and delete as many as possible to avoid overusing it.
You know, another expletive I see in dialogue all the time is “you know.” Yes, at times it’s used correctly, as in this example: “You know class starts at six o’clock. Why are you late every time?” Used as an expletive, however, it often shows up in dialogue like in these examples: “I have a class at six o’clock, you know, so I’ve got to leave.” “You know, you and I have been married seven years.” In addition to being superfluous, many times “you know” can be ambiguous and misinterpreted as literal. “You know, the knife had John’s blood on it” can be interpreted to mean that the person being directed did know that fact. For many reasons, then, search for “you know” in the dialogue of your characters and delete it whenever it isn’t intended literally. The result is tighter, stronger writing and less repetition.
Well, you know, so I’ve been overwhelmed with the volume of empty words—expletives—I see in manuscripts I edit these days. I hope this brief column will help you find and remove as many expletives as possible from your manuscripts.
Send your questions to Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or BZebra@aol.com. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at https://www.zebraeditor.com/blog/.
For much more information on hundreds of subjects of vital importance to writers, order _Purge Your Prose of Problems, a Book Doctor’s Desk Reference Book_ at http://tinyurl.com/4ptjnr. An excellent reference book for all writing groups.
Bobbie Christmas’s award-winning _Write In Style: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing_ is available from Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/y7ppcdkd or buy it directly at
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Three: Subjects of interest to writers
Members Write
Regarding my letter about being a survivor of colorectal cancer, Meredith Rutter wrote, “Thank you for the article, Bobbie. I do think it will encourage many to get over any squeamishness and get tested. You've done a true good deed.”
--
Dr. Randy Wysong sent best wishes along with his opinion and related websites, saying, “I'm sorry to hear about what you've endured. Given that modern medicine is the number-one killer, you're fortunate to have survived the treatments.” He noted, “Yes, colonoscopies are a medical mantra, but the procedure is not without risks,” according to an article in _The New England Journal of Medicine._ He added, “Please encourage your readers to think prevention rather than reliance on a money-driven medical system that's fraught with dangers” and “People need to return to nature in lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, sunlight, loving relationships, etc. A visit to the doctor should be the last resort.”
--
Mary Ellen Gavin wrote, “You have my heart. Reading what you have gone through brought tears to my eyes.” She added, “I was blessed to be prodded to do all of those horrific tests, as that horror ran in my father's family.”
--
My good friend Vicki Flier Hudson wrote, “This is an incredibly powerful and brave newsletter. You will save lives. Even I didn't know the extent of what you went through. You are incredibly strong, and it's unfair that you had to endure all of that.” She added that she called her medical provider that day to schedule colonoscopies for herself and her husband.
--
Sandra Beckwith gave me this encouragement: “I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles! I'm sure that sharing your story and experience here and elsewhere will help others. Thank you for being brave enough to do that.”
--
Marlene Clark congratulated me on being in remission and for summoning the courage to speak publicly about my ordeal. She added, “Your story is, unfortunately, familiar: delaying/ignoring preventive tests can result in a poor outcome.”
--
This note came from Teresa Stewart: “Thanks for having the courage to share your story, Bobbie. I've been to a few of the BookLogix workshops and webinars and have been an avid fan of your helpful ezine tips for years. I wondered how you have been. I'm keeping you in my prayers and hope that you will have continued healing and joy in your life.”
--
Ann Favreau shared, “I am a colorectal cancer survivor since 1988, had an ostomy, and am still preaching the prevention message. I did write my story in the book _It's Okay to Have an Ostomy_ and my cancer story in _Cancer to Caring._ They are available on Amazon. I provided support for ostomates on the local, regional, national, and international levels. I still facilitate a local support group. I empathize with your pain from radiation.” She finished with, “Now I am experiencing another new normal. My husband has dementia, and I have just published _The Dementia Spiral,_ a collection of twenty-four poems that deal with the condition and its impact on him and me as the caregiver. I sent a copy to a friend who sent me a lovely note but told me that her brother just died of colon cancer. He refused to have colonoscopies and died ten days after diagnosis. Bobbie, I wish you the best and encourage you to continue to speak out.”
==
“I am so sorry to learn you had to go through such a long ordeal to get cancer-free,” Jill Jennings, wrote. “I think, however, that many people put off a colonoscopy because they are afraid they will wake up and it will hurt.”
She adds, “The doctor needs to get the anesthesiologist to ask you what kind of anesthetic works for you.”
--
Helena Leslie sent a note that said, “Thank you for sharing your cancer experience, I'm sure it was helpful to your readers. Many blessings to you, now and forever!”
--
On a change of subjects, fellow editor Ellen Holder commented, “I am happy to report that the book you recommended in December (_Think and Grow Rich_) is so good, I bought a second copy. I gave the first one to my husband for Christmas, which he has read from cover to cover three times. I even understand the Bible better when I read Napoleon Hill. The title might make one think the book is about being rich and greedy, but it’s the most honest book I’ve ever read. It helps me every day. Thank you so much.”
--
Empish J. Thomas contacted me to say, “I am behind in reading your newsletter, so came across your October issue where you recommended seeing the movie _The Wife._ Yes, I agree, I saw it at the movie theater and thought it was excellent. So much so that I read the book too. If I remember correctly the ending is a little different but otherwise a great read.”
--
Patricia Pimental wrote to say this: I've written a short story (5,120 words) that I would love to have published. I'm not sure of the best approach. Payment is not important (although would be wonderful!); it is the inspirational message I wish to share. Do you have any suggestions for me? I know you always have your finger on the publication pulse.
I responded, “I don't know of one firsthand, but I Googled ‘markets for short stories’ and saw quite a few websites that list markets for short stories. Be sure to scroll past all the sponsored entries to get down to the real ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming Virtual Seminars with Bobbie Christmas
May 13: “Rev Up Your Writing”
Are you ready to make your writing sparkle, sizzle, and pop? Take my one-hour seminar “Rev Up Your Writing” on Zoom May 13. Contact Kathy Hamby-Swink for more details. feathertales@bellsouth.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colorful Crow Writing Community
June 20: “Crafting Compelling Memoirs”
Please join us on June 20 at 6 p.m. for an engaging workshop led by Bobbie Christmas titled "Crafting Compelling Memoirs." Bobbie Christmas, renowned as The Book Doctor and editor at Zebra Communications, will share invaluable insights on the art of creating memoirs that captivate audiences. Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the secrets of crafting unforgettable personal narratives. Here’s the Zoom link: link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88296859190?pwd=2z30eYmkEbE5Mra2HXwwUmkI6TfbOK.1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do You Know What You Don’t Know?
Which word is correct? When is it one word or two words? When should it be hyphenated? You’re not the only person confused, but a professional editor knows the answer.
Where do the commas go? What is the prudent and correct use of exclamation marks? You don’t know what you don’t know, and you may think you’re right when you’re wrong. Every book deserves a professional editor.
Zebra Communications offers three levels of service, two of which include developmental editing and an extensive report filled with advice, explanations, and suggestions on how to improve the manuscript’s marketability. See our services, pricing, reviews, and more at https://www.zebraeditor.com/. Zebra Communications: Excellent Editing for Maximum Marketability
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writers Conference in Cartersville, Georgia
The Cartersville Area Writers Group announces its second annual CAW Conference on May 18 at the Cartersville, Georgia, Chamber of Commerce. Speakers include Amber Nagle, Ben Meeks, Michael Webb, Richard Fierce, and MC Terri Cox. Topics include How to Successfully Launch Your First Book, In-Person Sales, Launching Your Book with Kickstarter, and more.
For more information and to register see https://cartervilleareawritersgroup.com/.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manuslips and Missed Opportunities for Improvement
Can you tell what can be improved in the following sentence?
Out came multiple boxes of brand-new roller skates with the father saying find a size that works for you.
Answer
First, the sentence is in passive voice (“out came” instead of showing who did the action). Next the father came out of the multiple boxes, as written, because of the missing modifier. I’d address that issue and also use dialogue to show, rather than tell what the father said. Here’s my suggested recast. How would you recast it?
The father pulled out multiple boxes of brand-new roller skates and said, “Find a size that fits you.”
-
Manuslip: a slip in grammar, punctuation, or other error in a manuscript that often results in humor; a manuscript blooper
Etymology
Coined by Bobbie Christmas (1944 -) in _Write In Style: How to Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing_ (2004, 2015).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be My Friend on Facebook
Follow my adventures, opinions, and observations: http://www.facebook.com/bobbie.christmas
Follow Zebra Communications on Facebook for news for writers, writing-related cartoons, immediate updates, and other good stuff. https://tinyurl.com/ydyn3pcu.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CMOS Online Q&A
This month someone posed the following question to The Chicago Manual of Style Online:
Q: Merriam-Webster lists “fact-check” as a verb (with a hyphen). But what about when it’s used as a noun—as in, “Oh no, not another fact check!” My guess is that it’s not hyphenated, but I would like to see an entry on this.
To get the answer to this question and many more based on Chicago style, go to http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/latest.html.
_The Chicago Manual of Style_ sets the standard in book publishing for issues such as punctuation, capitalization, and much more. If you write fiction or nonfiction books, you will want to know about Chicago style or be sure to use a professional book editor intimately familiar with Chicago style.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write Tight: Learn What To Look For, How to Look for It, and What to Delete
In five-time award-winning _Write In Style_ you’ll learn how to find and delete or rewrite words, sentences, and phrases that weaken your writing.
_Write In Style_ uses humor and expertise to show writers how to tighten and strengthen their writing and create a fresh voice.
_Write In Style_ is also available as an e-book or printed through the following source, although you may pay for shipping for the printed book: https://tinyurl.com/y8fp5nym.
Want to buy the book in Kobo through Rakuten? Easy. Go to https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/write-in-style-3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Four: Contests, Agents, and Markets
Distiller Magazine
Distiller Magazine covers the art, science, and business of craft distillation.
The print magazine publishes quarterly, three editorial issues –summer, fall, and winter, and the annual Distillers’ Resource Directory. Online publishing operates year-round.
The editorial staff welcome queries for articles for publication in our print magazine and/or online platform.
Most Distiller features are contributed by freelancers. Print features are generally assigned at 1,200-2,000 words.
Online stories are generally single-topic, narrow-focus, blog-style articles between 300 and 500 words.
Please email pitches to editor@distilling.com, and include the phrase “Distiller Magazine Pitch” in your subject line. Please also include links to a recent writing sample or two and a brief biography.
We pay a base rate of $0.50/word, or $0.75/word if writers contribute photography that is published with the story (see photography requirements).
We pay $100 per online story, plus $25 per original image (up to 2).
For subjects covered and other details, see https://distilling.com/distiller-editorial-style-guide/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest
Three times a year Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of short fiction.
The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theater, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Our newsletter subscribers include publishers, artists, musicians, and fellow writers. While your writing should appeal to a reader with these interests and in these creative professions, all story themes are considered.
Winning stories are announced on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician, and it will reside on the website permanently. Jerry Jazz Musician also nominates writers for the Pushcart Prize. In addition to publishing the winning story, with the consent of the author, we frequently publish short-listed stories.
.
No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
The contest is open to entrants from anywhere in the world (English language only please)
A prize of $150 will be awarded for the winning story.
In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author’s acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that could appear in book or magazine form. All other ownership rights are retained by the author. If the story appears subsequently in other publications, we ask authors to note that the story was originally published on Jerry Jazz Musician.
Submission deadline for the next contest—our 66th—is May 31, 2024. The publishing date will be on or about August 10, 2024. Ideally stories will not exceed 3,000 words, but stories of up to 4,000 words are considered.
Submit your story by May 31, 2024, via Word (preferred) or PDF attachment to jerryjazzmusician@gmail.com and be sure to include your name, address, and phone number with your submission, as well as a brief 50–100-word story synopsis. Please include “Short Fiction Contest Submission” in the subject heading of the email. We accept human-generated entries only.
https://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/short-fiction-contest-details/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicle Books Accepts Book Proposals
No agent needed!
Chronicle Books publishes a wide range of nonfiction books on our adult trade list, in categories such as cooking, fine art, design, photography, pop culture, fashion, beauty, home décor, personal relationships, and more. We also publish innovative formats, such as interactive journals, decks, games, stationery, and much, much more. Please note: We do not acquire adult fiction.
Please make sure to familiarize yourself with our publishing before you pitch!
We accept submissions by email only, which can be sent to submissions@chroniclebooks.com. Please attach your proposal to your email as a single Word file or PDF, and keep the file under 5MB or less to ensure delivery.
Please allow six months for the editors to review a proposal. Given the volume of proposals we receive, we cannot ensure that we will be able to personally respond to each submission unless we are interested in pursuing the project.
To see what to include in your proposal see https://www.chroniclebooks.com/pages/submissions
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Do YOU have news for The Writers Network News? Send it in the body of an email to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com. Deadline: 18th 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 https://www.zebraeditor.com/ and signing up for The Writers Network News.
If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, please sign up to get your own subscription. Simply go to https://www.zebraeditor.com/ to subscribe to The Writers Network News. My promise: I will never share your address or send out spam.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
With the exception of Zebra Communications, the information in this newsletter is not to be construed as an endorsement. Research all information and study every stipulation before you enter a competition, pitch an idea, accept an assignment, spend money, or sell your work.
The Writers Network News: a newsletter for writers everywhere. No Rules; Just Write!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
