Questions and Feedback

December issue

KarlaRose — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:25:56 GMT

Hi:

For the last couple of weeks I have dilligently worked on my novel because I had decided it was ready for the final print, the proposal etc BUT--this morning I took time out to read my "The Writer" article and right tthere, on page 30 I see the article "Apply a nookdoctor's eye on your own fiction." Comi ng to Characterization--diagnosis 2 it glares at me--I swear it grinned diabollically--saying "Douglas is what this author talks about; he's too passive, waits for others to act so he is just reacting and all that without you having laid a foundation, hahaha. You've got to re-edit once more" (I swear, my mind--the cerebral right hemisphere critic) screamed that at me.

Oh well, thanks Ms. Lyon, you've saved me from sure rejections.

Best to all and thanks for listening.

Karla Rose

manuscript mailers

michael 5 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:33:38 GMT

Where can I find manuscript boxes for novels. I am looking for the two box set. One box to mail to publisher and a return bax that fits inside for returns. I have looked everywhere and can't find them.

Publisher liability toward debtor

themainetrader — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:12:37 GMT

As a small (micro - 5,000 copies a month) niche newspaper publisher, I've been very lucky with my advertisers paying their bills over the years. However, last year, I had to suspend my backpage advertiser for not paying his bill - for the past twelve months. I let his ad continue that long unpaid, because we had a long history - nine or ten years of infrequent, but eventually paid up accounts.

During the last six months of running his ad, I began calling his office and talking to him about the outstanding balance due. Each time he promises something will be in the mail, or one thing or another.

Another year has past - we still call - he or his office continues to evade.

Today, I had an idea.

I would like to contact him again and tell him that I am going to give him some free advertising. It will feature an a "(debtor's name)-O-Meter". It will display how much is owed to the newspaper by this debtor, how long the amount has been owed, and any payments that may have been made (zero) toward the balance due.

I'd reassure him of at least a quarter page, more if available and if my current back page advertiser should fold, he can have his old space back!

This person owes us the money. He has been contacted over and over and over again - now over the span of two years. He is actively conducting regular business.

Question (finally!): What are my liabilities if I go ahead and publish the "(debtor's name)-O-Meter ad?

Thank you!

Writers Groups: Yea or Nay

I Roll 304 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:57:00 GMT

For some reason, I feel compelled to be in a writer's group, although two previous attempts were disastrous. I am a novelist (my mss is being shopped right now!!!) and working on the sequel, but both groups I've joined have seemed more about rationalizing the reasons folks couldn't write, rather than writing and sharing.

Any tips on how to choose a good writing group? How to keep the group on task?

And what about group hijackers? You know, those folks who feel the group is there for therapy? I don't know, maybe I'm just not a group person.

I'm new to the forum and I appreciate any feedback. Hey, maybe this is the group I've been looking for!

Advice for Query Letter

runnerchick081 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:36:27 GMT

Hello!!

I finally put together the first draft of a query letter for my first novel and was hoping to get any advice/input/thoughts from any of you!

Kendra is captured by the whimsical beauty of the lithe dancers onstage before her. Even at the tender age of five, as she sat in the audience, entranced by the ballerinas of the New York City Ballet, she could feel them calling. While many would have assumed that dancing was simply in her blood, and expected the precocious child to follow in her mother's footsteps, that is not what attracted Kendra. She found that time stood still as she performed onstage; the troubles of her life seemed to slip away, and for those few precious moments she was free of all burdens--weightless.

Abandoned by her mother in order to pursue her own career, our young dancer is raised by her loving grandmother who, while silently reluctant to let her granddaughter enter the very world that was the demise of her own daughter, continues to be a pillar of support to Kendra even as her own health fails. Amid the struggles of passing from adolescence into adulthood, Kendra must further cope with the cruel strives of the dance subculture. With the ultimate dreams of becoming the next great prima ballerina, Kendra is pegged as the girl to hate by her contemporaries, the crux of her aging and subsequently retired mother's jealousy, and left naively navigating the best she can.

As her career looks promising, she is taken under the wing of her coach and mentor, but inner demons of guilt, insecurity, and doubt continue to eat away at her. The doors of opportunity that begin to open up, may be shut inadvertently by her own hand.

'Dancing in the Dark' is a 57,000 word manuscript depicting a young dancer's journey to becoming a prima ballerina in her own right. She must step out from the shadows set by her mother's illustrious career, and find the confidence to stand on her own. Wrought with inner turmoil, fueled by passive-aggressive competitors, and pressed with the rigors of training, will Kendra fulfill the dream she is chasing, or will she be left just outside the spotlight?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thanks you guys!

Runnerchick* :)

abbreviations common in the industry

DelWebb — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:05:36 GMT

I love to write and I'd love to get paid for it. I've started browsing some magazines, including The Writer, and have seen some abbreviations I'm not familiar with.

What do the following stand for:

mss

FNASR

FNAR

Any others I should know?

Thanks!

Freelancing? Got a few questions!

redheadedstepchild — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:19:37 GMT

Hi everyone,

I am a new writer who loves to write and have been told many times I should try to make it a career. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how a new, never-published writer could break into freelancing? I am not looking to "go big or go home" I just want to get started and see where it leads. I have writing samples, but nothing that has been in a magazine, just really blogs about my thoughts on dating, my thoughts on the "green" thing, etc. Can anyone tell me? And if freelancing is not the way to start, what's the best way? Thanks so much!

enthusiasm

scream60 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:39:20 GMT

Hi, everyone. I write for the YA market. At one time, I would get up at 5AM in the morning and write for several hours. After many rejections, I lost my enthusiasm for writing. How can I ignite my enthusiasm again. Thank you very much.

Jack Tratenberg

Fiction - Non-Fiction?

Cruiser — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:47:46 GMT

I'm sure this question has been asked and answered before, but I can't find it anywhere. When does a story become fiction or non-fiction when there is a mixture of both? If there isn't a genre already that uses both, I would like to submit my bid to the literary world. How about...ambidextrous fiction!

Question about a writing class

charliaz2 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:29:31 GMT

Has anyone heard of Winghill Writing School? It's an online writing class also known as Quality of Course Inc. It is expensive but sounds good. I have been laid off for 6 months now and have time to start writing, but if I should find a job, other classes have a class time and this course is on your own time. It appears to be what I'm looking for but I am trying to find anyone who has heard of it. It is at www.winghill.com

If anyone has any knowledge on it please let me know. Thanks!

Lots of questions

Lorna's daughter — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:41:50 GMT

Hi everyone,

I have some questions about a couple of short stories that i want to write. i want to write a book of short stories about motherless daughters. my focus is on daughters who lose their mothers to a violent death. Some of my stories are from real life. I have four newspapers articles about women/mothers who were killed either by their husbands or boyfriends.these incidents took place either in the eighties or the nineties. some took place in America or Barbados. I want to use the real names ,real dates,places and how the murder took place and also what weapon was used.one mother was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend and the father of her son . he also stabbed her thirteen year old daughter to death. a true crime book was written on this case. also the case was featured in a domestic violence book. even though i am writing these true stories from a fiction point of view what legal issues can i face?

what if the families recognize themselves? can the families from Barbados take legal action against me?

"Couple" ?

WardGreene — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:50:27 GMT

I'm curious as to when and why so many people in America decided to start using "couple" in this way...."a couple books", "a couple cars".....instead of the actually correct "a couple of books" etc.

I can't even say "a couple books" easily if I try.It's very awkward. I could say "A couple books a room for the night",and that would be correct, couple being used as a verb, or also when couple is normally used as a noun...."a couple of books", etc.

Saying "a couple books" is the same as saying "a pair shoes"..in fact, "pair" and "couple" have very similar meanings.

Can someone explain how this usage came about? It sounds horrible and makes no sense at all. Then again people are now saying,for somethning they think is very bad, that "it's very ordinary".....this means than an ordinary person with an ordinary family and an ordinary career,etc., is somehow presumably a bad person doing bad things. Rediculous!

Perhaps it's like the changing of some sayings....Americans today saying " I could care less what he thinks", when what they really mean is "I couldn't care less what he thinks".If you say "I could care less", you are then saying you already care a lot about what he thinks.

I am talking about normal daily language,not pedantic nit-picking.

Ward

family dangers of an autobiography

francisjp — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:52:00 GMT

I have already started my book but have serious reservations of using family and friends names. How is it possible to write an autobiography if all the names are changed to protect the guilty. Is that how it's done is to change everyones name including my own as the author. Would appreciate some incite on this. Would they do something...you better believe it. Any advice would be helpful. I am really anxious to proceed because what I have to write about just might help someone else out there to survive their family situations.

pseudonym or not to pseudonym

Edgar Courn — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:23:32 GMT

Is it wise to use a pseudonym? I would like to use a penn name for my fiction works to make it clear that this is something different from my published nonfiction. Will readers of popular fiction see the use of a pseudonym as disingenuous? How would using a pen name influence publicity, biographies and the like? Thanks for your experiences and insights.

Cover letter/LOI for writing contests

minnownj — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:18:23 GMT

Are they necessary/required?

I'm referring specifically to a contest sponsored by a leading family magazine with no entry fee.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

minnownj