letusdare

Peter Bowerman's new blog

Peter Bowerman, the freelance commercial writer whose book The Well-Fed Writer launched many people, including yours truly, into full-time freelancing six years ago, just started his own blog. You can read it and/or subscribe at http://wellfedwriter.com/blog

Peter's a fun-to-read scribe and an all-around nice guy. Anyone who writes or likes to read about the subject and commune with other writers will enjoy reading his blog. He also has a monthly ezine (The WELL-FED EPUB) in which he offers advice and tips, and invites other writers to share their thoughts. I always look forward to seeing it the first of every month.

Anyone seriously thinking about a full-time freelancing career would do well to read the Bowerman books (The Well-Fed Writer and TWFW: Back for Seconds) and other offerings at the Well-Fed Writer Web site.

One more note: Peter's April ezine issue notes that he's now published 72 issues and has been doing so for six full years. That's exactly the same amount of time I've been in business! Hmmm...karma?

Tips for writers series

IV. Action!

Authors sometimes struggle with what to read when they're asked to appear before an audience. Anyone who can choose from a body of work wants to offer just the right passage to keep the audience engaged.

Here's an idea: After you've thought about the length of the presentation and what's appropriate for those who will be listening, think about one more thing: What you are comfortable with presenting and how it will sound to the audience. You will likely have to practice reading out loud (preferably to an audience) to determine this.

Practicing recently for an upcoming reading, I asked my husband to listen to a 10-minute presentation. Since dialogue makes up a large and fun part of my fiction for young adults, I chose a chapter from Saviors of the Bugle that sounded appropriate. I edited it for my reading comfort and reviewed it silently, saying the dialogue in my head. But when the time came to read it aloud, I was concerned to hear that my voice sounded the same no matter which character was speaking. That wasn't the way I'd "heard" it in my head. 

Furthermore, the look on my husband's face was one of confusion as he tried to follow which character was saying what. And he has read the book! Fortunately, this happened in time for me to think about it and make a quick change. Since my books also feature action, I found a passage that offered just that and read it instead.

It worked. The reading ended at a point in the book that left the audience still listening and wanting more. I might have even sold a few more books because people wanted to find out what happened.

Other suggestions:

• A reading does not always mean literally that. If you'd rather just talk about your work, you likely won't get kicked out for doing so.
• Stay within your allotted presentation time.
• Practice aloud, even if only to your dog. Mine fell asleep, but at least he didn't wander off.
• Practice early enough so that if something does not feel right, you have time to fix it.
• Don't ignore your gut. 

Perhaps those with greater public speaking/reading experience already know about the difficulties of dialogue, but it was a discovery for me. I will probably read action scenes in future engagements, as doing so this time felt natural and almost removed my fear of public appearances.

This is one in a series of writing ideas. Upcoming articles will focus on finding a writing niche (I'm still trying to find mine), having fun with your work, etc. Please feel free to comment with your own ideas and questions. If I can't answer it, maybe another writer can.

Tips for writers series

III. Never fall in love with your words

Most freelance writers who have been working for several years already know the rule against believing there is something special about every word they write. Yes, writers hear lots of instruction and advice about making every word count. Yes, that's good advice. No, not everyone will like every word you write. Some of your clients may not appreciate your carefully turned phrase or the word you chose as the perfect one. They may not even understand what you wrote. Or it may not fit their style. 

Does this make them stupid? Does this make you a bad writer? No and no. But if you want to be a happy writer with lots of clients (i.e., successful) you will need to come to an agreement with yourself: Every word you write might be right for you. That doesn't mean the people who are paying you will see things the same way. Never fall in love with your words.

Here are some of the reasons people will hire you to do a writing job:

They have seen your writing and like it.
Someone has recommended you to them.
You have a good command of grammar.
You know how to spell.
You know what subject/verb agreement is.
You know the subject area.
You can conduct an interview by asking the right questions and crafting the answers into something interesting, accurate and compelling.

Any or all of these reasons could figure in, and there may be many more reasons you get hired.

Somewhere on someone's list might be "You are a good writer." Here's where writers get into trouble. "Good" writing is subjective. Your literature professor in college may have thought your writing was excellent and graded you accordingly. That may or may not seep over into an upcoming story in Dog Fancy magazine or a newsletter for a private company. To be a good writer, you have to give your clients and editors -- your bosses -- what they want. You do this is by getting to know your clients and by asking a lot of questions. Many questions you will want to ask before you ever write a word. Other things, such as writing style (young and snappy? formal? authoritative?) you will learn pretty quickly by writing for them, if you don't know the answer from the outset.

Here are some of the questions to ask a potential client before you take on a new project:

Who is the potential reader for this story, newsletter, annual report, etc.?
Do you follow a certain stylebook, such as Associated Press or Chicago Manual? Or do you have your own stylebook?
What points/issues are the most important to cover?
What length should the story or stories be?
Who will serve as editor of the story or stories? (Best if it's one person. No writer can serve two editors very well unless they are in total agreement.) 

Also, some suggestions for being a happy writer:

Tip # 1. Criticism about how to improve your writing is easier to take if you either paid for it (as in hiring a writing coach or editor or taking a writing class) or if you are being paid for it (as in someone has agreed to pay you XXXX amount of money for writing this project). Take "free" advice if you asked for it, but don't fret too much over it.

Tip # 2. Make sure you understand the criticism. Ask follow up questions if you need to, so you can understand how to fix the problem. If someone simply says, "I don't like it," you must engage him. Give options if you need to. Such as: "Is it too dull, too long, too straightforward?" Never assume that you know the answer. If you cannot elicit a response that you understand, it might be best to move on to another client or another project, unless you are able to read minds or like playing guessing games.

Tip # 3. If you disagree with the criticism and have good reasons for your disagreement, state them. This doesn't mean issuing a challenge with your epee drawn. It means saying, for example, "I wrote it that way to illustrate a previous point about blah blah blah." Your critic may already know why you wrote it that way, and this gives you a good point for discussion that may further help both of you understand each other. Discussions are good. Arguments are not. 

Tip # 4. Some writers use contracts that spell out things like the fee, the length, the number of revisions you will do before extra charges kick in, the deadline, when you will be paid, etc. If you decide not to use a contract, you should have an understanding of these things before you start to work. Otherwise, you could be working on one project indefinitely with no way out.

Tip # 5. Don't sweat the small stuff. If an important editor/client requests a different word or phrase, do it. Be happy he/she hired you. You can always write a blog or keep a diary.

This is one in a series of writing ideas. Upcoming articles will focus on finding a writing niche (I'm still trying to find mine), having fun with your work, etc. Please feel free to comment with your own ideas and questions. If I can't answer it, maybe another writer can.

   

Lose yourself in gardening

You read that gardening can help you lose weight. So far, I have lost a watch in the liriope, a garden cart at a friend's house, several tools who knows where, and some fragile annuals to disease. I've also sacrificed a piece of pink skullcap to a garden "thief," but can't decide whether to put that in the plus or minus column. (It was fun watching the furtive and hurried act, and who could recommend a better plant to snatch?)

To my knowledge, I've lost no weight.

Now, for the tangible gains: poison ivy rash, fire ant stings, allergies to everything from dust to mold to pollen and even some plants, and an arsenal of menacing tools, some of which I've broken and most I didn't know existed 10 years ago.

Finally, the intangible gains found ONLY in the garden: learning a method that takes the fire and perhaps even the blisters out of the fire ant sting; knowing which begonias can take the sun and which can't; gaining a whole new plant vocabulary; finding a readymade group of friends who dig leaving politics, religion and other controversial topics at home; exploring which plants keep their poise and petals in a Texas summer; carrying on a tradition of my grandparents and parents without even realizing it until years later.

Losing yourself in gardening is not necessarily a bad thing. Especially when your significant other finds your watch.

Tips for writers series

II. Write every day

Even if it's a want ad or a letter to your mother or an email, writers should write every day. Not that I think it's important to keep your fingers nimble, although if you feel that way, go for it. It's usually not my fingers that rebel, thankfully. It's my brain, or rather, my insistence on having something to say.

And guess what? Once I start writing, it's kind of like riding the old bike...as soon as I start pedaling, things get rolling easily. Put another way, I find I have something to say. (Whether anyone wants to read what I have to say is a whole other issue.) All of these thoughts that have been rolling around in my head actually make a sentence. They may not initially ring with clarity, but the act of putting letters together and seeing black words against a white background makes me take them more seriously.

OK. I take the written word too seriously. I know I do, and have for as far back as I can remember, which encompasses the time spent in Mrs. Waller's English class, and the creative assignments she challenged us with. But if a writer does not show a little bit of reverance, envy even, for the written word, who is left to care for it? If you are a television watcher during this season of striking writers, you know exactly what I mean. Unless, that is, you are a fan of greed...er, excuse me...game shows where the rules are weird and viewers' attention is directed to girls in sparkly minidresses carrying suitcases. (In my reveries, Clara Peller interrupts that particular show with her famous "Where's the beef?" query from those old Wendy's commercials.)

But I digress, as writers do. I set out to list reasons why you should write every day. So here goes:

1. Writing keeps the brain doing jumping jacks, as opposed to sleeping, eating or watching TV. Reading is also excellent at tickling the brain, but writers also must write. Note: You can write when you are dusting, gardening, making the bed, cooking, walking, etc. Just keep the computer on or a notepad handy. I often do my best writing away from the article I am working on.

2. The act of writing gets easier the more often you do it. It's like exercising daily, eating, or brushing your teeth. You DO brush your teeth every day, right? Anyway...just make writing part of your daily routine, whether you are working on an assignment or not. (You CAN make your own assignments, you know, and sometimes you should write exactly what you want to.)

3. As you write more, the words often come more frequently when you call them, and your voice gets stronger. This does not mean that good writing is easy. But have you noticed those times when the perfect words just flow, seemingly from your fingers, and your brain does not even seem to be connected? And the book chapter or story or whatever just seems to write itself, sentence after sentence? I haven't made a study of it, but it stands to reason that if you write all the time, that serendipity happens more often. Fun times.

4. Writing helps you organize your thoughts. If it looks silly in black on white, you know you won't want to say it, right? I write down everything: speeches, what I want to say to the doctor, questions before an interview, serious memos. I don't go into the supermarket without a list, so why would I go into any of those scarier places unprepared?

5. It's what you do. If you don't take yourself seriously enough to practice what you do reguarly, neither will anyone else.

This is one in a series of writing ideas. Upcoming articles will focus on finding a writing niche (I'm still trying to find mine), having fun with your work, etc. Please feel free to comment with your own ideas and questions. If I can't answer it, maybe another writer can.

 

      

Tips for writers series

I. Don't miss deadlines

Erg. I have now missed two deadlines in one month, and I pride myself on not missing deadlines. Both assignments were for publications and editors I like and respect. OK, I like and respect all of my editors/clients, but these two are regular customers who rely on me and I rely on them. It's co-dependency in a good way. I do not like to let them down, and I believe they feel the same way.   

Now that confession time is out of the way, let's talk about why adhering to deadlines is so important and what you should do if you know you are going to miss one.

As a writer, you should love deadlines. They help discipline you -- something all writers need, especially freelancers -- and they give you a goal to work toward. Writing a story is an OK goal, but writing a story and turning it in on or before a certain date is a measurable goal. If you write without any particular time frame in mind, you could work on said story forever. Having worked with writers as a newspaper editor, I know of writers whose rather elusive goal was to work on stories until they were perfect, and as a fellow editor used to say to me, we wanted excellence, not perfection.

That's trite, but it gets across the idea that good writing should be finished at some point. Otherwise, as another writer I know puts it so well, get a diary.

So what should you do if you know you are going to miss a deadline? Here are some ideas:

1. Tell your editor as soon as you know the deadline is in trouble, and tell her why. Be sure your reason is legitimate.

Legitimate: Your sources, whom you tried to contact immediately after getting the assignment, have been unavailable.

Not legitimate: You have a cold. Your dog ate the assignment. Your significant other bollixed up the computer. You broke a finger.

Difference between the legitimate and the not: There are reasonable remedies for each of the "not legitimate" reasons. There is also a remedy for the first one, but your editor will have to participate in that one, which brings me to idea two.

2. Have suggestions ready that can solve the deadline dilemma.

If sources are unavailable by traditional means of communication, suggest other ways to get in contact. Or be prepared with names of other people you could interview to get the story. Or, if only those unreachable sources will do, ask if it's possible to extend the deadline. If you propose this option, be sure you suggest a reasonable new deadline, preferably one that's within a few days or perhaps a week from the old one. Be prepared to negotiate this new deadline with the editor. The point is to have ideas, not dictate the final solution.

3. Don't make missing deadlines a habit.

Editors assign deadlines because they have to get the publication out and you are not the only person they are working with. After you turn it in, your story must be edited and/or revised, designed, approved, and go into printing if the publication is a magazine or other hard-copy item. The process might be shortened a bit if you are writing for an online publication, but deadlines still apply.

Editors assign deadlines because the publication you are writing for is not the only task they are responsible for. Editors often wear many hats and answer to many people. Respect their time.

4. Don't accept an assignment if you know you cannot finish it by the deadline.

Freelance writers need to ask early in the discussion of a story what the deadline is. If it's January and your editor says she needs it in "mid-March," you can either figure out quickly whether you can do the story, or ask for time to check your calendar. You do have a calendar, right? which brings me to...

5. Write the assignment deadline on your calendar as soon as you accept the assignment. Then back up your interviews, etc., from there.

Note on the calendar when you want to start working on the story. Write reminders to yourself on certain dates -- when to call sources to schedule interviews, and so forth. This way you ensure that you won't forget the assignment...unless you don't check your calendar. So be sure to use a method that works for you. I prefer a desk calendar because that's what I used in a prior life. Some of you more tech-savvy people who dream of a paperless society might prefer electronic versions. Whatever. Just make sure you enter the deadline into your realm of reality.

This is the first in my series of writing ideas. Upcoming articles will focus on the importance of writing daily, finding a writing niche (I'm still trying to find mine), having fun with your work, etc. Please feel free to comment with your own ideas and questions. If I can't answer it, maybe another writer can.

 

How to live with dogs and breathe (cats too, I guess)

Not used to being a trend-setter, I was quite excited to see in my local paper today that I'd started doing something almost two years ago that only recently became quite the thing. And that this thing is popular because a model demonstrated it on Oprah.

Here's where I'd like to say that the trend is an easy and glam way to fix hair, apply makeup, decorate with style, eat less fat, or earn a fortune. Nope. Can't do it. It's something with far-reaching impact and an ugly name.

It's called nasal irrigation.

For those of you thinking "Ugh" or "I thought this was about dogs," I hasten to add that this does involve dogs. I can't do anything about the ugh-factor, but it doesn't bother me any more. It's far more ugh-worthy to be unable to taste the gourmet cooking of your friends, enjoy a burger from your favorite joint or fake your way through judging a barbecue sauce contest. All of these things transpired in the months of 2006 and 2007 that I was unable to taste a darn thing.

Where do dogs enter in? My nose shuts down (and then of course my sense of taste) because I am allergic to most things living and not. This includes four-legged creatures and dust bunnies with an unknown number of legs. It includes, surprisingly, peanuts (which I love and which my doctor was surprised to see I reacted to as well). It includes cedar, mold, grasses and most trees.

When I look at the list of things that irritate my nose, lungs and skin, I think it would be easier just to list the things I am not allergic to. So in an attempt to salvage sanity, I look at the list rarely, enjoy the occasional peanut (the doctor said to "watch it," whatever that means) and to refuse to give up animals, which are a Big Deal in our household. And anyway, I am probably allergic to two-legged creatures too and I happen to like them. Or most of them.

Although the story in my  morning paper revolved around alarmingly gigantic neti pots which I am sure work just fine, I choose to use a plastic squeeze bulb which is smaller and won't break or hurt the floor if I drop it. Which I have several times. I make up the saline solution recipe that my doctor gave me one pint at a time, and use it as often as I need to. Sometimes it's just once a day after my morning walk. Sometimes it's several times a day. Depends on what's blowing around outside.

It's cheap, easy, and it keeps me smelling the delicious things I love to cook and eat. My sense of smell had deserted me for such long periods in the last two years that I am even happy to get a whiff of the more unpleasant odors of life. Use your imagination here.

Because the story in my paper didn't give the recipe for this miraculous solution, here it is:

1 pint distilled water, room temperature
1 teaspoon sea salt or canning salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix well and use in good health. (I added the good health part myself)

The contents change slightly depending on your doctor. I have compared notes with a similarly allergic relative who said she never used baking soda but that the doctor told her to always use distilled water. Did your doctor demonstrate how to use it, I asked her. She told me it was a bit of a trick to learn the proper way, but her doctor helped by saying to gently sniff. That I can do, and I don't worry about anything else...like doing it the way some robed gentleman does in another country. Now those pictures are intimidating!

It works for me. If you try it, perhaps you will, like me, discover what the world is like without antihistamines and decongestants. I haven't had either since June 2007. And I can smell most things...even Sam, who doesn't stink all that much.   

Sam takes a walk

Editor's note: Today Sam writes Just Words.

She calls. Holds long red thing. Pretend snooze.

"Come!"

Wait. Open eyes a little.

"Come!" 

Wait. Jump off couch. Walk slow. Stretch. Stop. Stretch. Down. Stare. Give it up.

She clips on collar. Red fire hydrants! Yay! Chain over head. Go to door. Start. Sit. Wait for words.

"Who goes first?" (She forgets. I sit. Every day same. Yawn.)

I follow. Nice day. Wind. Yum! Good smells!

Go new way today.

Lady at corner putting thing in car. "Hello Baw-brah!"

Baw-brah nos her but doesn't say name. She likes lady. "What's her name?" she says.  Low voice. Shake head.

"Hel-LO!" she says to lady. "Happee Nu Yeer." (She says a lot.)

Pecan in street. Pick up. Crunch crunch.

"Drop it!" Stern voice. Drop pecan. "Good Sam." Nice voice.

Want over there! Want over here! Want in yard! Can't go far. Leash long but not my part.

Paper in street. Pick up. Eat.

"Drop it!" Stern voice. I chew. Paper down hatch. Ummm. "Sam!" Stern voice.

Dog ahead. Good hair day. Freeze. Look. See lady.

"U no dog?" Baw-brah says.

"Yes. He lives there." Points. "Romes but not allowed."

Baw-brah nods. Walks.

Fun thing in street. I jump. "No!" Stern voice. Tug. Back to dull side. Fun thing was leaf.

Dead tree rat in street. I can't go see. Leash too short. Walk by. Look. Look. Look.

Hear car. Watch! No get close after last time! Ouch!

See four pals in yard. Jump higher than fence. Show off.

Home. Food. Peanut-butter bone. Yum!

Sleep. 

    

Share the warmth

The weather has been so cold here lately (I'm sayin' cold for certain parts of Texas, not  frigid regions north, east and west of us), my thoughts have turned to all of the pets who live outdoors. I want to go out at night and find them all and bring them inside. Even Sam, lover of the great outdoors, prefers artificially heated air when the temps outside crash into the teens. How can I tell? 1. He waits by the door to get in after the briefest sojourn and 2. His floppy ears are cold.

Isn't being warm one of the basic needs of every living creature?

So, all of you folks who have outdoor pets -- what do you do for them when it's cold? Do you give them blankets and beds and make sure there is a warm light to sleep under or a shed somewhere for them to curl up in? Do they have a buddy to snuggle with? Do you race outside regularly and crack the layer of ice on top of their water pans so their tongues don't get stuck? Even watchdogs need a break.

Keeping animals safe and warm seems like such a simple thing to do, and yet we can't seem to get everyone on the same page about humane treatment of animals. Seeing how some animals live reminds me of extremely poor countries, which our country claims not to be. How do we expect to solve the rather more complicated problems of people if we can't even meet the basic needs of dogs and cats?

One place to start is by adopting a shelter dog or cat if you feel equipped to take on a companion animal. If you can't subject yourself to all the beings that need homes at the shelter, check out the classified ads in the local newspaper. Ours features several shelter dog and cat ads daily, including a dog in today's paper offering to help his new potential adopter lose weight (no, not by stealing food or counting calories...at least I don't think so).

Yes, it's a crapshoot when you adopt a shelter dog. Who knows what treatment such a dog has seen? But that's the way life is. You will never get a 100 percent perfect animal, child or spouse, even if you get the papers. If perfection is your goal, good luck with all of that frustration and unhappiness and please stay single, childless and petless.

If adopting a pet is not on your radar, what about fostering adult or baby dogs or cats? Or volunteering at a shelter, if you have the time? Our local shelters regularly seek foster homes for their animals, and both accept volunteers. Don't be insulted by the background checks. They want to make sure they aren't sending the animals into a worse environment than the street. 

Shelters also need blankets and other supplies, if anyone's in the donating mood.

I am closing today with a picture of Sam in his Christmas bandanna. He is not being standoffish by avoiding the camera lens. He rarely looks us in the eye, either. I gather it's not polite.

                                                                      

 

For '08, eight doable resolutions

Usually I don't celebrate the year's end or list new modes of behavior for the new year. My thinking is that one holiday is pretty much the same as the next, (although sometimes a holiday equals an extra day off on a weekday), and you shouldn't depart too much from your daily routine.

That said, I confess that I am cheerfully bidding 2007 goodbye. After a death in the family, a series of injuries sustained by relatives, expensive car problems occurring hundreds of miles from home, dog behavior issues, a continuing war, and bewilderment at the state of our national government, I am ready to look to the future.

Without great experience at making quality new year's resolutions, I resolve these things in 2008:

• to spend more time with family and friends
• to walk Sam daily while keeping an eye peeled for cat poop
• to clean up my native garden before spring
• to move all delicious food items far from the edge of the kitchen counter
• to speak up for the presidential candidate who wants to lead all of us
• to volunteer more often
• to write daily instead of almost daily
• to finish the book I've been working on since 2005

That's eight for '08. All are measureable and attainable, and I am going to get started today.

Update on Sam's story: The motorist whose bumper Sam ran into two mornings ago stopped by that night to check on him as she returned home from work. I thought she might revisit the scene as she was so concerned about the incident. She had worried about Sam all day. We hope our words alleviated her concern. "I am the person who hit your dog," she said to my husband. "No, you are the person whose car he ran into," he replied. True words.

Sam and I took a walk today, our first since the unfortunate series of events. He watched cars carefully, but showed no notable change in walking gait or snuffling habits. He still required frequent reminders to drop the street debris he finds so appealing and to not walk in front of me. His life goes merrily on, and I am taking my cue from him. Everyone should have a happy dog.

Happy New Year to all.