Tag Archives: authors

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Sunday Musings


Another week has flashed by jam-packed with new things going on.

I’m working on the first update message to those interested in being a part of the flash collection I’m compiling. That ought to go out this evening. If you don’t know what I’m talking about but think you’d like to be involved, use this handy form to let me know you want in:

So my blog will have a new home as soon as I figure out how to move it intact. This is not proving to be as easy as I thought it would be. Worse come to worse, I ‘ll leave it here and make a link to it from the new location. I’ve bought my domain name. When it’s all set up we’ll have a housewarming party :) It’s going to be a combination website and blog.

Stacy Plowright (one of the Fictioneers who lives in Canada) sent this email to me the other day and it’s definitely worth sharing. Please take a few minutes to read the links and understand what’s going on and how this affects us as writers.

I was ashamed to admit I knew next to nothing about this subject. I don’t have television at home and the only news I get is whatever NPR discusses on my transit to and from work:

Hi Madison :)

I am up in Canadia (spelling deliberate), but I’ve been following the DOJ happenings going on down there. I presume other authors have too. I encourage American Fictioneers who want to voice their opinion on the subject to do so (and to pass the message along).


And these articles contain some of the industry thoughts on the matter:



“Comments must be submitted in writing by June 25, 2012.

You may send comments by regular mail or e-mail to:

John R. Read, Esq.
Chief, Litigation III
Antitrust Division, United States Department of Justice
450 5th Street, NW, Suite 4000
Washington, D.C. 20530

john.read@usdoj.gov

Please include a reference to the litigation:

United States v. Apple, Inc., et al., 12-cv-2826 (DLC) (SDNY). Comments on Proposed Final Judgment as to Defendants Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster.

All comments received will be considered by the Justice Department, published in the Federal Register, and filed with Judge Cote.”


Best,

Stacey 

(plowright.wordpress.com)

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Dismay, frustration and … frustration!


I am so dismayed.

Yesterday I saw a blurb about a new show coming out on SyFy channel that sounds very similar to the same concept I’m working with in my novel.

Has that ever happened to you? I’ve practically cloistered myself to keep other ideas from influencing me and then I find out that what I thought was my novel idea is already being done?

Is it true that there are no new stories under the sun? This made me want to cry. And scream and shout.

ARRRRrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhh!

That doesn’t begin to express my frustration. But it’s a start. I’ll comfort myself with the theory that my own take on the subject is unique to me. Humor me here. Please.

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Thursday’s Resources: Guest Bloggers and upcoming topics


For the next couple of Thursdays I’ll be introducing you to other people who have interesting things to talk about.

  • Feb. 2, David Rozansky of Flying Pen Press will blog here about ‘Bookkeeping for Writers’.
  • Feb. 9, @Odin1Eye  of the View from Valhalla will tell us about his review process for books and podcasts, and whatever else he wants to share.
  • TBA – anyone interested in becoming a guest blogger here, please let me know. I’m looking for guest blogs on topics to do with the business of writing. In the meantime, I’ll be pestering potential contributors I run across…

For today I have a couple of links to share. I liked this one because it reminded me of why I want to develop my plan. I read this blog for insight to the industry, although this particular publisher doesn’t publish my genre: http://behlerblog.com/2012/01/23/have-a-plan/.

And you can read what Jeannie Leflar, a.k.a. The Writernubbin, has come up with regarding her writerly business plan here. When I’d brought the topic up a few weeks back, she jumped on the ball and got it done!

I’ll share my plan as I build it, beginning with Sunday’s post.

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Sunday Musings – Author’s Bio


What kind of things should we put in an Author’s Bio? I know about the usual kinds of things, i.e. our genre, where we’ve been educated, what pieces have we published, etc. That’s interesting, sometimes, I guess.

Those of you who have followed this blog for a year or more already know quite a bit about me.

What kinds of things do you have on *your* bio?

Do you remember those hand-written lists of questions we used to send around in grade school? The ones that asked all the personal, nosy questions and everyone added in their answers? Didn’t you do that? No?

Well we did and I loved knowing those little tidbits about everyone I thought I knew already.

So here are three questions and my answers to them. I’d like to hear your answers in the comments if you don’t mind. Or if you make a blog post out of it, then link to it so I can go there to find out more about you.

Three Questions:

  1. What influences the essence of *you* most? Nature, wilderness and my place in it
  2. What is your favorite food? Anything cajun except oysters
  3. What is your favorite past-time? (besides writing!) photography
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Another review of the Cthulhurotica anthology, and a mention of my story too


If you were curious what my story was about… Just found this summary at:

RISE REVIEWS  written by HARRY MARKOV  FEBRUARY 14, 2011

http://risereviews.com/2011/02/14/cthulhurotica/

“Milleu from the story “Daddy’s Girl” by Madison Woods has inhuman heritage and trains tentacled creatures to perform sexual services.”

It’s a great review of the anthology edited by Carrie Cuinn. She’s doing another one next year and I’m sure it’ll be just as interesting. I’m excited to have been invited to contribute again, so I hope I can come up with another story she likes.

 

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What to do with Thursdays? Two questions at the end for #askpublisher #askeditor #askauthor


Since I posted the photo prompt yesterday afternoon, I’m wondering what I’ll do with my Thursday blog post now.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had to come up with something to say with no topic to guide my thoughts. This could be just another musing day… or it could be whatever I want it to be. It’s one of those blank slate moments I used to blog about a long time ago, haha.

Tonight is crit group with the NAWW and I’m still trying to decide if I’ll bring my reworked info dump scene for feedback or my synopsis for Symbiosis. It’ll depend on whether I get the rest of the synopsis written on break today. If I bring it we’ll see if it reads as insanely out loud to those hearing it for the first time as it did to me as I was reading it for the first time to myself. I’ve read some other synopsis of novels just as far-fetched as mine since then, though, and I feel less crazy than I did when I started out. There are actually people out there with ideas as wild as or more than mine. It’s strange the things that make a writer feel good about him/herself. This is one that does it for me. I love it when I find people that can’t point a finger at me because they’re guilty of the same nuttieness.

I’ve been invited to judge the photography contest for the upcoming Ozark Writer’s League conference in Branson. I’m excited about this because it ought to be fun. As an amateur photographer myself, it’ll be interesting to see what other people like to frame up in a snapshot image.

Another thing that’s been on my mind lately is the business of writing. I started to say ‘building a platform’ and the controversy surrounding it, but really what I’ve been thinking about is the entire business side of a writing career. There’s more to it than just getting the story written. The story is the foundation, though, because without it there’s no product to market, and no business.

But the attitude toward this end of the writing career seems to draw as passionately divided responses as does the issue of Indie-vs-Traditional. One camp believes all a writer has to do is write the story and then sell it either to a publisher or to readers directly. The other camp believes there is a road to pave before the selling can begin and it involves far more than just writing the book. I fall into the latter camp.

It’s always been a curse of mine to care too much what other people think about me or what I’m doing. So it’s a challenge to ignore naysayers and just get on with what I feel like I *should* be doing. But this time I haven’t let it bother me. I actually *enjoy* the road-paving end of this business as much as I’m enjoying the producing the product end of it. We’ll find out perhaps by the end of next year if my efforts have been worthwhile or nothing more than a practice in vanity. But I still like to hear opinions because you never know when you’ll learn something you might have overlooked. Plus, I have an insatiable desire to know certain stuff. This is one kind of stuff that interests me.

I keep asking the same question in various forms because I still haven’t gotten the answers I want. Doesn’t that drive you nuts? I think it’s because I still haven’t asked the right question.

Here’s a different one for a change.

Do you think it’s necessary for writers to have a plan or do you think they should just write the book and leave the planning to the publishers to figure out?

Well, it’s two questions, this one for those of you who have publishers.

 Has your publisher given you a plan or did your publisher expect one from you?

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Hmmm. Pretty long post for having had nothing to say…

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Writer Men of NWA – Duke Pennell


Duke Pennell is a writer, but he’s also editor of Frontier Tales ezine. He’s a member of our NWA Writer’s crit group and we’ve all benefited from his editorial suggestions.

Latest Title:     Frontier Tales ezine

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

Recently, I’ve been pretty focused on editing rather than writing. Frontier Tales (http://www.frontiertales.com) and “The 44th Flight,” a manuscript by Amy Weir, are taking up almost all my spare time. Occasionally, I set down and get something of my own down. The urge to write is almost like having a maddening itch. Sometimes it gets so bad I just have to scratch it, even though I really should be doing other things.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Yes. I work at the University of Arkansas. I’m a Computer Systems Engineer by trade and training..

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

Fabulously supportive. I’m fortunate that my wife loves writing and thinks it’s grand that I do too.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

I’m still working on that one. “The Devil’s Backbone” was a short story I wrote that insists it isn’t finished. That’s the one that keeps itching at me. How long? Wow. Ask me that when I’m done.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

My route to publication was shorter than most. I had some Western short stories I wanted to submit and I couldn’t find anywhere that was taking them. Out of desperation, I created Frontier Tales and began publishing other people’s work. I figured if I couldn’t get my stuff out there, at least I could help others. So far, it’s working out.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book/story?

“The Devil’s Backbone” is a story about love, respect, and responsibility. It’ll be interesting to see how many people connect with these values.

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’m putting together the first anthology of stories from Frontier Tales. They’re all Readers Choice winners from the first year’s submissions. Should be fun!

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere! How can you look at the physicality of the world — the mountains, rivers, deserts, everything — and not be inspired? Or the people? Their needs, fears, and desires? Or, maybe most of all, from that dark place inside yourself where the secret stuff hides? Inspiration is easy. Everyone has an idea about a story. The hard part is getting it down so that the story you see in your mind is the same one the reader sees when he holds your work in his hands.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

I’m trying to be of service. My magazine publishes other people’s stories. I’ve been judging novels for different writers’ conferences and organizations. I’m doing public speaking whenever anyone can use my expertise. I believe if you help enough other folks get what they want, the universe helps you get what you need.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

My maternal grandmother. She told me the first stories that I remember. Just the memory of sitting in her lap, listening to her tell the tale of When Grandpa Shot The Whale, brings a warm glow to me. I’d like to pass that glow on to others.

11.  Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

My stories are in earlier anthologies from Echoes of the Ozarks, Voices, and in the latest Cactus Country.  But you can find me every month, online, at Frontier Tales. If you haven’t been by lately, take a gander. You might even be moved to send in a tale or two yourself!

Thanks, Madison!

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You’re welcome, Duke :) I’ll have to take another look at your ezine now. The latest photo prompt (posted yesterday here) might inspire me to write a tale that fits the genre.

This was the last of the interviews I have lined up for the men of northwest Arkansas. If anyone else wants to participate, no matter where you live, let me know and I’ll send you the questions. 

Next week look for Viviene Tuffnell’s interview. She’s a writer-friend of mine I met through blogging and Twitter.

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Writer Wednesday – Men of NWA – Russell Gayer


Russell Gayer is a member of our NWA Writer’s crit group. He frequently makes us cry with laughter. I hope you enjoy his interview and leave him a comment.

Latest Title:      Several in the works—mostly short stories      

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I try to write about an hour every morning before I go to work.  Sometimes, if things are slow, I’ll squeeze in a little while at work. There’s no word count goal. It’s all about the creative mojo—as long as the words keep coming I write ‘em down. During hunting season, I take a pad to the woods with me. There are fewer distractions in the forest.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Yes, I’m very blessed to have a great job in the printing industry. One of the perks is that we can provide self-promotion materials to fellow writers at 30 to 50% savings.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

In my short story, How to Write ‘How To Books,’ our hero emerges from his writer den to find the house dark. His wife is concerned that if he sees his shadow they’ll have six more weeks of writing. My wife is much more supportive than that. In fact, she’s downright tolerant.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

I don’t know if I have the attention span to write a 200 page book. Furthermore, my personal relationship with laziness and procrastination tends to stall every project I start. My plan is to string together a group of short stories and essays into a book. Give me two more years.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

The stuff I write is “last page-humor” magazine fodder. I did some on-line research and found a long list of publications that accept humor submissions. It’s only a matter of time before I wear them down with persistence.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book/story?

I want my readers to laugh out loud, spew coffee out their nose, and have tears running down their cheeks. That’s my reward. That’s how I get paid.

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’m trying to finish Raising Cain, a political satire. The ending seems to be as evasive and hard to manage as the principle characters. I have two other short stories in the works. One is a western (with an unusual protagonist) and the other, an experience with inept plumbers.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

With humor, inspiration is everywhere. I’ve gotten ideas driving down the road, in boring seminars, newspaper articles, and just observing people. Last week, I bought some two-bite Halloween candy bars that are labeled “fun” size. What’s the alternative? Does your mouth water for a “hard labor” candy bar?

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

My writing career is in the toddler stage. Right now, I don’t have a whole lot to promote, so I’m trying to establish a platform. I started a blog recently entitled, What’s So Funny? http://russellgayer.blogspot.com/  It’s a good way to expand your audience and establish a “online presence” that editors and publishers seem to expect.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

Linda Apple invited me to NWA Writers Workshop http://www.nwawriters.org/index.php  They helped tighten my writing and taught me how to use my tool box (duct tape and baling wire). Authors whose style I admire (and try to imitate) include, Patrick McManus, Ben Rehder, and David Sedaris.

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Writer Wednesday – Men of NWA – M. G. Miller


M.G. Miller is a Southern Gothic novelist and former fiction editor for a national horror magazine.

Latest Title: Bayou Jesus       Author name:  M. G. Miller

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

Lately, I’ve hardly had time to write at all, but when I am in
the groove, it starts at 3 a.m. every day.  During the week I only have a couple of hours each day which is usually spent editing what I’ve already written, but on weekends I’ll
write until I’m exhausted–or the phone starts ringing, which is one of the reasons I get up so early, to get some work done before the rest of the world wakes.  I don’t have a word count goal, though, I just write until a scene is finished. An average day yields about five or six pages, a great day is ten pages or more.

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

Yes, I also work full-time.  Keeps me living in luxury and the electric
bill paid.  Ha.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

Have you ever had to fight for your right to write? I’ve never lacked support from family, but I think we’ve all had to fight for our right at some point and on different levels, be it naysayers or simple interruptions.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

It takes about a year and a half for me to write a novel while also working a full-time job.  In the past I’ve been lucky enough to devote uninterrupted time to my work, and when that’s the case I can finish a novel in a year.  I did, however, write one in six months once.  Weirdest thing I ever did, though, and I doubt it will ever see the light of day.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

I had an agent first, but that didn’t work out very well (neither did my second agent for that matter), so I self-published.  By doing so, the books were eventually discovered and bought for traditional publication. From finished product to traditional publication was a period of nine years and a collection of 225 rejections, 109 on one book alone.  I have no sympathy for writers who bemoan that they’ve received 20 or 30 rejections.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

In regard to the ebook reissue of Bayou Jesus, the theme is racial intolerance.  Its sequel, Seven Devils (release date TBA), concerns itself with organized
religion and societal structure.  Other novels have dealt with revenge, redemption and matricide.  (But I really do love my mom, okay?)

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I’ve only written one sequel thus far, which was very different from the first book.  No two of my novels are alike.  I feel that once I’ve covered something, it’s time to take on another challenge.  My current work in progress is based on a true story of a mother who killed her own children in the name of God.  No sunshine and rainbows there.

For years I’ve wanted to write a novel revolving around Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, too, the twist being that she’s not actually in the book, merely her experience with the Symbionese Liberation Army used as allegory for a character in search of herself.
That may come in the next few years.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

The news, books, movies, but mostly from people-watching and listening.  If you create a believable character first, the story will practically tell itself.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

Be it traditional or self-publication, the majority of authors have always had to do
a great deal of their own promotion.  I have a Facebook author page, I Twitter, I blog, I’ve built a website.  All this is a full-time job in itself.  But the most important thing one can do is simply to write the best book you possibly can and hope you get lucky.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

I’ve been most influenced by the works of Joyce Carol Oates, Flannery O’Connor, Tennessee Williams and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  And like K.D. McCrite said in her interview last week, the old I’ll-show-you attitude works wonders for one’s motivation.

11. Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

The reissue of Bayou Jesus by Southern Exposures Press will be available this Christmas, exclusively on Amazon Kindle.

Thank you, Madison, for the opportunity to share.

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Visit M.G. Miller’s website at http://www.mgmillerbooks.com

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Writer Wednesday – Men of NWA – Dusty Richards


Today I’m going to start profiling the men writers of northwest Arkansas.

Dusty Richards is the anchor of our weekly crit group that meets in Fayetteville every Thursday. When we unruly writers get too disorderly, he quickly gets us reined back into line. He was quick on the draw and returned my questionnaire (with answers) in record time!

My favorite answer from Dusty is #3. Love his wife’s response.

Author name:  Dusty Richards

1.  I’m always interested in the writer’s process. How often do you write? Do you have a daily word count goal? Give me an overview (or detailed if you really want to go there) of your writing life.

I write every day I am at home. My days at the computer run from 6 to 15 hours
per day when I am here.  I like to turn out ten pages of a book per day.  Some
reach 20 others three.  But then there are rewrites, editing, proof reading, research on some subject.  Since I am now acquiring western books and short stories that cuts into my production.

I also write several columns and short stories my life is varied.  Farm and Neighbors, an ag magazine in this area, a monthly one in Maryland, a quarterly one in Storyteller magazine.  Plus speak at conferences and involved in writer group conferences

2.  Do you also work a full-time non-writer job or career?

I am board president Ozark Electric Cooperative and their  representative  on the Oklahoma statewide Electric Coop board. A member of the Rodeo of the Ozarks board of directors. President of Ozark Creative Writers Conference, President elect of
Ozark League Writers, Next June I will be the President  of Western Writers of America.  I am not on face page and all those others.  I answer all my email on the days I am home—that’s enough.

3.  How supportive has your family been of your writing time? Have you ever had to fight for your right to write?

I had not sold a book back in the “80’s    I was using a Commodore computer.  My wife and I drove all over one Saturday.  I had to put the header on the page then print it again to have a manuscript.  There were scads of computer stores but none could sit me down and show me how they worked. Till we got to Megabit in Fayetteville—they set me down at a Mac and I quickly typed two pages with headers and page number.

I was thinking it works and how easy. I wanted to think about paying for it.

My wife Pat  said, ”Aren’t you going to buy it?” “I am thinking about it.”

“If it was tractor you’d already bought it.  Make the deal, you need it.”

That’s the kind of support I have gotten from my family.

4.  How long does it take you to write (from start to finish) a novel?

108 novels under my name and pseudonyms Some take forever to write, like pulling teeth without a pain killer.  Some go so fast you think you won the Kentucky Derby writing them.  Books vary in size from 225 pages to 300 on to 400 manuscript pages.

The fast ones are as good as the hard ones.  They’d all be fast if I could write them.

5.  What route to publishing did you take (agent, traditional, self-pub), and how long did it take from finish to publication?

Major publisher take from eighteen to 24 months to get a book out after you write it
for them.   Small publishers can get it out in 3 months.

My agent and I have had a great relationship. She like most of us are finding less and less slots available for her customers.  She and I have climbed over the mountains looking for writing deals. We continue.

6.  Is there a theme, or premise you’d really like readers to connect with in your latest book?

n/a

7.  Where are you going now, are you working on a sequel, or something entirely different?

I have a new series coming at Berkley (current project)  The Chaparral Range War.  The Brynes Family Series for Kensingtom  #2 book “Between Hell and Texas” coming in Dec   In Nov  “The Outlaw Queen” Frank Brothers Series Cactus Country Publishing I enjoy writing the west.  I have tried some others genre.  They aren’t my thing. I have written about many factors, cattle drives, outlaws, law men, horses and the west after the civil war.

I must not do bad.  I have received many nice awards including 2 Spurs. The Will Rogers Medallion, a Fictioneer finalist, Spur finalist last year.  The Cowboy Hall’s best book Wrangler award.  True West named me as the greatest alive western writer last march and I am on the Arkansas Writer Hall of fame with Dee Brown and Charles Portis.

8.  Where do you find inspiration for your stories and novels?

In old diaries, historical events in the west. I have a very extensive library and I read all the time.  I have walked most of the ground I write about.  I don’t change the events of history simply walk through the trees.

9.  With all the focus lately on authors providing a lot of their own self-promotion, what are you doing in this respect?

Fired my web master and hired an aggressive one. Doing more things to get exposed and get my books out there.  And looking at a book club of the month  More on that at The Cactus Country publishing. Look us up.

10.  Who or what would you say has been the biggest influence on you as a writer?

I have lots of people to thanks but Dr. Frank Reuter who is retired now took
three of my early books and scalded them. Each time I re did them but by the third one I guess I knew what I needed to do.  Scathing no holds barred critiques and from them I knew what not do and the third one he did, he said he’d not edited hard enough he was so busy reading it.  That was Noble’s way and my first novel to
sell in New York.  The N W Ark Writers I attend every Thursday in Fayetteville that I am home is the second source of any improvement I made.

11. Where can we find your book? Is it available in e-format as well?

Many of my books are on Amazon and in E book form there too. Cactus Books look them up. Try a book store they can usually order them They treat books like magazines they won’t be there long. Many people want my back books have to go to used books stores  I’m here this week I will be in a meeting in AZ next week.

Thanks, Dusty.