Time to Write

Books by the foot

Sorry if this depresses you, as it did me, but my friend Scott Newton alerted me to a site where you can buy books by the foot and by the color of their spines for decorative purposes. Here is part of their blurb:

Many people feel that it's silly to purchase books for pure decorative value. While we certainly understand this, we also savor the opportunity to change the mind of such individuals! Our books are so beautiful on the outside that their interior ceases to be important. What's more, they are available for purchase by the foot as well as the yard. In other words, no more spending hours in used bookstores looking for space fillers. At Book Décor, this process takes a matter of seconds! What this means is that you can make a measurement purchase with confidence, knowing that your products will decoratively compliment one another.

They mean complement, not compliment, but I wouldn't expect anybody to know that if they think that the books' covers means that their "interior ceases to be important." I refuse to link to their site but if you want to buy some books by the yard, let me know and I'll ship out a few hundred copies of "Your Writing Coach." The spine has a very attractive little photo of the author--it'll look great on your shelf and will also improve the appearance of my next royalty statement. :-)

Creating a Great Writing Environment

Dave Herman (whose excellent blog is at ravingdaveherman.blogspot.com) was good enough to share how he creates a supportive writing environment--maybe some of these will work for you as well:

* I have a row of DVDs on my desk. They are the films I aim to emulate in my screenwriting.

 * I have pictures up on my wall of some of the (animated) characters that feature in the productions I'm currently working on.

 * I have a mock poster of one of the movies I'm currently writing.

 * I have sundry quotes up on index cards, one of favourites is from Anton Chekhov: "Don't tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass."

 * I always have three or four very different kinds of books open on my desk, which I read when my computer needs to think.

 * And I have a couple of guitars handy just in case a tune comes up ...

(for more ideas on being more creative and productive, sign up now for my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request to [email protected])

Who's In Charge of Your Brain?

As a member of the board of directors of several major international financial services corporations, Patricia Pitcher (the author of “The Drama of Leadership”) observed the workings of the corporate world.

According to the summary of her book on Amazon.com, "she identifies three types of leaders: Artists, who are people-oriented, open-minded, intuitive, and visionary; Craftsmen, to whom the adjectives "humane," "dedicated," and "wise" best apply; and Technocrats - brilliant and well-schooled in the latest theory, they are detail-oriented, rigid, methodical, self-centered, and, when left in control, pose a serious threat to corporate competitiveness. The power struggles between these types are dramas being played out in companies everywhere. Whether the story has a happy or an unhappy ending depends entirely upon which type gets top billing."

What I find interesting about this is that we all have these three facets within ourselves as well, and which one we put in charge at different times may determine our success or failure. If we get the balance wrong, it affects our success.

How are you balancing these three in your own life? If things are not going as well as you'd like, which one could you give more power in order to improve your results?

(For monthly free tips and techniques for being more creative and productive, sign up for my free Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])

Amazon: Good or Evil for Writers?

Smarana Mitra writes on Forbes.com about publishing, calling it “archaic beyond belief” and noting that it “treats its most important asset—the author—badly.” She points out that on a book that costs $24.95 in the store, the author typically gets no more than $1 or $1.50.

What’s the solution for us writers? Mitra thinks its Amazon.com:

“Amazon is poised to revolutionize the book printing business through vertical integration…Assuming that Amazon already pockets 50% of the retail price of a book, it could directly engage with authors and cut out the middlemen: the agent and the publisher. That would free up 30% to 40% of the pie, which can easily be split between Amazon and the author. [If] Amazon becomes the retailer, marketer, publisher and agent combined and takes 65% of the revenues, offering 35% to the author--we end up with a much better, fairer world.”

Her prediction: “Over the next few years, Amazon likely will use its power to build direct relationships with authors and gradually phase out publishers and agents. It will first go after the independent print-on-demand self-publishers and get the best authors from that world. Amazon will then take on the large publishers.”

There are problems with this picture. One is that if Amazon ends up being the 800-pound-gorilla in this game, there’s no guarantee that down they line they won’t squeeze the authors’ share down to its current level. The other is that we still need to get readers to become aware of our book—this is much harder than writing the book. Right now, a lot of exposure comes from book stores. But at the very least, Amazon is waking up and shaking up the publishing industry--and maybe that will motivate publishers to work more closely with their authors for a win-win situation.

(for tips on how to be more creative and productive, sign up for my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just email a request now to [email protected])

Elements of a Good Pitch (or Query Letter)

In Psychologies magazine Annette Simmons, author of "The Story Factor," recently mentioned four tips for good storytelling. You can easily adapt these to create an outstanding pitch or query letter:

1. Choose the right opening. She suggests, "Begin a story with a quirky introduction incorporating bizarre details and you'll instantly get people's attention." In a pitch or query letter you don't have time to tell the whole story, and you don't have to start at the beginning. For instance, an opening line might be, "Jack Carter never expected to be arrested in a raid on an S & M torture chamber. He wasn't that type. His ordeal actually had its roots in what happened six months before..." At that point I could go back and briefly tell what led up to that incident, but I have already aroused the curiosity of the listener.

2. Link the story to the listener. Often this can be done by posing a rhetorical question. Continuing with my story above, I might say, "His ordeal actually had its roots in what happened six months before. He asked himself a couple of questions I've asked myself and maybe you've asked them, too. 'Am I in a rut? Is my life too boring?' Your listener will automatically relate this to himself or herself.

3. Simmons says, "To hold your audience's attention, use specifics instead of generalizations." So even if your character is typical, be specific about his typicality. For instance, I might say, "Jack spends his Sundays watching football on his 40-inch plasma screen, drinking 5 cans of Bud Lite and eating one large package of Cheesy Nachos."

4. Don't overdo it. "Don't perform your stories, just tell them," Simmons advises. There are some natural performers who can pull of jumping up and down on the sofa to illustrate a point but if it didn't work well for Tom Cruise, it's not likely to work well for us.

(For more tips and techniques on writing and selling your writing, buy my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey. For more on how to be creative and productive, also subscribe to my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])

Pimp Your Writing Environment

Even if you have only a corner of a room to devote to your writing, you can do some things to make it feel like a creative environment. Here are a few tips:

* colorful posters or postcards (changed regularly so you actually notice them)

* plants (if you're like me, I recommend a hardy plant that doesn't require a lot of watering--a peace lily is a good choice)

* A rear-view mirror (feng shui suggests this is a good idea)

* inspirational quote cards you've made up yourself (one of my favorites: “If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself.”– Rollo May)

* a symbol of what you hope to achieve (e.g., New York Times best-seller list, or mocked up book cover for your book)

* iPod or radio or stereo if you like to work with music; noise-cancelling headphones if you need to block out noise

* a SAD light box if you get depressed over the winter

If you'd like to share some of your own, please leave a comment or email me at [email protected]!

(For a monthly dose of ideas on how to be more creative and productive, subscribe to my free Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])

Where Do You Find Time to Write?

Not finding enough time to write? Here's a quote from life coach Marilyn Devonish (quoted in Psychologies magazine):

"The greatest successes I have observed have come from those who devoted small, consistent chunks of time every day to pursue their dreams. One client who set up a successful greetings card business did so not by throwing in her job, but by taking 30 minutes each lunch hour to work on her designs."

(for tips and techniques on how to be more creative and productive, subscribe to my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])

Do You Ever Feel You Are an Impostor?

I've written previously about the common feeling that one is an impostor--that any moment, the world will realize that we're not actually talented or even competent. Valerie Young, an expert in this Impostor Syndrome, points out in Psychology Today that it's especially common among these groups:

* the pioneers in any field
* first-generation professionals
* people who work in creative fields
* people who work alone
* people whose parents were high-achievers
* perfectionists

Hmm, three or four of those fit me (I'm not sure I'm perfectionist enough to be a really good perfectionist)--how many fit you? The Imposter Syndrome is another manifestion of the Inner Critic. In many cases, it stems from the feeling that parents or others expected you to fail. You internalize those expectations, and when you don't fail, you discount your success as being either a fluke or a fraud. One step to overcoming this issue is simply to become aware of how many people feel this way.

A longer-term and permanent solution is to Tame Your Inner Critic now. If you'd like to find out about a new program I've developed for Taming Your Inner Critic, click here.

Selling Your Book (How Not To)

Below is a video by Dennis Cass, author of "How I Almost Lost My Mind Trying to Understand My Brain." Does it tell us anything about his book? No. Is it funny? Yes. Does it ring true for authors? Oh yes.

Creativity and Relationships (Is the Loner Image Wrong?)

On the Dream Manifesto website, I found an article by clinical psychologist Anne Paris (based on her book, Standing at Water’s Edge: Moving Past Fears, Blocks and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion). I’ve not read her book but in the article she emphasizes the importance of personal connections in fostering creativity. She suggest three kinds of relationships:

“Find Strength in Mirrors - An artist finds the strength to create through feeling special, recognized, and appreciated by others. Share your ideas and your work with others who are likely to appreciate your talents and your efforts. Allow yourself to “take in” this kind of psychological nourishment. If you don’t have this kind of support, imagine it.

Find Inspiration in Heroes - An artist finds motivation and inspiration to create through admiring, respecting, and hoping to please a parent, teacher, mentor, or idol. Reach for connection with your “real life” hero or immerse in your idol’s work, ideas, or art.

Find Comfort in Twins - An artist finds comfort through the creative process by feeling understood and understandable by others who are in the same boat. Reach for connections with “like-kind” (for example, join a writer’s group, or take a painting class, or go to conferences, artist retreats, or galleries). Share your hopes and dreads, triumphs and defeats, with these empathic others - they’ve been there - they understand.”

It’s an interesting contrast to the image of the artist as loner. You can read the full article, “A New Approach to Igniting and Sustaining Creativity,” here.

What Great Acting and Great Writing Have in Common

In an essay in the Wall Street Journal, Joe Morgenstern made this observation about acting:

"We often talk about an actor projecting this or that emotion, but that's not the only way it works. Watch a movie star, especially during a close-up reaction shot, and you're likely to see his or her face holding still, staying neutral so as not to give too much away. We're the ones who are doing the projecting, and what we detect, bouncing back like radar returns from the actor's face, is our own empathetic response--what we feel the character is feeling."

One example he gives is Gary Cooper's portrayal of Marshall Kane, writing his will under the ticking clock in "High Noon."

It occurs to me that great writing is similar. It sets the scene, but you bring your own rich imagination to it. The writers I like best do this seemingly effortlessly (which means a lot of work went into it). Of course a good place to start is a ruthless hunting down of excess adjectives and adverbs. Painful sometimes, but worth it if it leads to a style worthy of Bogart.

Linda Barry on How to Write Surreal Cartoons

The New York Times recently featured a slide show with audio in which cartoonist and author Linda Barry ("Ernie Pook's Comeek") reveals her thinking and writing process. You can watch and listen to Linda Barry here. The talk is illustrated with pages from her new book, "What It Is," which uses her collage-drawing technique to guide you to writing from the heart and mind using images and specific memories as prompts.

If you want to read the associated New York Times article, written by Carol Keno, click here.

(For a peek at some of my cartoons, go to the cartoons pages of my site, www.timetowrite.com. For a monthly ezine suggesting ways to be more creative and productive, sign up for my free Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])

What to Name Your Book

A rose by any other name may still be a rose, but if you're trying to sell roses (or books) the name is pretty important.

Marketing expert John Eggan gave two examples recently:

Sterling Press published a book on optical illusions using the title "Eye Spy." It didn't sell. They re-titled it "Eye Teasers." That one failed, too. Then they gave the same book the title "The Great Book of Optical
Illusions." It sold more than 200,000 copies.

"The Squash Book" sold 1,500 copies. When the publisher re-named it "The Zucchini Cookbook," it sold 300,000 copies.

Especially with books, it's important to let people know what they're getting. When they scan the shelves in a bookstore, they may see only the title on the spine. Something like "Eye Spy" doesn't tell them what the book is about. "Optical Illusions" does.

Also, people are searching for books online. If I type "squash" into the Amazon or Barnes&Noble search box, odds are I'll get a list of books about squash, the sport. If I type in zucchini, I'll get get only zucchini.

The problem is that titles like this often are kind of boring. They don't tell the potential reader what makes your book different or interesting. Often the best strategy is to put the more conventional descriptive words in the title, and the more zany or curiosity-arousing words in the subtitle. For instance, if you were writing a book about reality TV shows your main title might be "Reality TV" and the subtitle might be "How freak shows, sideshows, and fake shows are transforming television."

(How would you like to have a writing coach take you all the way from idea through to publication? You can, and it's in book form: Your Writing Coach, written by Jurgen Wolff, published by Nicholas Brealey. You can also get free tips on how to be more creative and productive--it's in my Brainstorm e-bulletin. You can request it now by sending an email request to [email protected])