Work, work, and more work

To those who read here regularly I have to apologize for the lack of recent posts. Due to four major IT transitions in the last two months, I have been working 60-70 hours per week lately, which has not allowed any room for my fun activities like writing this blog.

I hope over the next few weeks I might have time to blog some more, and to get back to my book. That is just life. The bills must be paid first.

So for now I will just encourage you to press on in your writing. Do not let anything stand in your way. When life requires you to take a temporary detour, keep your chin up and jump back in the first opportunity you get. That is what I plan to do.

So if you can write, write. And if not, hold on to your story and wait until you can.

Best of luck.

www.jhughthomas.com
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Frustrated by Real Life

I have read repeatedly that the way you know if you are a writer is how much you write. If it is in your top three to five priorities, you may be a writer. Lately the extremely long weeks at my day job (although more nights are involved these days) have been making it impossible for me to move beyond my basic family and chore obligations into my writing.

Today I am trying to break out of that rut, but I know we have an office move coming up in a week so I will probably have a long couple of weeks. In reality, I think there does come a point where you have to realize writing will always be an extreme challenge while working a full-time job. Sometimes will be harder than others, but that is the point. You will never be able to really settle into a routine because your primary obligations will change your schedule.

While I am frustrated, I am trying to be an adult and recognize that it is just something to roll with and get over. I will try to write some more today, and hope to write more this week. If it does not happen, I know I will pick it up the following week.

Does it make continuity of plot and style and flow difficult? Absolutely! That leads me back to truth of life number 87, there is a reason that not everyone writes a novel... it is hard.

So wishing you all the best of luck in your writing, while sprinkling some luck in my direction as well, I bid you farewell to go write.

www.jhughthomas.com

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Preparing Plot Archs and Character Archs

One of the most satisfying plot twists in The Empire Strikes Back is the moment when Luke and Darth Vader are finishing and intense light saber battle and Vader reveals a life altering piece of information, "I am your father."

For those of us that saw this in the theater before the information was leaked, it was a powerful moment that was emotionally jarring and instantly opened up new avenues for the plot and character development. You were left wondering what would this mean? How will Luke react? Is it true?

To me this is still one of the best examples of how a writer that plans into the future is capable of bringing more to the table than one who just writes in the moment. When you go back to the first movie, you see clues like when Uncle Owen responds to a statement that Luke has too much of his father in him by saying, "That's what I'm afraid of." I remember in the theater thinking this was an obscure thing to say but after Darth Vader's revelation, it all made sense.

I wish I could say I know how to pull this off in a magical and compelling way, but as you know, I am only learning. Here are the things that do seem important to me when approaching a story which you are sure will span over several books.

1) Write Detailed Character Sheets. This helps when you only plan to write one book with the characters, but when the story will stretch on, it is critical. The more time you spend developing these characters on paper, giving them an interesting background, the more material you have to sprinkle through the books ahead.

2) Write History Overlap Sheets. Consider this an addendum to the Character Sheets. Here you will document the ways in which the various characters have crossed paths in the past, before the beginning of your first story. These interactions will provide insight to you as the writer to explain why Judy hates Steve, or Phil is tortured when he is around Judy.

3) Write a Goals Sheet for each Character. This is from the character's perspective, and can include an old set of goals and then a newer set that changed due to some events that occurred. This gives you a clear starting point for motivations of your characters. Whenever you get stuck writing a scene with that character, go back to their goals and see if it helps you find the character's next move.

4) Write an Author's Goal Sheet for each Character. This is a guideline that you may have to scrap as your plots unfold, but it can be a useful guideline. Within each story, you want a character to make some movement as a person. It may be the realization that they will never reach their goal, or it could be the fulfillment of something unexpected. Whatever it is, if you write it down and modify it as you work on your plot, it will be a helpful reference.

5) Map the Big Pieces out for the Series of Novels. I don't know how many writers actually do this, or have the time for that matter, but I can see how good initial planning will result in a richer more fulfilling plot. If you know which pieces of character background will be revealed in which book, and which major plot points will occur and when, it can allow you the freedom to fill in the blanks knowing that you have a strong overall story map for both plot and character development.

I can only hope these steps will prove true as I work on my story and characters. If you read this blog regularly, I am sure will find out if I was right or wrong about my instincts.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com

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Writing Contests and Some Good Blog Entries

I have been busy lately so as usual, unpaid activities like blogging take a back seat. I'll try to make up for it with some great links to great writing contests, articles, and blog entries on writing.

WRITING CONTESTS

Halloween Writing Contest

Submit a 300 word Halloween story and if you make the top three, win a prize. Age categories from Kindergartners all the way to Adults.



Short Writing Contest

The struggling Writer points to an interesting 500 word writing contest, any genre, that must use three out of a list of ten words.



Teen Writing Contests

A great resource if you are a teen looking for some street cred as a writer.



Winter Short Story Fiction Competition

This one comes with a $15 entry fee, but you can win up to $500 for a 1000-3000 word story.



Science Fiction Writing Contest

Poetry, one act play, or short story up to 5,000 words for this contest.



WRITING BLOGS



How To Write Action Scenes
Nice blog post by Author James Scott Bell on writing a good action scene.

5 Excellent Writing Blogs
Enough said.

Writing That First Draft
A good reminder to just write.

How To Write A Novel In Three Months
Sound crazy? You be the judge.

How To Write A Novel
Nice detailed article on the topic.


Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
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How To Handle a Character's Thoughts

I recently received the following email question from one of the blog readers. Below is our exchange in case anyone else has the same question. As always, this is just my amateur opinion.

Hugh,
How do you show what a character is thinking in a novel? I don't want to write (he or she thought) every time. Can I place a character's thoughts in single quotation marks, and then place a character's words in the traditional double quotation marks?
Thanks

My first reply:

Joe,
All I can give you is my perspective. I think the best way is to shift seamlessly into the character's thoughts without attribution. In other words, allow the perspective to simply become closer to the character, reflecting thoughts as they happen. This can be tricky but it seems to be the best method of keeping the reader engaged. If you require a directly quoted thought, I would recommend italics followed by "he thought." I think that most often the simple method is best, just as "he said" is better than "he shouted." Writing "he thought" does not take the reader out
of the reading flow, which is the real goal. You want it to be invisible. Hope that helps some. Best of luck.
Hugh

Joe Responded:

So if a character is thinking, write their thoughts in italics?

I Replied:

Here are two examples. First is one where you are communicating thoughts without attribution.

Jake walked into the room slowly, guarded. The single bulb cast shadows across the table. The smell was strong and rancid. A dead animal? Or... no, probably just an animal.

He continued through the room.

The second one uses attribution.

Jake walked into the room slowly, guarded. The single bulb cast shadows across the table. The smell was strong and rancid.

A dead animal? Jake thought. Or... no, probably just an animal.

He continued through the room.

In my opinion, the version without attribution is better. As you read the passage, you more directly get the thoughts of the character without really noticing the deepening perspective. I am not saying that I really know how to do this well, but I definitely think it is the right approach when it is done well.

I see it as creeping perspective. You may start out with simple observations, more narrative description than written from a specific perspective. Then slowly, as the emotion needs to ramp up, you make it more clear that the perspective is from the character, maybe drawing in life experiences as part of the context for the current events. Finally, you begin to slip into the thought process, the emotions, and even some specific thoughts of the character. When done properly, the reader never realizes the shift is taking place, the reading flow is not broken, and at the same time the reader is becoming more emotionally connected to the events taking place, and to the character.

Hope this helps those of you struggling with this issue. If you have other opinions, please share them will us all in the comments.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
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Articles, Blogs, Cover Art, and a Writing Update.

I am sorry for the delay in my post. Things have been crazy lately and I just could not find the time. Because I am starting a technical blog on SQL Server, it just means I have more to juggle, and I have not learned how to juggle yet. In addition, I just wrote my first technical article that will appear in the September 3rd newsletter from SQLServerCentral.com. This is an exciting new avenue for me to expand my professional profile, but it once again takes more time.

I will begin with a writing update on my Novelette/Novella. I am currently at 11,689 words which means I am making some progress but not at the speed I would prefer. Anyway, I am trying to finish the first draft by the end of September so I can have it edited by the end of the year. I may not reach that goal, but I will try to have my book available in 2009.

I am pretty sure I have the title locked down as well, "Closing Gitmo," which is the first book in a series named "Within Our Borders."

At the same time, I have started to work on cover art so that hopefully by the time the book is done, the cover art will also be done. I will risk posting a first draft for feedback, so please be brutally honest if you leave feedback. Otherwise I will not be able to use your comments to make improvements.

Next time I hope to have more written words to report and some helpful tips.

Until then, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com

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Some Good Writing Articles and Blog Entries

Here are some more links to interesting blogs and articles I found on the web.

Tweet a novel?
http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2009/08/09/writing-a-novel-just-tweet-it/

Approach the blank page.
http://writeanything.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/approaching-the-blank-page-part-3/

Fifth time's a charm.
http://hubpages.com/hub/NaNoWriMocom-Can-You-Write-a-Novel-in-a-Month

For young writers.
http://www.examiner.com/x-19400-NY-Gifted-Education-Examiner~y2009m8d10-Gifted-Education-101-Expert-advice-for-the-aspiring-young-author

Road to publication getting harder?
http://www.zeriously.com/1412/get-a-book-publishedthe-roadto-publication-might-be-getting-a-little-rougher-3/

Great article about podcasting novels.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2009-08/07/novels-by-podcast-how-to-make-money-from-free.aspx

9 ways to promote your books online.
http://www.examiner.com/x-16045-Portland-Writing-Examiner~y2009m8d5-9-ways-to-promote-your-books-on-the-internet

Hope these help you out.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
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Novel Setup in Lulu.com and Choosing Book Size

I am making good headway on the Novelette/Novella, and as I started thinking about overall page length it led me to thinking about the book size. So I logged into Lulu.com and started setting up my book.

Here is a quick run down of getting started in Lulu.

1) Setup an account if you don't already have one. This part is a pretty straight forward sign up process.

2) Start a new project. You can choose paperback, hardback, or a host of other formats. In my case, I choose paperback.

3) Add the title, author name, and you can set the work as private or public. When you are just getting started and playing around, just make sure it is private. Then click to Save and Continue.

4) Choose the paper type and size. You can choose Publisher grade (only ships from the US) or Standard for the paper type. The size options are too many to list here, but all the standards are available. You also pick the binding: Perfect-bound (traditional for novels), coil-bound, or saddle-stitched. You also get a neat floating calculator in the top right of the screen that shows you the cost of your book based on your selections. You also choose black and white or color, but the black and white option does include a color cover.

Play with the combination of these features to determine the best combination of size preferences and cost. I only started checking, but also consider the ISBN option you will want. If you choose the free option of publishing with a Lulu ISBN, your print sizes are more limited. If I decide to purchase my ISBN (for $99.99), I like the Digest size (5.5" x 8.5"). Due to the print size, this allows for the least amount of paper waste and therefore the best price. For a 300 page Digest book the cost is $7.00 per book. For a 300 page Pocket book (4.25" x 6.875") the cost is $10.50 per book. Obviously that means a smaller book with less words costs more money. That is why I like Digest for a first book without an established audience.

5) Upload your file. I uploaded a Word document but you can use a PDF and I think there are more options than that.

6) Design your cover. There is a great wizard for designing a simple cover. I will probably end up designing a custom cover but it is nice to have something setup in the meantime.

You can then generate a print-ready PDF to see what your book will look like in layout. I am very impressed with the ease of setting up a book in Lulu. I'll give more details as I evaluate the different parts of Lulu.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
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How and Why To Use Google Alerts

When you take off your writer's hat and put on the marketing hat, consider Google Alerts. They can be your best friend in both driving your marketing efforts and in showing you new avenues to explore.

One of the m0st difficult aspects of marketing is knowing how to reach people who might be interested in your content. Sure you can invest time in good search engine optimization, joining common interest groups on the Internet, and social networking with the right groups of people. In fact you should do all of these.

But how well is it working? Other than Google alerts, you should be monitoring your website/blog stats through a service like Google Analytics or Statcounter.com to see where the referring traffic is coming from.

I will start with the "how" of using Google Alerts.

Go to http://www.google.com/alerts and if you have a google account, login. If you do not have a Google account, then signup here. Once you are logged in and on the alerts page, you will see a form where you can create alerts that looks like this:

In the "Search terms:" blank, just fill in the words, phrases, or an exact website URL that you want to search for. Effectively, Alerts do the same thing that happens when you go to the Google search page and type in a search. One big difference is that if you do daily or weekly alerts, it will only include NEW results since the last time. You decide if daily or weekly works better for you. Then choose the email address to deliver to and you are done. You will begin getting alerts.

Also, just as with regular web searches, make sure you qualify your search as needed. If you want to search the exact phrase Till death do us part, you must use "Till death do us part" to do an exact phrase search.

So now that you know how, why use Google alerts?

1) Google Alerts can show you who is linking to your website/blog. Why do you care? I hope you can come up with lots of reasons, but here are a few. The person who added a link to your site did you a huge favor! They are directing traffic from their site to your site. It is good Internet manners to go to their site and post a "thank you" comment and perhaps put a link to their site on your site, if it is appropriate.

You also care because the more links there are to your site, the more your site will be optimized in the search results from Google. That is just a free bonus which requires no extra effort on your part.

2) Google Alerts can show you where you should be marketing. You can setup alerts for search phrases that people might use who would be interested in your subject matter. For example, setup a daily alert for "teenage vampire fiction" if you have a YA vampire book. Then look at all the links that come to you in your email, and click on every link. If the page seems to have users that might be interested in your fiction, leave a comment on the page if you can and include a link to your website.

You just directly marketed to your target audience. If you do this on five links a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks in the year, it will result in 1,820 unique links to your site from locations on the Internet that are part of your target market!

Seems like an easy choice to me. Hope this helps propel you from Internet anonymity to cyber-stardom.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com

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New Google Voice

I am seriously geeking out about Google's new Voice service. I signed up to be part of the early testing period and after about an hour, I am hooked and amazed.

First of all, notice at the top of the right-hand column on my Blog homepage the new "Call Me" link with a phone icon. You can type in your name and phone number, Google Voice will call your phone, and when you answer you will be connected to my voicemail (or my phone if I had it set that way). You don't even have to dial the number!

I was able to choose a phone number in my area code and to search for a phone number with a word or series of letters that I would like to appear in my phone number. The Google Voice page does a search to see if a number with that word is available and if so, it appears on the screen. I tried "hugh" and "jhthomas" but finally I found that "thom" was available, so now I can use the phone number 205-677-THOMAS, which is really just THOM but it looks better with my whole last name. Pretty cool.

You get voice mail which can convert your received messages into text and email the text of the messages to the email address of your choosing. I tested this and it works surprisingly well. You can also make outgoing calls to anywhere in the continental US for free. That's right, FREE! You just initiate the call from the website, it calls your phone, and when you pick up it connects you to the other party with no long distance charges.

I can call my phone number from any phone to check messages, to call another phone number, check Google411, or change my settings.

I would recommend getting a Google Voice account as soon as you can even if you just use it like I plan to use it, for connecting with my blog readers, fellow writers, and future fans.

On the writing front, I have almost reached 10,000 words in my Novelette so I am getting there.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com

www.facebook.com/jhughthomas

Novel Writing Contest Due September 1st

If you have a novel ready to go, check out this contest.

http://www.anderbo.com/guidelines.html

The winning author retains all literary rights and receives a $300 honorarium upon publication.

How Story Time Can Develop Your Novel Writing Skills

Another day is coming to a close. The kids hug mom and jump in the bed ready for a night of happy dreams. After I tuck them in and kiss their heads, the familiar request spouts in unison from their mouths, "Story!" In my benevolent mood, I acquiesce to their request.

I have repeated this routine countless times. However, I have never repeated a story. Every night I make up a new story, from scratch, on the spot, as I go. Some have been engrossing and surprising, and others have fallen flat. The content is not what I want to focus on, but rather the process.

By committing to tell a story without a guideline or a starting point, I am using the "jump in and see where it leads" form of writing rather than the "outline, summarize, and then write" approach. It requires thinking quickly on your feet and using intuition and free-form creativity to get you from a beginning to an end in your story. It may seem like an innocent parental duty that people execute all around the globe, but it can be much more.

It can be a teaching ground for learning craft.

Perhaps you are strong in the outlining method of novel writing, but you struggle with bringing spontaneity to your story as you write. Telling improvised stories will stretch you to be creative, think outside the box, and not have time to worry that it does not make sense. Once you say it, you then have the obligation to make it work in the story and you will be surprised at the creative ways you make your twists and turns work.

Another good side-effect is the collection of story ideas that you produce. I have several ideas for books and short stories that have been birthed from story time with my two girls. One of them I think has real promise for a series. And there is no guarantee that I ever would have found the idea without the constraints of story time.

If you do not have kids, borrow some. I know most parents will be glad to loan them out for a while. Seriously, nieces and nephews or kids in your neighbors work just as well. Story time can happen any time of the day, not just at bed time. And if your subject matter is adult material, tell stories to your friends.

There are many ways to hone your craft that require reading, study, and intense focus. I think you deserve a break from all the hard work. Remember how to have fun with your stories, and continue learning about craft in the process.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas www.jhughthomas.com www.facebook.com/jhughthomas

Resources and writing update

Here are some links that I found interesting over the past week. Regarding my writing, I submitted a new article to ezinearticles.com and wrote a few paragraphs in my Novelette prequel to the main novel I am writing. This was a busy week with July 4th and my oldest daughter's 13th birthday, so I did not write much, but I am getting back on the horse.

A quick read to inspire you to get started on your novel.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4764267_write-novel-quickly.html

This is a funny and practical approach to finding an idea for your next story
http://goodexperience.com/2009/07/how-to-write-a-novel.php

A good article on 8 steps involved in writing your novel
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1901182/how_to_write_a_novel_in_8_simple_steps.html

Here is an encouraging question/answer for any young writers out there
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090705134726AAXjDur

Mighty Mur Lafferty talks about self-publishing
http://isbw.murlafferty.com/2009/07/01/revolutions-and-pitfalls/

Here's info on a Screenplay writing contest
http://screenwritingtips.com/the-rogue-knight-of-cinema-why-screenplay-contests-matter/

If you have some writing that is "contest ready" you have a couple of days to submit. This one is due July 15th.
http://writingcontests.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/grandmother-earth-xvi-national-writing-awards/

Here's a good article on setting your rates as a freelance writer.
http://copywriter.typepad.com/copywriter/2009/07/freelance-writing-3-tips-to-help-you-to-set-your-rates.html

The next time I blog I hope to have another chunk of the story written. Until then, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
www.facebook.com/jhughthomas

Choosing the Best Writing Tools

Although some writers still insist that their muse will vacate the premises unless they are writing on paper, that is not the case for most of us. We typically like the "type once" approach that a device provides. Today there are more choices than ever before. Here are a few that work for me.

Quickpad - The Quickpad is a small, keyboard sized device with a small four line LCD display window. It starts up very quickly, saves quickly, and shuts down quickly. That combined with long battery life and and light weight make this a great device for writing on the go. I have found this to be perfect for writing a first draft. The four line screen is not very helpful for editing.

Smartphone - That's right, I said smartphone. I would not recommend writing a novel on a phone-size device, but it is great for blogging, social networking, and even writing articles. Take advantage of those fifteen minutes you wait for the oil change or sit in a waiting room. I use a T-Mobile Shadow and have written more than fifty of my blog posts from the phone.

Netbook - The most popular computer devices on the market are also great for writers on the go. The small form-factor, light weight, and Wi-fi connectivity make them perfect for blogging, writing articles, social networking, and writing novel length fiction. I recommend a screen ten inches or larger, less for the screen size than for the larger keyboard which allows for comfortable typing.

Laptop/Desktop PC/MAC - Most writers today use a PC/MAC as their primary writing tool. It is my top choice for serious writing and my only choice for editing. Why mess with a good thing.

Word Processing - I still prefer MS Word over most of the competition, but I have used the free OpenOffice package and it did what I expected from a word processor. Google Docs has been my recent tool of choice which is helpful if you find yourself writing from different computers or internet enabled devices.

The bottom line is you have a lot of options. Choose wisely and you may even increase your writing productivity.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas

Valuable Writing Podcasts.

Every writer finds methods to continue learning about the craft and business of writing. There are blogs, ezines, books, and magazines just to name a few. I use most of these resources but today I want to focus on podcasts.

What do I learn from podcasts? I learn about the craft of writing from authors and writing professionals. I learn about how to market your work. I hear interviews with authors which teaches me what to expect when (hopefully) I am one day being interviewed. And I can learn all of this in the flexible form of audio from a podcast.

Either from your computer or on your MP3 player, you have the flexibility to listen when you have time, and even take care of other minor tasks while you listen. Here are a few of the podcasts I currently enjoy, and I welcome you to post any that you love in the comments.

A 24/7 Writer's online radio station that I recently discovered. You will find some great interviews with Author's.
http://www.writersfm.com/writersfm/

The greatest combination of humor and practical guidance I have ever heard.
http://www.writingexcuses.com/

Mur is a great example of building a career through podcasting.
http://murverse.com/category/projects/podcasts/i-should-be-writing/

Great interview show broadcast out of Irvine, CA with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett hosting.
http://penonfire.blogspot.com/

Valerie Connelly, a writer and publisher, hosts this interview and tips show.
http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors/

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

http://www.jhughthomas.com/
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Novel Writing Contests 2009

I have received some feedback on my Writing Contests post that most contests are for short fiction, not a full Novel length work. So in response, here is a post of what I could find for those who want to submit full Novels to writing contests, or at least submit from your completed novel. My list is short since most of the contests I found have already expired for 2009.


If you are aware of any more Novel contests, please post them with links in the comments for everyone to take advantage of.

ChristianWritersGuild:
If you write Christian Fiction and are a first time novelist, here is a chance to win $20,000 plus publication from the publishing house and author behind the Left Behind series, Jerry B. Jenkins and Tyndale House.
http://www.christianwritersguild.com/Contest.asp

Writing Room contest:
This contest is for work between 50,000 and 125,000 words. There are a range of prizes including cash prizes maxing out at $500 and including publication through PublishingRoom.com and some publicity. I would not consider this a traditional contest, but rather more of a "promoting our services" contests. You are required to publish your manuscript through PublishingRoom.com if you enter this contest (you can choose the free publishing option with no frills). Read the fine print before you make a decision on this one.
http://www.writingroom.com/Writing-Contest-Authors-Choice-2009.aspx


A Woman's Write:
Submit the first 75 pages of your novel in this contest to win a $500 prize along with publishing aids and a letter of recommendation.
http://www.awomanswrite.com/rules.html


NanoWrimo:
I know this requires you to write a new novel for the contest, but it is still a good contest with a high profile.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

3-Day Novel:
That's correct, 3 days. This is a great contest to help you focus on writing volume and ignoring your inner editor. You may find that after producing a lot with a little time, you have some good material in the middle.
http://www.3daynovel.com/


Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
www.facebook.com/jhughthomas

Summer Writing Contests for 2009

Here are some great writing opportunities over the summer. If you already have some stories written, or you plan to write over the summer, take advantage of writing contests to raise your profile and give you an advantage in the writing marketplace. If you have a specific type of writing that you want to submit, Google search for a contest that fits the type. Chances are there are one or more contests out there that fit the bill.


For Young Writers, K-12:

If you are a student who has what it takes, enter this contest to prove yourself to the rest of the world.
Due Date: July 31, 2009.
http://www.youngvoicesfoundation.org/writingcontests.html


For High school Seniors:

You can receive a $500 college scholarship for 500 word (or less) essay.
Due Date: August 28, 2009.
http://www.essaylady.com/scholarship_essay_contest.shtml


For All Writers:

Write the most gripping first paragraph of a story in one of the following genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Western, Ghost Story/Gothic. "...you could win a prize package from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts or a Walrus prize package, and have you work published at walrusmagazine.com!"
Due Date: July 31, 2009.
http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2009/05/29/enter-our-guilty-pleasures-writing-contest/


If you write middle-grade or young adult novels, you could win the ultimate prize, publication of your novel with Random House!
Due Date: June 30, 2009.
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/writingcontests/

Writer's Digest holds a recurring contest called Your Story. Based on a writing prompt, you write a 750 word short story and the possibility of being published in Writer's Digest.

Next Due Date: July 10, 2009.

http://www.writersdigest.com/yourstory

Other sites with writing contest lists:

Here is a listing of many writing contests courtesy of Barton County Poets and Writers.

http://bartoncountypoetsandwriters.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/spring-summer-writing-contest-deadlines/

Beware, most of these cost a fee to enter, but some of them are free to enter.

http://www.oncewritten.com/WritingContests.php


Sign-up for this feed and get ongoing updates on contests.
http://writingcontests.wordpress.com/


Ready to enter quickly? Here are contests with deadlines in June 2009.
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/thebusinessofwriting/a/JuneContests.htm


I realize I have barely scratched the surface of a comprehensive list, but I hope it helps. I wish you all the best of luck in your contest submissions.


On the writing front, after a week at the beach I have written just over five thousand words in my short story. I like the way it is coming together, and I hope to finish the first draft in the next few weeks.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

http://www.jhughthomas.com/
My Facebook Account

Changing Directions... Again.

For anyone following this blog, I have been slammed with work and it does not seem to be letting up. I will blog when I can, but it may not be weekly at this point.

Regarding my "Changing Directions" title, I am in fact shifting any time I do have into a short story. I know, I should focus in, finish the novel. But don't judge so quickly.

The reason I am writing a short story is there are current events that nicely tie into the ground work for my novel. The short story I am writing is actually a lead in to the beginning of my novel. Due to the current events tie in, I decided it makes more sense to try writing this story first, polish it, and get it on the blog/website/etc as quickly as possible.

In my mind, it has the potential for free advertising and/or Google Search hits on my story that people will stumble upon. Will it really help me? Who knows. I'll find out. And of course, as always, I will let you know if it is a success or failure.

In addition, I can submit this short story for publication. If I am able to get it published, it will be another boost to my book marketing and potentially a boost to getting my novel published.

Once it is done, I will post more about it here, including where you can go and download it. I may try my first Podcast with this story as well. We'll see about that one.

Until the next time I can squeeze out a few minutes, let's keep writing.

http://www.jhughthomas.com/

Resources

Sometimes, it is good to just look around on the Internet and learn what you can from others. That may even be how you found my blog. This week, I just want to list out some links that I found interesting or could relate to in some way. Hope they help you either emotionally or practically.

Another unpublished neophyte talking about writing.
http://undisciplinedoaf.blogspot.com/2009/04/so-youre-writing-novel.html?zx=711354ae21d39de

A nice set of writing insights from novelist Marilynne Robinson.
http://writingcompanion.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/writing-marilynne-robinson/

A young person struggles with the idea of writing a novel.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977666398&grpId=3659174697239359&nav=Groupspace

A blog entry about Print-on-demand.
http://writingright-martin.blogspot.com/2009/04/print-on-demand-publishing-when-does-it.html

An interview with Cindy Wilson.
http://adventures-in-creative-writing.blogspot.com/2009/04/changing-expectations-interview-with.html

What do you do after you finish the first draft? Here's a list.
http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2009/04/youve-written-novel-now-what.html

Learning the Craft: Writing a Novel
http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/04/26/learning-the-craft-writing-a-novel/

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
www.twitter.com/jhughthomas
http://profile.to/jhughthomas

How To Find The Novel In Your Story.

Your finished novel will have a story, hopefully a great story, with a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is a specific point in time within your story universe and so is the end. All the scenes within your novel often only represent a small portion of the time between the beginning and end. Usually you are just including the scenes that will give the reader the most engaging and exciting experience to keep them hooked and satisfied.


So as you brainstorm before you begin writing your novel, you have ideas for the world that your story will live in and some of the history of your main characters. As you get to a plot, you may have trouble deciding where your story should really begin. This is probably one of your most important choices.


Star Wars is the perfect example to study. The beginning of this classic story throws you right into the middle of a conflict that has been raging for quite a while. You find the characters in various stages of unrest, either because they are running from trouble or trying to cause trouble. The back story fills in as the story is told, but you don't have to wait to be engaged.


Why didn't George Lucas chose to begin at the inception of the rebellion, and show how the whole thing started? Because that was not the plot story or the character story that he wanted to tell. Of course years later we finally saw in Episode III how the empire and the rebellion came about, and it was also a great story. The key is he chose the specific story out of the story universe to tell in each episode.


It may be more important to carefully choose the story in epic adventures, but I think it applies to all fiction. The key may be to just choose the combination of plot and character progression that is most interesting, usually at a point of great change.


Think about your own life. The majority is just business as usual, but maybe you had a big family tragedy that turned everything upside down, or you met "the one" and had a whirlwind romance leading to a proposal. I think you get the point.


Endings are just as important as the beginning. If you end too early in the story, the reader may feel unfulfilled. End too late in the story and the reader is bored on the last page, which is not good. Find that sweet spot where you wrap up the plot points and the emotional promises that you made throughout the middle of the story.


I know this is just an overview, but I hope it helps you identify the right part of your story to tell. Search hard enough and you just might find a gem.


J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com/ to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas



http://www.jhughthomas.com/

Sometimes life just sucks... and writing brings some relief.

I will apologize up front for my attitude today. Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try, sometimes the deck is just stacked against you? If so, you know how I feel right now. Like a salmon swimming up-stream.

And I know the drill. There are children starving in other countries, disease ripping through villages, and totalitarian governments oppressing their populations. All true. One problem. I am talking about feelings, not logic. I wonder sometimes if I am the only one, and in those moments feel completely alone.

I warned you, I'm wallowing.

To top it off, I have not found time for writing lately due to stresses at work combined with a general sense of depression about the state of... things. I'll leave it at that because this is not a political or economic blog.

As I type, I wonder if there is a way out. A path to relief. Well after writing this paragraph, I changed the title to this blog entry because I had an epiphany. In the process of writing the words above, I am beginning to feel a little bit better.

It may be a little cliche, but I don't mind as long as it is true. Expressing your feelings is a big part of healing. Granted most people aren't foolish enough to post their feelings, I mean real feelings, for the world to read on a blog, but I feel like I owe it to anyone out there feeling the same thing.

So if you feel lost in the desert, you are not alone. If you feel overwhelmed by life and the world, you are not alone. If you are struggling in writing your great work of fiction due to lack of time or depression, you are not alone.

You are not alone.

I will not give up, though I am discouraged. I will not stop, though I wish to rest. I will not shut out the world, though I wish to close my eyes.

If you are where I am, I hope you will join me in fighting the urge to give in and give up. You don't have to post it on a blog, but you need to get it out... get it down on paper. Good thing we are writers.

Feel free to comment here, write in your own blog, write in a journal, or write a story that channels your feelings. However you do it, get it down on "the page."

If you read here to the end, thank you for enduring. I hope to be in a better place next time, but I make no promises... except that I'll try.

Until then, lets keep on writing (even if it's therapy).

www.jhughthomas.com

What to Do When You Think Your Writing Stinks

Based on the title, you would think that I am experienced at feeling inadequate. But of course I'm not... really, no really. I have loads of confidence. Just back off, OK?

Seriously, sometimes (or even often) feeling like you are a lousy writer and you have no right to cut down the trees necessary to print out your draft is a normal part of being a writer. In fact it is probably just proof that you are a writer. I know this happens to me all too often, including this last week.

I was chugging along, finishing another chapter, and then I took a few minutes to read back over the last chapter. Big mistake! The structure was fractured, the backdrop was almost invisible, and the dialogue seemed forced and too much like an information dump.

In short, my writing stunk. I admit it. And from what I hear that is the first step to recovery.

After allowing a brief period of mourning and self-loathing, I stopped myself from wallowing in despair. Let's face it, as writers we often can be quite overly dramatic. Time for a reality break.

Every writer stinks sometimes, especially in a first draft. In fact I would argue that the more often you write, the more often you will stink. It follows the principle that the most successful people are also the biggest failures, because it is just a factor of the number of times you try.

So do not give up!

Rally, charge, and brazenly spill out those words that may never see the light of day again in the same form. Try to stop those doubting thoughts. You will revise. The writing will get better, much better. You can do it! Time is your ally. Dedication is your tool of success.

As a practical matter, read religiously on the subject of writing. If you do not have any books on the craft of writing, set aside a shelf for writing books and start buying and reading them. I am a mere amateur, but I have learned volumes about the craft of plotting, dialogue, character, and so on from the wisdom of other writers. And do not wait until you finish your first novel or your latest project. Make a commitment to read a book on the craft every month. Believe me, it will improve your writing.

I should note that I think it is important to read a variety of different perspectives of writing because a single writing book that you treat as the bible for writing can become a crutch and make your writing stiff, static, or even repetitive. The goal is to learn the craft, not some magic formula to writing a best seller. In my opinion, the best seller is up to you and your imagination, tamed by the strictures and proven techniques of other great writers.

In summary, never let a few pages or chapters of stinky writing stop you from your goals. If it was easy everyone would do it and succeed. Press forward, remember it can be fixed later, and remain confident. After a few weeks or months of work, you may find you have developed a sweet smelling rose.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas

Write Even When You Are Not Writing

The other day I was driving home from work, day-dreaming about the story for the novel I am currently writing. As I thought about it, new ideas began to bubble up from somewhere inside me. I knew it was good, and I knew it would enhance the book so when I got home, I quickly found some paper and wrote it all out so I would not loose the essence of what I pictured.

I know this happens to all writers, especially while they are in the middle of a project. What I'm not sure of is how much priority is placed on this time, thinking about your work while you are not at the keyboard.

We all have read that some of your best work can come from your mind solving problems and generating ideas while you sleep. But do we feed our mind before bed? Perhaps reviewing a trouble area or just re-reading your last few pages of writing before bed might prove a helpful ally in your writing the next morning.

And of all that dead time in the car, at the doctors office, at the Jiffy Lube, how much time is spent listening to the radio or flipping through magazines adorned with Angelina Jolie's lips that could be spent expanding or deepening your story. These times are opportunities to wear your creative hat while not generating words and paragraphs, but rather finding or expanding the big picture.

You may find a love story that deepens or a plot line that has additional back story bringing new richness to the texture of the work. We have only a limited amount of time each day, each year, and in a lifetime. In our busy society, it is more important than ever to make time for reflection and to let you mind wander.

The thing is we know how to do this because it is usually how we develop a good idea for a novel in the first place. Just choose to not stop while you are in the crunch of writing the novel.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas

www.jhughthomas.com
www.twitter.com/jhughthomas
Facebook Profile

Resources

Hope you are having a good writing week. Here are a few resources to help you through the weekend.

http://www.bookwhirl.com/

http://oldenoughnovel.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-pub-based-research.html

http://the-new-author.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-blog-your-way-to-more-readers-and.html

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/christinerose/2009/04/01/On-the-Road-to-a-Bestseller-Making-a-Living-as-a-Writer


More to come on Sunday. Until then, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
www.twitter.com/jhughthomas
Facebook Profile

How to Start Marketing Yourself While You Write Your First Novel

We all have those dreams of great accomplishments from time to time. Of climbing Mount Everest, skydiving, or writing the great American novel. Maybe that is you, the writer who is ready to break out. Or maybe you just want to give it a shot. Regardless of the setup, you are reading this article because you are either writing a novel or you want to write a novel. I understand you because I am you. I am on the journey of writing my first novel and hope to finish my first draft soon. However, the pages I have written in my novel only account for a portion of my writing over the last year.

It is just as important to study the current methods, techniques, and technology of marketing novels as it is to write your novel. Why? Because once you are published (think positive), your publisher is not the primary push behind marketing your novel or you as an author. You will be the primary marketing department for all of your creative work. This is a shock to many writers once they become published authors, and probably results in many one time novelists who sell five hundred copies and fade away.

But knowledge is power, and now you know.

So what do you do about it? Read and learn. There are literally hundreds of free online information sources dedicated to online marketing and the more narrow discipline of marketing fiction, both online and through other mediums. I will just lay out a few of the things I did for starters as a baseline.

1) Choose your author name
I know, sounds silly. But if you try Googling your name, you may quickly find that it is very serious. Most people have at least three names, first, middle, and last. You want to find the combination of those names and/or initials least represented in a web search. This will allow people to find articles and websites about you with much less competition from others. For example, I searched for Hugh Thomas and found a well known historical writer by that name listed for pages on end. Then I searched for "J Hugh Thomas" and found no writing competition. Therefore, as a writer I am always J Hugh Thomas.

2) Buy your domain name
It is cheap and in today's world, it is pretty much expected. This also factors into your decision on your author name, because ideally you want to choose that name as your domain, in my case jhughthomas. It is best to get the .com domain, but if it is not available you can always go with something like .net or .info instead. Buy the domain from a company that will allow you to put up a simple website without a hosting fee. This means that for less than $10 per year, you can have a searchable presence on the web with some basic information about you and your novel.

3) Start a blog
In the past you could write a great novel and either academics or media figures would fall in love with it causing old style viral marketing. Today, users are coming to expect a new level of access and interaction with the producers of fiction. This combined with the fact that blogs are probably the single best way to develop a web presence makes your blog critical. My recommendation is to blog about writing your novel, or blog about parts of your novel. The reason is to keep you from being overwhelmed going in too many directions at once. Just write about what you are learning and doing. And post regularly. The best way to lose followers is to post sporadically. Once a week is usually a good schedule. Many free blogging sites exist but I use blogger.com.

4) Feedburn your blog
Now we are getting into some real marketing. By using feedburner.com, you are optimizing your blog to be delivered through RSS feeds to whatever platform the user chooses. In addition, you can give users the option of subscribing to your blog by email. You can setup feedburner to ping Google every time you post a new entry causing it to be instantly indexed for search. There are more features than I can cover here, but I think you can see that this step will go a long way to making you very searchable on the internet. Remember, every skill you learn now will be applied in new ways once your novel is complete. This is a time of education with some side benefits.

5) Blog or podcast some free fiction
I have not reached this stage yet, but I think it is the next logical step. When you are trying to sell a $10-$15 soft cover or a $25-$30 hard cover book, why will a reader choose your novel? Once you are established you have your brand name, like Stephen King or James Patterson, and the brand is what attracts the buyer. The reader does not see a Stephen King book as being a big risk. You do not have that luxury. If you are willing to write some great fiction and give it away, you have a bigger chance of developing readers who will buy your books. The key here is "great fiction," not just your leftover ideas. Spend as much time, if not more, writing multiple drafts and editing your free fiction as you do with your novel. This is your first impression so dazzle your readers so they will come back for more.

This only scratches the surface of all the ways you can market yourself while writing your novel. I hope that these ideas will help you as you complete your novel, get published, and market like crazy to drive up sales.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas

On getting published.

A few weeks ago, Ian left the following comment:
"I know it's very easy to write a novel, but very hard to get one published. The ratio of novels written to those published is 200:1. Writing a novel is like buying a lottery ticket."

As an unpublished writer myself, I would like to address this concern for Ian and other writers who are aspiring authors. I'll take it point by point.

1) "I know it's very easy to write a novel" OK, this is true but deceiving in my opinion. Can writing a novel be fairly easy? True. Is writing a novel that is worthy of being published by a major publishing house easy? False. It isn't about writing a novel, but rewriting and more rewriting and polishing and then more rewriting. To edit a novel into a refined work, ready to publish, is a very difficult task that requires discipline, acquired knowledge of reader expectations, some technical writing knowledge, thick skin, and a touch of business savvy.

2) "but very hard to get one published" I think everyone would agree it is difficult to get published. However, from what I'm hearing (word on the virtual street), the economic downturn could be a good thing for first time authors. Why? Because new author's don't get a big advance like established author's do. That makes it a cheaper investment, and editors are expected to turn out a certain amount of production in a publishing house just like any product manager in a business.

3) "ratio of novels written to those published is 200:1" Take heart.
First, realize that many of those who write a novel never send a proper query letter to one let alone fifty publishing houses. Many never take the time to learn the business side of how to get published. If you educate yourself, you have dramatically improved your odds.
Secondly, the odds are questionable. In this article from The Internet Review of Science Fiction, you can see much better odds projected as listed below:

Short Fiction 40:1
Novels 60:1

Then the Writing Smart blog posts that "On the average, 98-99% of submissions to both publishers and literary agents get rejected, especially if you've never been published before."

I think that you have to be reasonable and determined in equal measure. Know what you are facing but do not be deterred by rejections and negative remarks. Persistence, education, and revision are the tools of a writer turned author. I intend to do all that I can to be published one day.

4) "Writing a novel is like buying a lottery ticket" This is only true if you plan on getting rich by writing a novel. If this is your plan, I have a bridge to sell you. The truth is, very few (and I do mean VERY few) authors become wealthy from their writing. Most author's who write full-time are doing well just to pay the bills and live a modest lifestyle. If your goal is money, I would choose a different profession. If you love to write and want to do so regardless of the dollars that follow, you are in the right place. In fact, you are more likely to succeed because you are writing from a point of passion, not profit.

Anyway, that's just my two cents worth. To Ian and all those who question their own odds, I hope it helps. I do not mean to tear down Ian's statements, but rather to encourage you all that it is not that bleak. Apply yourself with all of your efforts and abilities, and enjoy whatever level of accomplishment that results. You may surprise yourself.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
www.twitter.com/jhughthomas
Facebook Profile

Have questions? Have feedback? Contact me.

If you have any questions or comments about the blog or fiction writing, please feel free to contact me. Not that I'm a fountain of knowledge, but I have learned a thing or two over the last year, and I'm willing to research for answers to questions that I'm not familiar with.

Here are three ways you can contact me.

1) Leave a comment on the blog.
2) Email me at jhughthomas@hotmail.com
3) Leave me a voicemail at 1-630-559-7412

I'll do my best to address anything you are curious about.

Until next time, keep on writing.

Finally writing the novel again.

I started to doubt if I would ever get back into my novel, but I did it. I know I talked before about how to get started after a break. Now I'll tell you what worked for me.

The re-read of the novel was the first step and there was no avoiding it. After getting back into the flow of the story, I reviewed my notes and the outline. I ran into a problem.

The story and characters had been through some revision and expansion in the back of my mind over the months that I took off from writing the novel. Therefore the outline was not completely relevant anymore.

There were two main approaches that I could think of: 1) revise the outline, or 2) start writing based on what I saw coming next.

I chose to start writing.

Five chapters later, I am back in the flow of writing and moving toward the end of my novel. The basic story has not changed much, but the path to the ending has morphed some. I'm finding a more character centered element to the story that I knew was there, but had gotten lost as I worked on the complex plot elements.

I feel that by stopping and starting again, I was able to rediscover some of the original themes introduced in the early part of the story. Regarding my choice of starting to write over re-working the outline, it boiled down to one thing. I felt that my creative juices were flowing again. I sensed that if I started writing, even if I had to throw some of it out that ultimately I would find some new and interesting parts of my story. I think I was right in my case.

One thing I said before I still believe. You need to believe in yourself and not get discouraged before you get started. Have faith that once you get to writing again, it will be good. Even if it starts slow, you will get there. Believe in yourself, and your hard work will do the rest.

I hope that my success will help someone out there who is in the same position to have my level of success. Get back in that writing chair and show the word processor who's boss.

Until next time, lets keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
http://twitter.com/jhughthomas
My Facebook Account

How many writing blogs are there?

A whole bunch!

Today is the day of links to other blogs. Let it be written, let it be done. Hope you enjoy.

Setting short term goals.
http://writeforyourlife.net/writing-goals-2-short-term-targets-long-term-goals

A writing blog for twenty-something writers.
http://classyinphilly.blogspot.com/2009/03/writing-blog-takes-off.html

Tips for starting writers.
http://www.3news4you.com/5286/writing-tips-for-novice-authors/

Positivity week? Read and you will understand.
http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/03/introducing-positivity-week.html

Create your fantasy book cover.
http://100scopenotes.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/create-your-debut-fantasy-novel/

Writing realities.
http://sandraseamans.blogspot.com/2009/02/writing-realities.html

Bottom line, there are tons of blogs with good information and inspiration for writers.

Take advantage of them.

Until next time, lets keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com

What do you want to know about writing a novel?

I try to blog about what I'm dealing with at the time, but I would like to ask if you have any questions about writing a novel. Feel free to email me at jhughthomas@hotmail.com or you can leave a comment on this blog entry.

I may not have a good answer off the top of my head, but I will research any questions I receive so I can learn something new in the process.