Jot is ONE day away! The Weaklings are excited. The presenters are as well. I hope you are giddy with excitement too. Where else can you rub shoulders with other writers, drink copious amounts of great coffee in an amazing bookstore, and get spectacular advice from publishing professionals all for FREE?!?! (There should be about a billion more exclamation points).
Christy Award winning author Tracy Groot is our keynote speaker for this installment of Jot. The Weaklings are thrilled that she agreed to join us. She wants to share on the topic of pop lit, but more than that, she wants to have a discussion and throw around ideas on what makes a great pop-lit book. I hope you come ready to join in the discussion. Below, I’ve asked her a few questions to help Jot attendees get to know her a little better.
Jot
the GR Writers Mini-Conference is THIS Friday. Have you called that writer friend you know to invite them? You’ve got a sitter for the kids, right? You’ve remembered to request the night off of work? Good. Well done. It is going to be amazing.
Since we’re talking about amazing, Chad Allen, Editorial Director at Baker Books, is speaking at Jot. He’s here to encourage us as we chase our writing dreams.
Chad’s topic in a nutshell:
You Can Do This: An Editor’s Manifesto: How to Stay Motivated and Keep Moving toward Publication
The road to getting published can be tough. How can you improve your writing, build your platform, hold down a day job, and still have a life? What practices can writers use to find their voice and produce their best work? In this presentation editor Chad R. Allen shares strategies to help writers be successful over the long…
Friends, with each passing minute we are getting close to Jot!
The latest installment of the free West Michigan Writers conference has a tremendous line up. If you are not in the state or on this side of the globe, we’ll be doing a live broadcast as well. I’ll post a link when it is available.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word “jot” stems from the Latin “jota” which is a derivation of the Greek “iota”, the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet. Thus, a jot is one of the smallest things you can write. And it has taken this meaning as both noun (the smallest letter) and verb (to write a small amount).
Jot is also the name that my writer’s group settled on when we came up with our free, one-night writer’s conference concept. As busy guys with full-time jobs and families, we don’t always have the time or money to attend big writers’ conferences, awesome though they be. So we decided to start one of our own targeting the needs of people like us.
So the Jot Conference, or mini-conference if you prefer, is one night only. It is free to attend. And it offers quality sessions on a variety…
Being a parent is like being a Navy Seal. You get little sleep. You are called at any moment, day or night. Though exhausted and pushed to the limits of human endurance, you somehow make it through. Then comes the next day.
Having the dream of publication and the responsibility of raising children can be like spitting in the wind at times. Your days are filled with the greatest joys and most difficult challenges. I’ve tried to write at night and in the morning only to be thwarted by the cutest little girls and happiest little boy in the world.
Many times I’ve rose early, take a sip of my black coffee, smile and sat down at the computer then – “Daddy! I woke up!” calls my 2 year old Clara. Then her sister June gets up and the fun begins.
I love writing, but I gladly set it aside any time I can for my children.
How do I get anything done? I take one night a week to write to go and write for a few hours with my writers group, after the kids are down. Also, I usually have some time before work or before I got to bed a few days each week. I believe it was Madeleine L’Engle who talked about writing in the cracks of life. As parents who write, we do what we can and keep going, building the habit now, rather than waiting for the time when we’re on a more consistent schedule.
Writing with kids is never easy. But parenting is my first love. Besides, I get to see the world through their eyes and am inspired to be a better person, and better parent. I want to try harder at things, to be a good example, to be disciplined and soft, loving, and kind. Living life is the best way to find inspiration for my work. There is no better way to live life than to share it with those we love.
Get ready West Michigan. Jot 3 the GR mini writers conference is next week March 14th!
We have reached out to each presenter for an interview to help the audience get to know them better before the conference. Even if you are not in West Michigan, or on this side of the world, I wanted to include the information here on my blog.
One of the best books I’ve read on writing is Stephen King’s book On Writing. It is one part memoir one part book on writing. He is a master story teller, obviously, but there was one thing I read that was like a punch to the gut: writers are born, not made.
When I first read it, I thought I’d read it wrong. I reread it. Nope, it was still there. Writers are born, and can be refined to be better storytellers. Some people just do not have the gift. However, if you don’t have the talent to act as a foundation, then you simply will never be a writer. It’s like being forever tone deaf to the beat and rhythm of storytelling.
I don’t believe this for one bit. But it is powerful when one of the better fiction writers of our generation tells everyone reading their book (I assume these are mostly writers) that they must be good enough first, otherwise they will never be a published author. I am thankful I was not going through a vulnerable period in my writing life where this could have derailed me. What if I was struggling with this thought and this comment was enough to push me over the edge and cause me to quit?
I am a firm believe that to be a published writer, you must work hard. You must get up at 5am at times and stay up until 3am and then get up and go to work in the morning. You must read books on writing, go to conferences, learn learn learn, and make it a part of who you are in your everyday life.
If you find yourself on the fence about continuing your novel, consider this: Do you like the idea of being a writer, or daydream about landing that mega contract? Or is writing enough? If it’s all about the money, I suggest getting a second job. If writing is enough, I challenge you to go and get to work.
Last year, I trained for a 5K. When I started to run a few months beforehand I realized, yikes, I’m way out of shape! But after huffing out a mile run for a few weeks I was able to stretch it to three miles. The race was a fun experience and I look forward to doing it again this year.
Fostering a creative mindset is just like this. It can become a habit, but you don’t put canvas on an easel and paint a masterpiece rivaling the classics, and you don’t sit down and write a book it comes in words, sentences, and pages. It takes time and momentum. Here are a few practical ways to fill your creative well so when you are ready to take on a creative pursuit you don’t begin empty.
These are five ways that help me foster creativity. Because of how busy my life is, a lot of these surround the idea of peace. I’d love to hear how you recharge in the comments section below.
Go on a walk. This can be during your lunch break, when your spouse gets home from work if you stay at home, any time. We all need time to think and being out in creation, even on a dark snowy Michigan winter night, can fill your creative well.
Time alone to think. This may seem odd but I’ve felt rich and full at 6am when all is dark and quiet and I have a cup of coffee in my hand just looking out into our yard for ten minutes.
Organize an area of chaos in your home. This may seem counterproductive because it would steal time away from the creative pursuit, but it is all about momentum. The satisfaction of finishing a project will result in a clearer and more focused mind.
Go into the city or country. Here in Grand Rapids, 10 minutes will bring you to the downtown of a bustling city, 10 more minutes will put you out into the country. I love the feel of a small big city. If you live in the city, venture to a park. If you live in the country, head downtown. Pulling yourself out of your normal way of life will help open up your mind.
Share a meal with friends. I love sitting around a table and sharing a meal. There is something beautiful about this that unites people. No matter if it’s Mountain Dew and pizza or a gourmet meal, everyone enjoys some free food and conversation with those they love.
Whatever you do this weekend take time to be you, creative. Find a small sliver of peace and drink deeply. Then, use that peace to produce something.
I’ve read it everywhere. Being an author is different now than it was ten to twenty years ago. I don’t mean that there are technological advancements like the smart phone and that interweb thingy. What I mean is, you don’t write a novel, send it in, and then wait for the royalties. Writing is a job, a venture for the serious, hard worker. If you are immersed in the writing world, you already know this. But, if you are trying to grow from a budding pre-published author to a hardened professional, how do you get there?
Would you let me do an author talk at your store? Please?
I work in the world of business. Some might think it greasy, but there are things I really enjoy about it. The company I work for is an ESOP company, an employee owned company. We are also in the industry of wage reporting which is changing from paper to electronic reporting and remaining relevant is of vital importance if we all want to keep our jobs and retirement accounts. What is nice about this sort of business environment is that there is a lot of input and exploring of methods and trends coupled with a yearning to always be advancing forward. Each employee depends on the other to pull their weight, because the money earned each day does not go into an owners’ coffer but an employees’. There is a spirit of entrepreneurship, which transcends all we do.
As an author, I think it is wise if we maintain the same spirit. We must understand how people are purchasing books.
What are the emerging writing markets/publishers/genres right now?
Is self-publishing a wise decision at this time or is the traditional route a better fit?
If we are to self-published we must certainly investing in professional editing and cover layout, but where do you go to get that information?
And how much should we spend on it?
How about hybrid publishing, doing a small press print contract and then taking on some self publishing gigs?
How do readers hear about new books in your genre, is it goodreads? Promotional Tweeting companies?
These are all valid questions that we should be seeking answers to. They might seem more relevant to a self-pubishing writer, after all the publishing house will take care of all of these things right? Wrong. You need to market your book just as much as they are. What if you reach out to the wrong publishing house or miss a cultural shift in the general public’s reading taste buds, will you ever sell the book you are writing?
There are a lot of mistakes to be made and a lot of avenues to consider when you want to make writing a career. Social media is certainly a huge part of it, but also keeping up with these trends as well. It would be awful to discover the content of your novel was popular a decade ago or that a lot of new books are discovered on a social media platform other than the one you are using.
I do my best to dig into these things myself. I want to be an educated writer so when the time comes I can make the best decision for my work. You are writing a book, but you are also launching a small business.
How about you? Have you discovered great websites or magazines or classes to help you in your writing? Let the readers know in the comments below.
My first book was horrible. No, worse than that. It wasn’t even a book. It was a bunch of words cobbled together and then tossed in a blender. I thought it was interesting and well written at the time (if I showed it to anyone of you reading this I’m sorry. I’m sure it was painful). I remember a few sentences I wrote, “The horse beside him trudged slowly onward beside him.” And also, “after walking through the forest for an hour, they can to a large forest.”
Look! Another forest!
Ouch.
First drafts are terrible. I thought what I wrote was good at the time (roughly 10 years ago). Really good. I think I even had delusional thoughts of being a professional someday.
It did not take long for me to come back to earth. I reread it after setting it aside for a few months and realized how poor the writing was. I did not roll up into a ball and cry, however, I was proud. Proud, you ask? I was proud because it was done. I’d written a book! And every new draft I’ve written since has been better. Better planning and grammar. Better mechanics and literary tools to create something more beautiful. It is more than that though. Each word put on the page is a march along the path to publication. At times this path might lead me further away from my goal, but I am on a road. Occasionally, I find a short cut.
I write this post to those who fear of doing it wrong. It may be something you’ve heard a thousand times here and possibly with a writer friend or two but excellent planning without any actual writing is useless. It’s like planning and saving for a trip but when the time comes, you report to work.
As a writer, my goal is to tell a story. I want to finish one and do the best I can, but writers must learn by reading a lot and writing every day. Don’t believe me? Head over to Kristen Lamb’s Blog, she’s a professional. Yesterday’s post was about balancing writing and life. It is worth your time.
I hope you find courage and tenacity today my friends. Courage to move forward into the unknown of another page and tenacity to get up and do it again tomorrow.
Jot is ONE day away! The Weaklings are excited. The presenters are as well. I hope you are giddy with excitement too. Where else can you rub shoulders with other writers, drink copious amounts of great coffee in an amazing bookstore, and get spectacular advice from publishing professionals all for FREE?!?! (There should be about a billion more exclamation points).
PART-TIME NOVEL 