Diana Scimone

90 Days to Go

So how's that book coming?  You know, the one you promised yourself way back on January 1that you'd write in 2008?

No guilt, no pressure, but just to let you know, you've got about 90 days to get started. You don't have to finish your book in 2008, but wouldn't you like to start it?  Here's a painless way to begin--two don'ts and one do:

Don't just sit down and begin writing chapter 1.  

That's the surest way to never finish.  How can you write your book when you don't know what to say--or how you're going to say it?  You may be bubbling over with info, but please do not just sit down and start writing.  Trust me on this.

Do brainstorm. 

Grab a piece of paper or a blank document on your computer--and start brainstorming.  Make a list of everything you'd like to cover in your book. Every thought, every quote, every example, every topic. Make it as long as you like.  Spend a couple of weeks on it.

Don't edit your list.  

Don't hit the delete button or erase a thing.  You're just brainstorming and you have to allow your brain the liberty to think without restraints.  There will be plenty of time to edit your list later.

If you can do that one step, you'll be on your way to writing your book.  Meanwhile, if you need help, direction, and focus, I have two tools for you:

1. How to Write a Book
2. Personalized one-on-one writer's coaching

So what's kept you from writing your book?  Share it with the rest of us.  The more we can understand the blocks to writing, the more we can overcome them.  Just click "comments" below (or go to my blog site and click on "comments" at the end of this post). Let the rest of us know the writer's blocks you face--and how you overcome them.

 

The Writer's Workshop: 2 Sources and a Tip

I know, I know, this blog certainly has an odd mix of subjects--a post here about writing, a post there about child trafficking.  What can I tell you?  That's me: I'm a writer, writer's coach, children's book author, travel writer, and founder of a non-profit that works to stop child trafficking.  You get it all right here.

Today I have on my writing hat.  I want to recommend 2 great sources and 1 I'll-never-do-that-again tip.

Source #1:  www.highlightsfoundation.org.  Lots of great stuff for children's authors, and an every-so-often email tip.  (Today's tip:  "In a successful story (read 'marketable'), your protagonist must 'own' both the problem and the resolution.")  Click here to receive email tips.

Source #2:  www.copyblogger.com.  This just won best blog for writers (3rd year in a row).  41,000 writers subscribe to the posts--and you can, too.  Just look for the box on the upper-left corner of the home page.

My avoid-at-all-costs tip: If you write a blog, do not (repeat: do not) copy and paste text from Word.  I knew this, but did it anyway, and for a while I got away with it.  But then one day...oh the problems.  Pasting non-HTML text into an HTML environment can cause problems you don't even want to know about.  It messed up all the fonts on all my previous posts. I finally fixed them all...and will never do that again! 

Remember, if you need a writer's coach, I'm here to help you get that book out of you and on to paper.  Just fill out the contact form here and I'll send you info.

Happy writing!

Shalom!

I love to travel...and I love to write about traveling.  Here's my just-published article about visiting Israel.  It comes out in next month's issue of Charisma magazine, and is already up on their site. 

I had fun researching it--going to Israel and then interviewing (or e-interviewing) people all over the world about their own trips.  (Can you believe I actually found someone in China who'd just returned from Jerusalem?)

This is the 3rd piece I've written on Israel.  The others are here and here.

Enjoy...and shalom!

How to Write a Book

If I had a dime for everyone who's told me they want to write a book, I'd be a rich woman. 

I can't tell you how many people over the years have said they've always dreamed of writing a book--yet don't know how to do it or where to begin.

That's why I wrote a practical and information-packed e-book called How to Write a Book.  I made it motivating and encouraging, and filled it with useful information to help you write the book that's inside you. 

In 7 practical steps, it sets out a do-able plan to help you:

• Move your book from dream to reality.
• Overcome the pitfalls every writer faces.
• Organize your thoughts and research.
• Plan what to include in your book (and what to leave out).
• Fit book-writing into your already busy schedule.
• Keep yourself motivated and moving forward. 

That's a lot of information for the cost of a few visits to Starbucks--just $14.95. 

If you're ready to learn how to write the book that's inside you, just click here to order.  You can pay by credit card or PayPal, and in about 5 minutes How to Write a Book will be in your in-box--and you'll be on your way to writing the book you’ve always dreamed of writing.

I can't wait to read what you write.

The Writer's Workshop: Another Book Trend

Yesterday I mentioned one of the trends I saw at the annual ICRS show was an increase in the number of fiction books.

Here's another trend: more self-published books than ever before. One of the largest booths was a publisher I had never heard of--WinePress.  They do "custom" publishing as well as print on demand; I'm not sure what the difference is, but you can check the various packages on their website.  WinePress had 4 book signings going on at once.  The covers were very nice and the print quality was excellent. 

There are plenty of other POD publishers in both the Christian and secular market.  Just Google "print on demand" and you'll see what I mean.

If you're considering a POD publisher, always ask for samples of their work and references from other authors they've worked with.  Read Writer Beware on SFWA's website; their warnings tend to be a little negative, but they're good to read so that you consider the advantages and disadvantages of POD.  The site also includes links to more articles and resources.

If you missed yesterday's post, click here for two great resources to help you find an agent when you're ready for that step.

Happy writing.  I can't wait to read your book.

Books, Books, and More Books

Yesterday I joined about 13,500 other people at the annual International Christian Retailing Show (formerly known as Christian Booksellers Association) in Orlando, Florida.  There were three highlights--only one of which had to do with books:

1.  I attended a book signing for my brother-in-law, John Stanko, who just published his 9th book, The Faith Files.  (You'll soon be able to download the e-book version on John's website.  In the meantime, take the free assessment on the site to find out your PQ--Purpose Assessment.)

 

 

 

   

   

2.  I met Ben Stein, whose documentary Expelled premiered earlier this year and is about to come out on DVD.  (He was signing posters for the film.) (No, he wasn't wearing his signature schoolboy shorts.)

Expelled exposed the prejudice against scientists who reject Darwinian thinking.  It took in almost $8 million at the box office earlier this year, making it the 12th most successful documentary of all time.

 

3.  I met Roy and Melanie Fields and Lindell Cooley.  Roy leads worship at the Florida Outpouring, the 4-day event that is now in its 105th day with no end in sight; I've gone to the meetings many times and loved them all.  Lindell led worship for years at the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida.  Here we are all acting goofy:

One trend I noticed at ICRS this year was the huge amount of fiction books.  So if you're writing a novel, this is your year. 

And if you've finished your novel, here are two great resources to help you find an agent: Query Tracker and Agent Query.  Who knows, maybe your book will be at ICRS next year and you'll be doing a book signing. 

The Writer's Workshop: Got Books?

Here's an interesting trend in book publishing:

Last year the production of traditional books rose only 1%, but the output of print-on-demand (POD) and other non-traditional books soared--from 21,936 in 2006 to 134,773 in 2007!

You can read the full R.R. Bowker report here.  There's more in Publisher's Weekly and The Book Marketing Expert newsletter.

This is good news for not-yet-noticed authors who haven't been able to interest a traditional publisher in their books.  Self publishing is getting easier and cheaper year by year.

Remember, you can't publish what you haven't written.  If you need help writing your book, I offer personalized writer's coaching anywhere in the world. I'll even pay for the call--via phone or Skype.

There's a book inside you and if you need someone to help you pull it out and get it on paper, a personalized coaching session can do wonders. 

Want more info?  It's here or email me at coaching@peapodpublishing.com.

And You're Not Working on Your Book Because....?

When I read about the 5 men who co-authored a new book, Lost Innocence, I knew the rest of us have no excuse for not writing our own books. 

The authors are convicted murderers serving time in prison.  They decided to band together to write a book that could help young people avoid the same mistakes they made. 

After they wrote it, they pooled their own money with help from their families to pay for an initial printing of 200 books, which they want to donate to schools, libraries, and juvenile facilities. 

You can read more here.

Now, about those excuses you've been giving for not working on your book...

The Writer's Workshop: The Greatest Fear

If you're writing a book, you already know what your greatest fear is: "I'll never finish this book!"

If your book is a novel, you need to identify your hero's greatest fear, too.  That's one of three elements that will help you weave a can't-put-it-down plot.  (For the other two, see here and here.)

What makes your hero panic?  What keeps him or her up at night?  Is she afraid of rejection?  Does he fear failure?  Heights?  Dying?  The family farm?  Her father, mother, or older brother? 

Perhaps it's ridicule, control, or drowning.  Maybe it's spiders, sharks, or snakes (think of Arachnophobia, Jaws, and Indiana Jones--although in Indy's case, snakes are more of a recurring gag; his greatest fear is probably boredom!). 

Your hero's greatest fear keeps the story moving because it's one of the elements that he or she must confront and conquer (or at least try to) by the end of the book.

That's why plot whiz Martha Alderson calls fear one of the "basic character traits that have the potential to create dramatic action scenes filled with conflict, tension, and suspense."

Click here for more from Martha's article on plot.

Spinning a Plot by Marileta Robinson also has helpful info on fear as a plot device.

Spend some time thinking about your hero's greatest fear.  It will help you overcome one of yours ("I'll never finish this book!").

 

To comment, click "comments" below (or go to my blog site and click on "comments" at the end of this post).

The Writer's Workshop: The Fatal Flaw

A few weeks ago I shared with you some of the writing lessons I've learned as I've worked on the first book for the Not For Sale project to stop child trafficking.  One of them is called the "I want" song.  The hero of your book (or film or musical) wants something--and what he or she wants is what the plot is all about. You can read more about the "I want" song here. 

Here's another powerful plot element--and what happens when it collides with the "I want" song.  This one is called the "fatal flaw."  Every hero needs a flaw.  As writers, we fall in love with our heroes and we tend to make them too perfect.  That also makes them unbelievable. 

No one--not even your hero--is perfect.  Every hero needs a fatal flaw.  That's what makes him human.  It's what we can relate to.  It's what gets her into all the trouble that carries the plot. By the end of the book, he's conquered it or it has conquered him.

Does your hero get angry too easily?  How about impatient?  Prejudiced?  Totally unorganized?  Late?  Controlling?  Codependent?  Narcissistic?  

You may be saying, "That sounds like the villain, not the hero!"  Your hero doesn't have to be possessed or totally controlled by his fatal flaw; it just has to be part of his character traits and his growth.  It's what he has to learn to overcome.  It's how she grows as she learns from her mistakes.

The fatal flaw gets the hero into trouble.  The "I want" song keeps him going in spite of it.  When those two elements collide, your plot begins to take shape.

For more on this, just Google "fatal flaw writing" and you'll come up with a lot of tips, such as this from Dara Marks, this from the "unknown screenwriter," and this from Jessica Morrell.

I have a third plot element to add to this collision and will share it with you in another post. 

Meanwhile, keep writing.  If your fatal flaw is procrastination, this is the time to take control of it. 

If you need someone to help you along, I provide personalized writer's coaching by phone from anywhere in the world and am happy to help you get your book out of you and on paper. You can email me for more information. 

Remember: You can't publish what you haven't written.  Take that first step and start writing what's inside you. The world is waiting to read it.

 

The Writer's Workshop: Lessons From Broadway

Exactly two years ago this week, I had an opportunity to meet Broadway writer and director Stephen Schwartz--and four of his words have stuck with me ever since.

All his words were memorable, of course, but I'm going to focus on just four of them here because they've been so valuable as I've worked on my first book for the "Not For Sale" project to help stop child trafficking.

Schwartz has written music and/or lyrics for many Broadway shows including Godspell, Pippin, and the current Broadway hit, Wicked. He collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on Mass, and with Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  He also wrote the songs for the DreamWorks animated film The Prince of Egypt. 

Can you see why when Stephen Schwartz spoke, I was taking notes?

So what are the four golden words he shared that I've remembered to this day?  They are:

The "I want" song

The hero of any musical or novel or film wants something--and what he or she wants is what the plot is all about. 

Since Schwartz deals with music, he calls it the "I want song."  As he spoke, he showed us how his musicals open with the hero singing his or her "I want" song. 

Pippin, for example, features the beautiful song "Corner of the Sky" a few minutes into the plot.  (Check out William Katt singing it on Broadway, with a little of Ben Vereen thrown in for fun.)

You can't get more "I want" than those lyrics:  "I've got to be where my spirit can run free, got to find my corner of the sky."  The rest of the musical is about Pippin's quest to run free and find his corner of the sky--with all the ups and downs and near-death experiences that his quest entails.

As you write your novel (or screenplay or musical), think about the "I want" song for your main character.  What does she want so badly that she's willing to go through an entire book to find it?  What propels him, keeps him up at night, motivates him and practically drives him crazy in his quest to reach it?

Find it, and you'll find a valuable tool to help develop your plot.

In an upcoming post, I'll talk about another powerful plot element and what happens when it collides with the "I want" song -- which is exactly what your story needs to keep readers on the edge of their seats (or paying $150 for a ticket to see it on Broadway). 

To read more of what I learned about writing from Stephen Schwartz, check out Issue #10 of my e-letter, The Writer's Workshop. (I'm no longer publishing The Writer's Workshop and have instead incorporated it into this blog, but you can find all the back issues here including the first seven, which are part of my e-book, How to Write a Book.)

   

To comment on this blog post, click "comments" below (or if you subscribe to this blog, click here or go to my blog site and click on "comments" at the end of this entry).

 

A Tip for Writers

One of my favorite free e-zines is the monthly Children's Writing Update, published by Writing4Kids.  For the next 13 days, they've got a great deal on e-books for writers (sale ends April 15).   

While most of the sale e-books are designed for children's writers, some have helpful info whether you're writing for kids or adults.  For example, Author to Editor: Query Letter Secrets of the Pros is great for all writers. (I've found it really helpful, and, yes, I paid full price :-( .)

Here are the other e-books on sale for the next 13 days:

• Improving the Odds: Insider Secrets to Getting Published
• Career Starter, The Beginner's Guide to Writing Children's Books
• The Children's Writer's Big Book of "How To"
• I've Written a Story. What Do I Do Now?
• In Their Own Words: The Best of CBI's Interviews
• CBI In-Depth: Plot Workshop
• CBI In-Depth: Character Workshop
• CBI In-Depth: Brainstorming Workshop

Click here for more info on the e-book sale. (Disclaimer: Yours truly gets a tiny percentage of your purchase price if you order anything from Writing4Kids by clicking through any of the links in this blog post.)

While you're on the Writing4Kids website, here are a few more resources for writers (most of them are free):

1.  Free e-books.  On the home page, click on "articles and tips" on the left side, then on "free e-books."  Scroll down to "free e-books," which you can download immediately. 

2.  Free how-to articles.  While you're on the same page, scroll through the list of dozens of helpful (and free) articles about how to write for children.

3.  Free monthly e-zine, Children's Writing Update.  There's a sign-up box on the home page.  You'll receive a free e-book for subscribing, Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books.

4.  Children's Book Insider.  There's a charge for this one, but it's well worth the price.  Go to the home page and click "The Newsletter" in the upper left.

Remember, the sale on e-books ends April 15.  Happy reading (and writing)!

 

A Lot of Work

I'm constantly struck by how difficult the writing process is.

I used to think that writers were the only creative types who struggled with their craft.  I assumed that artists, for example, would paint their paintings right the first time.  Poets would jot a few notes on a page, and voila, a poem. Sculptors would know exactly where to tap the stone and a few days later would end up with a stunning work of art.

Then I became friends with 3 artists (who were members of my first creative group), and I saw that painting is hard work.  They plan; they sketch; they wrestle; they visualize; they research; they start all over again; they work; they work, and they work some more.

Why would I think that's any different from writing?  Because when we see a painting in a museum or hear a fantastic piece of music on the radio, we have no clue about the blood, sweat, and tears that went into producing it.

If you want to write something that's going to last a long time (and who doesn't?),  you have to be prepared for a lot of work.  A lot more than you're thinking about right now.  You will get up early.  You will go to bed late.  You will miss TV shows.  You will hibernate from your friends and family.  You will offend some of them.  You will devote time to learning what you don't know. 

You will think you are going crazy.

There is no way around that process. But if you know it ahead of time, you won't be surprised by how much work is required--and you won't be tempted to stop or be put off by the process.

I'm currently working on the children's books for the "Not For Sale" campaign to stop child trafficking, and I'm going through all that and more.  I'm on the third rewrite of one of the books, and frankly I wish it were finished. 

And it could have been, but my writer's group won't let me stop rewriting.  They know there's a lot more potential in the pages, and they're pushing me to make it the best it can be.  I guess I'm grateful. :-)

One of the tools that's helped our writer's group as we're working to finish our various writing projects is Blockbuster Plots, a book-and-DVD set that gives amazingly helpful information about structuring plots.  As I've followed the advice of author and writer's coach Martha Alderson, it's been more work (and more left-brained work) than I care to think about--but it's also been helpful and well worth the time and effort.

There's no way around it.  Writing is hard work.  But like childbirth, once you hold your "baby" in your hands--your own book with your own name on the cover--you'll forget the pain.  It will all be worth it.  You'll see.

Cause for Celebration

One year ago today marked the very first post on this blog.  Thanks for sticking with me (especially during those weeks when I've been mono-tasking and didn't post a single word).

In honor of this momentous occasion, I want to share a super-cool, super-techie, oh-so-2008 way to publish your book--for a mere $20.

I just learned about it via an article in this week's BusinessWeek magazine called "So You Want to Publish That Novel," by BW technology columnist Stephen Wildstrom. 

It's called Blurb.   

In recent years, mega-leaps in technology have allowed writers to publish their own books via print-on-demand.  Blurb goes one step further (and is even cheaper).  With Blurb's free software (which you can download for either Windows or Mac), you can actually design your own book yourself, one page at a time. You choose the layout and drop in your glowing text.

When you finish, click the "submit" button, and a few days later a copy of your very own book will arrive in your very own mailbox.  It's a real, live printed paperback or hardback book complete with shiny bound cover, just like you'd find in a bookstore (so it's more than a "photo book" like you would print on Snapfish, Shutterfly, and other sites, although you can add photos and illustrations if you want). 

Your copy of your book will be the only copy in the entire universe, of course (what do you expect for $19.95, or $29.95 for hardcover?), but you can order more at volume prices.  You can even sell your book on Blurb's website, where friends, family, and others can buy it.

Caveat:  Self-designed and printed books will never replace books designed by professionals--such as my good friends Cathleen Kwas of CLicK Services, a graphic designer who's designed all my Adventures With PawPaw books, and Brian and Kathy Banashak at Evergreen Press, who've designed and published many of the books that I've edited and ghost-written. 

But if you want to quickly and cheaply get a single copy of your own book in your own two hands, Blurb sounds like a great idea.

Of course, you know what I always say:  "You can't publish a book you haven't written."  Blurb is great, but it won't write your book for you.  Only you can do that.

So, will 2008 be the year that you not only write but also publish your own book?

 

To comment on this blog post, click "comments" below (or if you subscribe to this post, just go to my blog site  and click on "comments" at the end of this post). 

Five Reasons Why You Can't Be a Writer

That headline got your attention, didn't it?  You're probably thinking, "Yup, one of those reasons is for me.  Probably all five.  Maybe six or seven." 

That's the title of an article in a free e-zine I subscribe to (info in a moment)--and you have to read the subtitle to understand what it's about:  "Five Reasons Why You Can't Be a Writer:  And why none of them are true." 

Ignoring the possible grammatical mistake (most editors would say it should be "why none of them is true"), this is a great article, and continues my theme of a few days ago to encourage you to get started writing the book that's in you. 

You can read the article in today's issue of Children's Writing Update (scroll down to item #7).  Now, if you're not a children's writer, don't use that as a reason not to read the article!  All five reasons apply to writers of all genres.

To subscribe to Children's Writing Update (it's free), click here.  The same website has lots more resources to jumpstart your writing, including a fee-based monthly e-letter, Children's Book Insider, along with many helpful books and DVDs.  (Now through December 15, they're all 25% off--www.write4kids.com.) My writer's group has faithfully studied Blockbuster Plots, and it's made a huge impact on our writing.  I had no idea what "scene" and "summary" were, nor that most of my fiction writing was "summary" (bad, very bad).   

So read the article, drop that dust cloth (you'll understand when you read the first paragraph), and start writing.  I can't wait to read what you write.

    

To comment on this blog post, click "comments" below (or if you subscribe to this post, just go to my blog site and click on "comments" at the end of this post).