Independence Day-The Day After

Yesterday we celebrated an important holiday in this country. The 4th of July has great meaning for those of us who live here. It is one of our most patriotic symbols of independence. We celebrate this day because of independent, free thinking people.

This should be a special day for writers. We too are independent, free thinkers. If there wasn’t something in us that fights to go a different way, follow an inner voice or ignore the nay-sayers around us we wouldn’t be writers.

Writing is touted as an individual craft. The lone writer toils each day to dig deep inside themselves to bring to the page the words that will tell the story they must write. But we are genetically social creatures. We need support in our lives and even more so as writers. We crave the acknowledgement that comes from sharing our hard work with those who have the same drive to produce magic with the written word.

On the 4th we gather together with family and friends to enjoy and share our lives. Being a member of a writing group should have the same purpose. I have become good friends with the wonderful ladies in my group and they will forever be a part of my life.

If you are a lone writer reach out to other writers and find your own group.

And to my circle of writers; have a great 4th and I will see you again, same place, same time.

Living Your Writer's Dream

By: Dorinda Ohnstad


Dreams are nothing but dreams, unless you are willing to do the hard work to see them through to fruition. That means putting the time in to write, avoiding the distractions that get in the way, learning the craft, and persevering with or without a support network at home. I can’t emphasize learning the craft enough. Although, I’ve been a highly paid and skilled business and legal writer for years, I have had to learn the craft of writing. Being a good writer doesn’t mean that we can write a novel with ease. Writing this narrative for me is much simpler than learning the craft of writing a novel, external and internal conflict, dialog, tension, pacing, point of view, scene construction, plot development, etc.



Bottom line, writing a novel is a lonely, difficult path to walk. To be able to persist in this endeavor you need to be passionate about the writing, not about the possibility of success and fame as defined by being on the shelves of Borders or Barnes & Noble. That doesn’t mean that you can’t want those things, they just can’t be what drives you to write. If fame and money are your only motivation, you are likely to be easily side-tracked from the work of writing; for there is no way around the fact that writing a novel is damn hard work. More difficult yet is the fact that you don’t get paid for that hard work until it is all done, if you get paid at all, even though it may take you years to accomplish.



That is why the incentive to plow down that road has to be something different than the money and fame. You need to let those stories in you that are screaming to be written be what drives you. Stop daydreaming about fame and success, feeling envious of others living your dream, and decide that you are going to commit to the hard work and focus on telling your stories to the best of your ability.



Keep in mind that even when you do this, it won’t be easy and there will be days, weeks, months even, when you will doubt whether it is worth all the work. It is in those darkest moments that we as writers have to dig deep within ourselves to discover whether this is the life for us. It’s definitely not for everyone. I’ve had to confront these feelings myself.



If you decide that you need to write those stories, and are willing to put in the work regardless of whether or not money and fame are at the other end, then pick one novel and work on it. At the same time read about craft, attend conferences, participate in critique groups (who can also be the support network you need and don’t get elsewhere) and avoid those distractions. Commit to the work and see it through one page at a time.

Immortal Characters

Hello KC Writer's readers. Amy here.

So, like a lot of 20-something adults, I've lately been interested in teen things. I watch Gossip Girl more than I go to church, and I've missed an entire night's sleep plowing through book II (New Moon) of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. My mother asks me on a weekly basis when am I going to start watching and reading things about people who are closer to my age, maybe who go to college? (and by weekly basis I mean sometime between 8-9pm every Monday, which happens to be the time Gossip Girl is on).

So, Twilight series. Mrs. Meyer started writing the series just for fun, after a dream came to her about the love story between her two characters: the immortal Edward Cullen (who is a very sexy vampire, btw) and the very human Bella Swan. The thing that impresses me about this whole series of books is that she wrote four books, all around 500 pages each (2000 or so pages total), that only span the time period of, oh, let's say two years. Two years for an immortal character, oh that's nothing!

This got me thinking about how brilliant this idea is for the author. Immortal characters never die. Immortal characters can live multiple lives (multiple lives=multiple stories). An author with immortal characters can, if these characters become popular, have an entire career based on writing about these characters. For me, money isn't the number one (or even number five) reason I enjoy writing, but for those who really love to write, money is nice. When you have it, you don't have to focus your time with a real life job and real life worries (or so I romanticize in my head). No more typing at 12am on Sunday night, no more waking up at 6am to finish your chapter. How nice would that be?

So, Stephanie Meyer signed her first book deal for a $750,000 advance according to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenie_Meyer . That's for one book. She has four now, which are widely popular and topping Best Seller lists, and her first book is coming out on the big screen here in November (I am so excited). My personal dream is to have a book so loved that one day it can be turned into a motion picture.

Basically, Stephanie Meyer is living MY dream. So, needless to say I'm paying attention to how she did it.

I came up with my plot for a fallen angel story just yesterday. I can't wait to finish it. I wonder if I can belt it out in 3 months like Stephanie Meyer did.

If nothing else, reading this series has inspired me to write. It has caused me to think; to consider marketing and who my potential audience might be. It has inspired me to write fiction even. Fiction isn't even something I've taken a stab at yet, since I am a poet. Now I'm all interested in writing paranormal fiction--and now there's a huge market for it.

Maybe not all of you are interested in the paranormal, you want to write something a little more vanilla. Gossip Girl is a tv show on the CW based on a group of spoiled socialites going through high school. It also happens to be based on a book series. Even if you keep your characters human, they still have many stories to tell. I get nervous as the cast from Gossip Girl approaches high school graduation. What will I do with my Monday nights if it goes off the air? Never fear, their drama may continue into college (and I can smugly tell my mother I watch tv about college students!!! I'm not sure this will appease her though). Maybe even Gossip Girl's characters will have friendships that last late into adulthood, much like the girls in Sex in the City. Oh, there is hope. Even for those of you that want to keep it human, there is still wiggle room for many books with your beloved characters to last a life time.

Who would have thought? So next time you think about writing, consider the advantages and disadvantages of immortal characters. Also, if you're in your 20s or bravely embracing your high school years up until your 30s, watch Gossip Girl and read the Twilight series. And come get coffee with me.

Til next time...

Speaking Engagements, Writers Conferences, Blogging, Etc., What’s the Point?

If you’re a writer and expect to sell books in today’s publishing world, you have to “come out of your cave” as one publisher put it and let yourself be seen in person and on the Internet.

I’ll give you the downside to all this first:

In person engagements can cost money. If the venue is far away it might take gas money or even the price of an airplane ticket, rental car or shuttle fee and room fee–to say nothing about the cost of food.

Airplanes are uncomfortable and nothing is free on them any more.

You have to be able to speak in front of people and have something interesting to say. (This really shouldn’t be too hard for a writer–after all, you thought your words were interesting enough to put into a book. I always figure the people who came must have wanted to hear what I had to say.)

Blogging doesn’t cost anything, but you do have to think up something to say that people will take the time to read. Blogs must continually be updated so readers will come back again.

This all takes time away from your writing.

On the plus side:

In person engagements will give you the opportunity to meet new people, hopefully make new fans and friends, and visit new places. Hopefully, some of these people will want to buy your book, love it and tell their friends about it.

Speaking to others about your book is great fun–at least it is for me. Over the years I’ve found it’s easy to talk about something you really know about.

Using the Internet to promote is far less expensive and much easier. It also gives you the potential of contacting far more people than you could.

I’ve done visual book tours that were great fun. I’ve paid for the ones I’ve done because I just don’t have the time to find others blogs and ask them to host me, but they’ve paid off in the fact that they’ve brought book sales.

Ever so often I get to meet someone in person that I’ve met online and that’s always a plus.

Writing is a lonely profession. It’s good to get out and be around people.

Marilyn Meredith
http://fictionforyou.com
Visit my website and read the first chapter of my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Kindred Spirits.

Hi from the New Bloggers on the Block

Welcome to the K C Writers Blog. Located in the Central Valley of California, we are a collection of writers with growing careers who cover many styles and genres. For nearly a decade we have been a viable writing and critique group serving Kings County. The decision was made to take the next step in our group’s evolution by joining the larger writing community. Come join us for a Valley ride and blog your way through our fertile field of writers.

aka: Kings County Writers Support Group