Mike's Writing Workshop & Newsletter

H.L. Mencken Speaks: Only Known Recording! Parts 5-8

2009-11-12T05:05:00.001-05:00

Bill Minutaglio's Book on Molly Ivins Hits Bookstores!

2009-11-11T19:32:00.009-05:00

Please make sure to go to your local bookstore and check out Bill Minutaglio's definitive biography about "one of the most provocative, courageous, and influential journalists in American history," "Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life."

It can also be ordered on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Molly-Ivins-Rebel-Bill-Minutaglio/dp/1586487175
Click here

As a matter of full disclosure, let me say that Bill is one of my best friends and has been for decades, a truly kind and generous man. He's also, without question, one of country's best journalists, as well as an utterly dazzling writer. I only wish I could put words together the way Bill does. He makes every sentence sing!

Bill sent me this about the book:

Molly Ivins was, for a while, the most powerful woman in journalism -- and she was one of the toughest, most tragic, women in America.

She had enormous power and influence: Presidents, senators and royalty called her. She appeared in over 300 newspapers, had huge national best selling books, was on 60 Minutes, Letterman and Leno. She had millions of followers. She punched men out in Texas - and once knocked George W. Bush's most important political partner to his knees in a bar in Austin. She rode motorcycles -- and could drink any man under the table. She eventually became a profoundly high-functioning alcoholic - in and out of rehab, causing a ruckus around major political figrues (like Nancy Pelosi), and managing through it all to write for every major magazine and news outlet imaginable. Her work was compared to Mark Twain, Rabelais and Mencken.

She broke open the doors for Maureen Dowd, Arianna Huffington, Gail Collins and almost any other woman who wanted to have an opinion column in America. She suffered death threats and bomb scares. She raised millions of dollars for civil liberties and other causes across America. She personally supported hundreds of people over the life of her career - she gave away, in the end, millions of her own dollars, to strangers, friends, the homeless. She was unfathomably generous.

And, her entire life was defined by her relationship with her father -- who was the autocratic, racist, head of Tenneco, one of the most powerful energy corporations in the world. She grew up in unbridled affluence, she grew up as friends with George W Bush, she attended the finest private schools in America and studied in France -- and she rejected all of it to beome of the most fiercely liberal voices in American history. She lived with one of the most radical activists in America, she was engaged to be married to a wealthy man who wanted to start a "master race" -- and Hollywood producers continually talked to her about making a movie of her life.

There really was never a figure like Molly Ivins. And there will probably never be. She was like Amelia Earhart meets Annie Oakley.

Her story was one that needed to be told -- it was so intensely narrative (which explains, I believe, why those producers, screenwriters and directors were wanting to make that movie based on her life). She fought sexism at every turn in her life. She lived large, fought hard and told the top editor of The New York Times to fuck off. And just when she seemed ready to beat back her raging, drunken nightmares, she was hit with cancer. She battled three wicked bouts of cancer.

And through it all, she laughed her ass off, spoke truth to power, gave away even more money -- and never stopped working. Her friends -- Maya Angelou, Dan Rather, Willie Nelson, Ann Richards, Bill Clinton -- marveled at her stamina. And when she died there were enormous memorial services around the country, including ones in New York City and Texas.

For a narrative story teller, Ivins's story was inevitable. There were so many breathtaking twists and turns in her life. I knew her a bit and knew some of her story. But not all of it. It simply became more rich, more intense, as I researched it.

With one of her former researchers, we worked on the book for 18 months. We did research aross America. We delved into her personal archives, her diaries (including scalding, intense ones where she talks about her fight with alcohol, her lovers, her fights wtih the most powerful people in American publishing and politics), her personal letters. She was the most profound self-chronicler imaginable, and we had access to hundreds of thousands of documents, papers, letters, touching on almost every aspect of her and her family's personal history.

I learned that, when you weigh Molly Ivins in historic context, her story is a grand, outsized American saga. She was often "the only woman in the room" -- and she fought like holy hell to be heard, to be respected, to change things for the good of America. She was a trallblazer and a firebrand. Again, to say she lived large is really an understatement.

10 Places to Help Find a Home for Your Writing

2009-11-11T05:16:00.004-05:00

10 Places to Help Find a Home for Your Writing
By Linda G Smith
Accredited Online Degrees
http://accreditedonlinedegrees.org/
Click here

Getting published can end up metamorphosing into a nightmare even more stressful and frustrating than the act of writing itself. With so many questionable publishers and agents ready to exploit aspiring professional writers and prey upon their eagerness to see their names and visions in print. Even finding a legitimate home for a story, no matter its structure or content, requires Herculean feats of time-consuming research. Fortunately, a number of websites and magazines have dedicated their time, money, and server space to help writers work through the publication process, network with colleagues and publishers alike, and find a reliable, honest agent. Every one of them makes for an indispensable resource when searching for a place for the written word to call home.

1. NewPages Click here: One of the most comprehensive, intelligent, and engaging websites on publishing anywhere, NewPages’s main draw is its massive listing of literary magazines and alternative presses. Each entry comes accompanied by a sample cover, contact information, a discussion of target audiences and preferred content, submission requirements, contests, and information on recent issues. Poets, artists, short story writers, and essayists benefit especially from this well-researched, fervently updated site. Beyond the fantastic literary magazine directory, NewPages also posts contests and calls for submissions from the aforementioned periodicals as well as alternative and independent publishing houses. As if this did not make for enough valuable content, the site includes a podcast, fantastic resources for writers, links to independent book stores, a blog, book and magazine reviews, and even a page dedicated to independent record labels in addition to everything else.

2. Optimum Wound Click here: In a blog dated March 17, 2009, editor Jason Thibault from the tiny independent comic book publishing house Optimum Wound posted submission guidelines for every single comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher he could find. While the content is subject to change over time, his exhaustive labor of love makes for the most valuable resource for any aspiring or established comic book, manga, or graphic novel writer with a story to tell. He starts off his post with advice and tips on getting the most out of his research, then follows through with an excruciatingly useful bombardment of every publisher he could find, organized into major printers, independents, presses focusing exclusively on one or two genres, anthologies, manga, distributors, adult entertainment, books, and magazines. Alongside each entry comes a paragraph (or two, or three detailing the business’s content preferences and submission requirements along with a link useful when checking for any updates he may have missed.

3. The Freelance Writing Jobs Network Click here: A collective of seven blogs and a thriving community, the Freelance Writing Jobs Network covers every possible angle of the titular business. It offers practical and intelligent advice to amateurs and professionals alike and allows for readers to ask questions and gain valuable insight on both writing and publishing. Every day, the site posts up leads for writing jobs as well as blogs, magazines, and other periodicals in need of articles or essays. Ghost writing gigs pop up on occasion, too. Pay very close attention to some of the listings, however. Though many positions allow for a telecommute option, some publishers have geographical limitations and requirements for applicants.

4. Writer’s Digest Click here: The quintessential analog resource for writers now publishes many of its celebrated magazine’s content for free (with additional features available through a paid membership online. Writer’s Digest offers pretty much everything any writer needs to launch a rewarding and successful career – it is such an indispensable and unquestioned necessity for anyone hoping to sell their writing that statement only narrowly avoids steering off into hyperbole. Along with the articles, blogs, directories, contests, and shops common to many expert sites, the magazine also hosts several conferences, workshops, and events throughout the year. They also grant annual awards to the best literature and publishing websites on the internet. No writers’ mailbox or bookmark list is complete without this priceless font of information and opportunity.

5. Books and Tales Click here: An admittedly incomplete database, Books and Tales nevertheless features a valuable and detailed service. Many print on demand, or POD, publishers – occasionally referred to by the epithet “vanity presses” – operate as fronts for a variety of scams. This site offers side-by-side comparisons of PODs for those interested in exploring the self-publishing route. They delve into the prices, author benefits, contracts, royalties, and highly specific positives and negatives of each publisher. In spite of not covering every POD business available, the information they do provide still stands as a revealing and extremely helpful resource to help prevent would-be writers from falling victim to an exploitative ruse. Books and Tales also hosts several articles in addition to a community devoted entirely to self-publishing and POD businesses.

6. Preditors & Editors Click here: Like Books and Tales, Preditors and Editors dedicates its time, money, and server space to protecting the rights of writers everywhere. They host a massive collection of links to publishers with sterling or, at minimum, neutral reputations, with those deemed suspicious both explicitly labeled in the directory as well as sequestered in a separate portion of the site. This service concerns itself especially with the copyright and ownership issues common to the publishing industry. However, it also offers more specialized lists targeting screenwriters, game scripters, journalists, editors, and musicians as well. Links to contests, conventions, festivals, chat rooms, and forums are available for writers seeking networking opportunities.

7. Agent Query Click here: When the personal search for a reliable publisher starts yielding fruitless results, a literary agent may be able to help. The publishing process is a grueling, exhausting test of mental and emotional strength, but having an agent opens up many opportunities that self-representation cannot provide. Enthusiastically approved by Writer’s Digest, Agent Query screens thousands of agents and allows the legitimate ones to create profiles in a searchable database. With an incredibly easy and specific interface, writers can connect with agents specializing in their chosen genres or living in their own city for easier access. It provides one more breezy and painless method of easing the stresses associated with publishing.

8. Query Tracker Click here: Agents and publishers alike register here to meet with potential clients, and Writer’s Digest has labeled Query Tracker an absolute necessity for all hopeful writers. In addition to their search services, this site allows users to organize and keep track of which agents and publishers they have contacted and corresponded with and which pitches and queries still need to be sent out. Listings for agents and presses both provide statistics on concerns such as response times, submissions, and preferred genres, and users can post comments regarding their experiences in dealing with them. Like Agent Query, all of the information on Query Tracker remains entirely free of charge as a much-needed relief for writers.

9. WritersNet Click here: In many ways, writing is really no different than many traditionally structured jobs with 8-hour days whittled away inside a soulless cubicle. Networking remains an integral aspect of the business, and without forging meaningful connections with contemporaries, publishers, editors, and agents a writer cannot expect to succeed or function. It pays to send the ego off with a one-one ticket to Splitsville and a suitcase full of spite, and once that is accomplished WritersNet grants users a bevy of opportunities to learn about what agents and publishers alike are looking for. Some of the connections forged on this site may mean the difference between a manuscript rotting sadly in a dusty, forgotten box and a national bestseller.

10. The Write Jobs Click here: In addition to the Freelance Writing Jobs Network, The Write Jobs is a necessary stop when making the rounds to discover what blogs, magazines, websites, and other publications currently offer gigs for writers. However, the latter tends to feature more permanent and full-time positions than the former. Each job listing is filed under one of six different categories – freelance, journalism, medical, publishing industry, technical, and telecommute – and features an interface similar to Craigslist. While the focus lay predominantly with job postings, The Write Jobs does offer some degree of advice for those seeking employment, exposure, or portfolio padding.

The decision to publish, either through a POD or a more traditional press, can be wrought with a frustrating number of setbacks and seemingly dead-end research. Luckily, the internet plays host to a multitude of websites catering to any question or concern that aspiring writers may have. From providing information on agents and publishers to screening potentially fraudulent offers to simply dispensing sound advice on what to expect when venturing forth into the industry, every one of these sites makes for a resource of value to both amateur to experienced writers alike. Taking advantage of what they generously have to offer significantly eases the anxieties inherent in the quest to find a home for an essay, article, novel, short story, or graphic novel. Without networking, without researching, without learning every nuance and subtlety and corner of the publishing industry, the chances of missing out on a potentially fortuitous opportunity swells considerably.

Interview with Elmore Leonard

2009-11-09T06:24:00.000-05:00

H.L. Mencken Speaks: Only Known Recording! Parts 1-4

2009-11-09T06:21:00.002-05:00

The NaNoWriMo Experience/Reactions

2009-11-08T18:19:00.006-05:00

Jennifer said...

You want to know what I am going through? I am going through a frog attack. There are frogs. In my novel. Out for blood. In my very totally absolutely serious novel about the downfall and loss of humanity and identity. Frogs. Why? (There is a totally calm voice inside me now. She is remembering everything she learned during university and studying literature. She calmly informs me that is makes perfect sense that nature fights back and will win. That the humans have lost their connection to nature and now nature, symbolised by the frogs, is starting to fight back. Great. I could not have found a blunter way to state that right? ).
Otherwise I am fine. Now that I have given up being sane I am having that much more fun. I wait for the zombies. And pirates. I'm sure where there are frogs, there are pirates. Both live in the water...right?

Now excuse me, I have to go. The frogs are adamant, they want their bloodbath.

Want more? Read here: http://jennifer-renner.blogspot.com/
Click here

Cheers,

Jenny

November 7, 2009 9:21 AM

Niz said...

Last year, I started 3 days late, had glandular fever for about a month (a week of which I spent sleeping and barely drinking let alone eating) and yet I still managed to make up with the last 30,000 words being written on the last two days...

THIS year, I'm having trouble. I'm just behind on the word count, by about a 1,000 words (though I was doing extremely well up till two days ago) and I have a ton of work to do - university assignments as well as general house-cleaning etc.

I did have a cool plot, planned out, with in-depth characters for this year...but ended up scrapping it on the first day of November, in favour of a novel based on a single good scene I wrote last year. Although that scene was good, and I have since written a delightfully humorous scene, my novel is going nowhere fast!

Sleep will probably get more sporadic as November gets on, due to time contraints because of various presentations and essays I have due. Joyous.

However, I'm still loving the NaNoWriMo experience and tweeting heartily about it at @TheVeganOne (twitter.com/TheVeganOne Click here). Tat is, when my crazy housemate decides to *unblock* Twitter access since he thinks that unless I reach my daily wordcount total, I shouldn't be allowed to tweet.

One lats thing: I have every intention of eventually making it to a write-in. Ahem. So far, nothing has materialised but I've made up for this, imo, by using words such as copious, imbibed and cleavage (heh) in my novel.

Niz

November 7, 2009 12:21 PM

Mary Elizabeth said...

I'm new to NaNoWriMo this year, spurred on by encouragement from my daughter (@feedmenow Click here), and am still getting acclimated as I work on volume one of a mixed-genre quintology for YA and up.

I got started late (i.e., yesterday, November 7), partly because I couldn't complete my sign-up due to the enormous email overload at NaNoWriMo in the first couple of days of November.

But I think three factors will help me "catch up":

• Having been a published writer for 29 years, I know that I produce my best, most coherent work by engaging in a long period of planning and a short, sustained, concentrated period of writing.

• It is not unusual for me to write 3000–7000 words a day for work, so the "daily word count" doesn't faze me.

• I am secure enough in my approach to easily bypass the avalanche of annoyingly dogmatic (and—in many cases—specious ;^) advice about how one should write that is engulfing the web.

Yesterday, I finished the first three chapters (5777 words), the first of which has been in various incarnations since May. For me, whether writing non-fiction or fiction, the "drive on and don't look back" advice doesn't work: I need to lay a firm foundation in order to build a unified product.

For more of my thoughts on NaNoWriMo and other topics, you can follow me on Twitter as @AWriterReads (http://twitter.com/awriterreads Click here) and visit my (new and still unfolding) website at http://voiceofthephoenix.com Click here

Mary Elizabeth

I Want Media Interview with Tina Brown/Excerpts

2009-11-08T18:05:00.004-05:00

Source: http://www.iwantmedia.com/people/people82.html
Click here

The following are some fascinating excerpts of an I Want Media interview with famous editrix Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of The New Yorker, Talk, and Vanity Fair who now heads up the popular online news aggregator, The Daily Beast.

Q: What have you learned in The Daily Beast's first year online?

Tina Brown: I've loved adjusting to and working at the Web's incessant pace. It's easy to iterate online - to test out new ideas, listen to feedback from the audience, keep what works and reject what doesn't. It is a very nimble process. I've also learned that there was, and still is, a real hunger for smart content aggregation or "curation" as I have come to think of it.

Q: The Huffington Post appears to keep growing, launching local editions. Do you see it potentially replacing newspapers?

Brown: No. I still believe strongly that there is a market for print, but we will continue to see interesting hyper-local models evolve. At any level, I believe there needs to continue to be investment in print journalism -- notably investigative units.

Q: Do you still read newspapers in print?

Brown: I love print. I'm married to a newspaper editor, and we still consume a lot of magazines and newspapers. Every morning after I have noodled around with The Daily Beast's headlines and lineup I go out to breakfast at the diner on the corner with Harry and we go through the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the Daily News, the Financial Times, the Washington Post; all of them. I'm still a junkie.

Q: Do you miss working in magazines?

Brown: I'm very happy right now. I love the fast pace, the ability to keep innovating, the sense that there is a vibrant, growing, responsive audience out there. It is a sorry time in magazines, none of the talented people I know who work for them feel it’s a great time right now.

Q: Is the Internet-led transformation of the media world a good thing?

Brown: It is largely a good thing, but not without its growing pains. I see this very much as a transitional phase we are in. It's painful if you are caught on the wrong side of it, but there is no doubt in my mind that when this volcanic realignment in media has finally shaken out in the next three years we will see a golden age of journalism and video.

Tal Ben-Shahar: Is Facebook Making Us Sad?

2009-11-08T16:31:00.001-05:00

How to Write a Great Novel: Junot Diaz

2009-11-08T14:32:00.005-05:00

Source: Wall Street Journal

Junot Diaz

"I think 90% of my ideas evaporate because I have a terrible memory and because I seem to be committed to not scribble anything down," he says. "As soon as I write it down, my mind rejects it."

Juggling everything in his head has drawbacks, one of which is writing very slowly, he says. He threw out two earlier versions of his novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"—the equivalent of about 600 pages—before the final version began to take shape. He also researches obsessively. When writing "Oscar Wao," he read J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy half a dozen times to get inside the head of his protagonist, an overweight Dominican teenager who's obsessed with fantasy and science fiction.

He often listens to orchestral movie soundtracks as he writes, because he's easily distracted by lyrics. When he needs to seal himself off from the world, he retreats into the bathroom and sits on the edge of the tub. "It drove my ex crazy," he says. "She would always know I was going to write because I would grab a notebook and run into the bathroom."

Click here

Read what other authors says about how to write a great novel:

Click here

NaNoWriMo: It's All About Falling in Love

2009-11-08T13:59:00.006-05:00

NaNoWriMo: It's All About Falling in Love
By Aline Martins

Writing a story is all about falling in love.

I first heard about NaNoWriMo three years ago through a friend, and though I loved writing, I could never believe that you could put yourself under such pressure just so a book could be born in the world.

So, I avoided participating, left it aside, and instead took as many writing classes and workshops as I could on writing and creative writing.

The fact, is, I am a storyteller, just as my grandmother was. I tell stories in hospitals, at parties and camps, and in the school in Brazil where I teach English.

I thought, "I can tell a story, I am perfectly able to write one too!” But I didn’t know that writing was the hardest part. While different ideas for books constantly float around in my head in my head, when it came to writing them down I found that I am a Procrastination Queen.

Every time I planned to start writing, I would sabotage myself and find the perfect excuse to start doing it later.

Tip: Don’t ever expect the elves to come during the night and start your book for you.

It was October 25th when my friend convinced me to take part in this year’s NaNoWriMo; I immediately began freaking out. I had the story in my head, a good beginning, quite good end, but what about the storyline and plots?

I had only five days to get organized.

I turned to a NaNoWriMo Brazilian forum for help.

I found out I had much more to start than a lot people had, and soon I was organizing a NaNoWriMo kick-off party.

This was the best thing I ever did.

Tip: If you can go to the meet ups and write ins, DO IT! There is nothing better than meeting likeminded people.

Suddenly, it was November 1st. And during the first couple of hours, I managed typing 2,000 words! It was at that moment that I knew I was in love, completely in love with my story, with NaNoWriMo.

It was the morning of the second day, when, very excitedly I told my mom of my achievement, “Mom, I already wrote 4,000 words!” She replied: “We are having pasta for lunch."

Tip: Sometimes we must not listen to what people say.

Today, here I am, getting to 12K out of the 50K expected before the end of November.

I'm not sleeping much, trying to keep up with my jobs as a teacher, translator and NaNoWriMo storyteller.

But it's all well worth it. I am very, very happy. I've finally fallen in love.

Tip: KEEP LIVING, KEEP BREATHING, KEEP WRITING! (This one is for me, so I don’t forget it, but I’ll let you use it)

It is all about falling in love.

Guest blogger Aline Martins is a self-described "dreamer" who lives in São Paulo, Brazil. Her NaNoWriMo user name is Ayslin1 and her blog, The Hectic Attic, can be found at:

http://hecticattic.com/
Click here

The 5 Winners of "Biggest Frustration" Contest

2009-11-08T12:32:00.007-05:00

Here are the 5 winners in the What's your biggest frustration as a writer? contest:

1) Lora Mitchell

2) Apryl Gonzales Sweet

3) Amy L. Harden

4) Robert Medak

5) JuJuthePoet

Each winner should contact me via email (michael.geffner@earthlink.net) to arrange a free 5-minute phone session.

Please know it was VERY tough trying to come up with just 5. There were so many great - and quite original - answers.

Thanks to all who participated.

Writing Prompts of the Day

2009-11-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

Write about…

Your favorite relative.

What inspires you.

Your favorite hobby.

The happiest day of your life.

A great trip to the park, the beach, etc.

Your view of sports in America.

The way you think about money.

Your favorite food (through each of your senses).

A great plane or long-distance bus ride.

Your favorite U.S. President (in your lifetime).

Tweet Your Way to a Writing Job! (Updated!)

2009-11-07T20:08:00.006-05:00

http://twitter.com/MediaJobsinUSA
Click here

http://twitter.com/jobs_in_media
Click here

http://twitter.com/jobs4bloggers
Click here

http://twitter.com/newmedialinks
Click here

http://twitter.com/publishingjobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/media_jobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/seojobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/journalism_jobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/themediaishuntn
Click here

http://twitter.com/themediaishirin
Click here

http://twitter.com/GetFreJournJob
Click here

http://twitter.com/wFreelanceJobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/newmediajob
Click here

http://twitter.com/JobsForWriters
Click here

http://twitter.com/jobs_NY_writing
Click here

http://twitter.com/MediaJobsNYC
Click here

http://twitter.com/writingjobsNYC
Click here

http://twitter.com/MediaJobsinLA
Click here

http://twitter.com/MediaJobSanFran
Click here

http://twitter.com/bloggingjobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/mediabistrojobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/media_pros
Click here

http://twitter.com/journalismjobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/GetTecWritiJobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/freelancewj
Click here

http://twitter.com/dnzWritingJobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/writersjobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/writingjobs
Click here

http://twitter.com/Writing_Jobs
Click here

Know any others? Please let me know!

NaNoWriMo Mania!/Part 2

2009-11-07T19:56:00.004-05:00

Big Think Interview with John Irving

2009-11-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

NaNoWriMo: Tell Us What You're Going Through!

2009-11-04T19:20:00.003-05:00

Feel free to blog your comments here! Tell us your NaNoWriMo 2009 experience!

NaNoWriMo Mania!

2009-11-04T19:14:00.002-05:00

How to Succeed at NaNoWriMo Using Endurance Training

2009-11-04T19:03:00.002-05:00

How to Succeed at NaNoWriMo Using Endurance Training
By Christy Goldfeder

I trained for and competed in a sprint triathlon (½ mile swim, 14 mile bike ride, 5k run) a couple of years before I took on NaNoWriMo. For some crazy reason, I thought that competing in an endurance race at the crack of dawn would be easier than writing 50,000 words. That’s how powerful the fear of the blank page was for me – and can be for many writers.

But while writing 50,000 in 30 days sounds like an impossible feat, in reality it is much easier than you think. All you need to do is break it down like you would if you were training for an endurance event such a triathlon.

1 – Break it down: When you divide 50,000 words by 30 days, you’ll see that you need to write about 1667 words per day to meet your goal. If you’re a professional writer, how often do you write a 1,500 – 2000 word piece? You probably crank out a few of those per week. Ok - maybe with NaNoWriMo you’re writing 50% more than you usually end up writing in a week.

With my sprint triathlon training, I figured out that I would have to run 2-3 miles a few days a week, swim ¼ mile a few days per week and bike 10 – 15 miles a couple days a week. And I still needed to have some rest in between workout sessions.

2 – Create your blocks or “bricks”: Block out your writing time so that you know you can get it done. I prefer to write in the early mornings when I’m writing longer pieces. Setting your alarm clock for an hour earlier than you usually get up can give you that quiet time that you need to do your work. Or, if you’re a night owl, set up some late-night writing time.

When I trained for the tri, I doubled up my workouts – for example, swimming at 7:00 am and running at 7:00 pm. By the end of training, I would double up workouts into bricks – e.g., running, then swimming – so that I’d get use to switching sports. Doubles and bricks are tiring, but they helped me get my miles in and still have two days off to recover.

3 – Plan for “recovery” days: There may be times when you know you won’t be able to write during the month of November. If you want to take Thanksgiving Day off, just make sure that you can get those words in some other day. If you plan to write more words earlier in the month, you’re more likely to meet your 50,000 word quota by the deadline.

Remember, the beauty of NaNoWriMo is that you don’t actually have to publish your novel by the deadline – you can take a few months to edit and turn it into a work of art.
The other benefit is that after writing consistently for 30 days, you might just find yourself with a new good writing habit.

So don’t be afraid to write freely and just see what happens in your novel when you participate in NaNoWriMo – enjoy it, have fun, and remember that it’s just a game.

Guest blogger Christy Goldfeder is a copywriter working with professionals to grow their businesses through clearer marketing and online strategies. She’s also a holistic health counselor empowering busy people to easily lose weight and gain more energy without stress or struggle. She writes about nutrition and wellness at http://www.liveadeliciouslife.com.Click here Follow her on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/christyi Click here

Sherri Eldin: If You See a Flash of Tummy, It's ME!

2009-11-04T18:48:00.003-05:00

If You See a Flash of Tummy, It's ME! (or The Inside Story of Sherri Eldin's First Music Video)
By Sherri Eldin

So there I was, in my bra and panties, sprawled across the laps of three men, two of whom I'd never met before that day. I looked up at a photographer perched upon a balcony directly above us, ready to have this image captured in the digital abyss for all eternity. I quickly became aware of a silhouette located about two feet to the photographer's left. It was one of my new friends' wife, two children no older than ten cowering under either arm. For a quick instant my morality kicked in; I remembered what it was like to watch my own father interacting with young women when I was a little girl myself. Hell, if I saw that NOW I'd scratch their eyes out. So I did what I thought most appropriate at that moment: I looked at the wife, mouthed "sorry", and posed for a series of shots to hide from my own father.

Such is life on the set of a music video, my friends. Back in August I shot the video for "Painted Lady", the latest single from Brooklyn's own ZO2. I first became aware of their existence upon seeing a billboard in the summer of '08 promoting their IFC series, "Z Rock". I was instantly hooked on their show and music. In November of the same year I attended a live show in New Jersey just minutes away from where I grew up, and got to schmooze with the boys after (that night inspired one of my own songs, to be discussed further in a future piece). Who would have thought that mere months later, the lead singer's guitar-callused hand would be positioned just so on my bare tummy, making for the best shot Mr. Photographer would get all day. (That may or may not be true, but in my little delusional world it is, so just humor me here.)

My dream since I was a preteen just sprouting half a boob was to be in music videos. Granted, it was supposed to be MY video, but when my full-grown pair landed me a spot dancing for twelve hours in front of a bassist who has a hard time keeping his shirt on, I was on that ship. I didn't have my shirt on either, which, when things got slow between takes, allowed me to play rousing games of "Who Has Better Abs". The only two contenders, it turns out, were me and Bass Boy, for at some point during the day I realized that out of 30+ girls, I was the only one in a bra. Everyone else has taken the corset route.

Now I know plenty of girls and women who would have crouched in a corner out of embarrassment had this happened to them. I, on the other hand, took on the "let the games begin" attitude. And it came in handy, because when I saw the final cut of the video, there I was in clear view. Or so I thought. When the video was released online to the public, many of my friends couldn't spot me. Which is where the title of this piece comes in; that's the exact phrase I said over and over to friends so they knew where I was. It was my one distinguishing feature among the girls, and I was proud, dammit!

I wonder if my pediatrician had an inkling while he was cutting my umbilical cord that that little tummy would be my claim to fame.

(BONUS: One of my friends, who was on the shoot with me that day, was kind enough to break down the video to where you can see me. Thanks, Anthony!
10 seconds
12-14 seconds
57-59 seconds
2:26 - 2:29
2:40
2:47
2:55-2:56
3:02
3:06
3:12-3:14)

And, finally, here's the video:

Interview with Stephen King

2009-11-03T19:36:00.000-05:00

Kay Redfield Jamison: Madness as Muse

2009-11-02T07:26:00.001-05:00

Saul Williams: "When The Clock Strikes Me"

2009-11-02T07:23:00.000-05:00

In Memory of Poet Craig Arnold: Uncouplings

2009-11-01T18:12:00.005-05:00

Uncouplings
by Craig Arnold

There is no I in teamwork
but there is a two maker

there is no I in together
but there is a got three
a get to her

the I in relationship
is the heart I slip on
a lithe prison

in all communication
we count on a mimic
(I am not uncomic)

our listening skills
are silent killings

there is no we in marriage
but a grim area

there is an I in family
also my fail

Source: Poetry (October 2008).

Craig Arnold (November 16, 1967 – c. April 27, 2009) went missing on the small volcanic island of Kuchinoerabujima, Japan. He went for a solo hike to explore an active volcano on the island and never returned to the inn where he was staying. His trail was found near a high cliff, and he was presumed to have died from a fatal fall near the date of his disappearance.

Calvin Trillin Remembers Profitable Journalism

2009-11-01T07:16:00.000-05:00

100 Tools for Writer’s Block

2009-10-31T18:10:00.002-04:00

http://onlineschool.net/2009/10/26/100-tools-to-turn-to-when-you-have-writers-block/
Click here