Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers counsel, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don’t they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I’m participating too!

The first person I pick is Jennifer M. Eaton.  She is more than a beta reader.  She is a fellow writer who understands the frustrations, the ups and downs, the joy…the rollercoaster ride of writing.  She is an amazing person with a fantastic eye for catching boo boos and helping me keep my voice.  I know it’s not much, Jen, but I’m going to send you a Crux bookmark.  I know you’ll like and use it a lot, and since it’s signed by one of your fellow J. Taylor authors, I know you will cherish it.  I will also continue to offer my time and efforts to help you along your journeys through life and writing.  Thank you for everything.

I really appreciate Jennifer who blogs at http://jennifermeaton.com.  Please visit her blog, introduce yourself  and say ‘hi’.

To Julie Reece, author of Crux, I offer you endless hours of critiques, promotions of Crux, anything you need, I’ll do for you.  I believe so much in Crux and think the world needs to read it, too.  It truly is movie material and if I can do anything to get you there, I’ll do it.  You’re beautiful, inside and out, and I’m honored to help you in any way I can.

I adore Julie and I would really appreciate it if you would stop by her website, tell her you saw her here and also check out the info on her YA novel, Crux!  You’ll be glad you did and she’s such a sweetheart.  She’ll be glad you dropped by.

Every day, women and children are abused and neglected and must find shelter from those who vowed to love and care for them.  Elderly people are shunned, forced into nursing homes and care facilities, many of them rarely, if ever, visited by those they once cared for.  Many of these people had to leave their personal belongings behind, including books and toys.  Over the next few days, I will distribute some used books, both adult and children’s, to shelters and nursing homes in hopes of brightening their days, if just a little.

Do you know someone special that you’d like to randomly acknowledge? Don’t be shy–come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round.

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  Let me know in the comments!

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Flash Fiction Contest Prompt has changed!

Due to a lack of whimsical stories about Homer Simpson, I’ve changed the prompt for the Flash Fiction Contest.  Pop over here to read the new prompt and find out how to participate!

Come on guys, it will be a lot of fun.  Get your creative juices flowing and the prizes are really great!

Do you really want to give up your first rights?

I told a friend the other day I’d submitted a short story to a publisher and was waiting to hear whether they were going to accept it for their anthology.  After giving me a firm lecture on why I should self-publish instead of waiting at the mercy of a publisher to make up their minds, he congratulated me and hmphed some more.  I asked him what the big deal was, why he was so against traditional publishing.

He started out by asking me if I realized I would sign away my first serial rights to the publisher if they decided to accept it.  Serial rights.  Yeah.  Heard about those and if my novel or short story finds the perfect home with a publisher, I’m okay with giving the publisher first serial rights.  But what exactly are these first rights to publication?

It’s exactly what it says it is.  If you are self-publishing, you have given yourself as publisher the first rights to publish your manuscript.  If you are going the traditional publishing route, you are giving the publisher first rights to print your story.  In the U.S., this is known as the First North American Serial Rights, and it is highly valued by publishers.  During the time the publisher holds rights to your manuscript (this will be in your contract), you are not allowed to sell it to any other publisher, magazine, movie house…nada.  At the end of that period, the copyright reverts back to the owner and you can do whatever you want with it.  While you can never get back first rights to that work again (obviously), you can sell Reprint Rights, Anthology Rights, etc.

Is is possible to give up your first right of publication and not realize it?

Yes, especially if you have posted your work in a public domain.

Some agents and publishers will tell you a work is not considered ‘published’ if you have an excerpt of your manuscript on your blog or website.  Others will tell you in big letters, YES, IT IS!  Some will tell you it’s okay to post as long as the work is in an online critique group, and password protected.  Other publishers will tell you it doesn’t matter…published is published.  Who do you believe?  And what difference does it make?

It makes a big difference if you are going the traditional route.  To avoid the issue, I suggest not posting any of your works in a public domain.  I have some of my works posted in an online critique group, but they are password protected and there are further privacy levels to restrict which members I choose to critique my works.  Call me anal, but I don’t want my chances blown with a publisher because I posted something online in a public forum and now it’s considered “published”.  

As someone who wishes to follow the traditional publishing path, keeping my first rights until I find the right publisher is important to me.  If you plan on self-publishing, then it probably won’t matter to you.  Just be aware of the buzz surrounding this issue and plan accordingly to your publishing taste.

Related articles

• Conventional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing: Which is Better? (daneladwig.wordpress.com)
• Do You Really Need That Publisher? (chiefwritingwolf.com)
• First Rights of Publication (thenextbigwriter.com)
• Know Your Publication Rights (freelancewrite.about.com)
• Rights:  What They Mean and Why They’re Important (writing-world.com)

Are you ready for a flash fiction writing contest?

Come one, come all.  Back by popular demand, I have a fantastic writing contest starting Monday.  Return here tomorrow for all the details.  Secret hint:  you need a working knowledge of this guy,

and a timer.  See ya then!

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Rally around and lend your support

A dear writer buddy of mine (who has asked to remain unknown for the time being), has written a wonderful and enchanting, very young middle grade novel that was just rejected for the 11th time.  ”Amanda” just got the letter in the mail and is feeling very, very down in the dumps today.  Troops, please rally around and offer up your ‘go get ‘em’ pats on the back.  She can use all the encouragement she can get.  Also, if you know of any agents and/or publishers taking middle grade fiction right now, please put that in your post and I’ll make sure she sees the info.

To “Amanda” and all you other beautiful peeps, I dedicate this song to you.

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“R” is for Rejected/Rejection

Hi, everyone!  This post is part of the A-Z challenge. Please take time to visit the other blogs that are participating.

For a writer, getting a rejection letter is one of the worst things that could happen.  After days, weeks, months, even years of pouring our hearts into a story only to be told to take a hike is a difficult pill to swallow.

Over the years I’ve submitted a variety of material for publication.  In my early years I submitted to magazines a lot.  Most of the time I got the standard form letter…Dear Jenny, thank you for submitting your work to [insert name of agency/magazine, etc.].  Unfortunately, it is not a fit for us at this time.

Okay, no problem.  I’m down with that.  I mean, they didn’t say my writing was bad; just that it wasn’t a fit, right?  Gotta move on.  Keep going.  For almost 2 years I diligently sent off articles, short stories, etc. with no luck.  After a while, the rejections began to take their toll.  Was I really that bad of a writer? Surely someone liked something I wrote.   I changed tactic and started submitting short stories for competitions.  Didn’t win anything.  Then I started looking for homes for some of my short stories, submitting to anthology competitions.  Again, nothing.  Not even one bite.  I decided to take one more chance with a short titled “When Herman Cries”.  It was a children’s story about a goldfish who lost his mother and cried so much, his tears overfilled his fish tank.  It was a story of grief and how kids find solace in the simplest of creatures.  I received the worst rejection I could have ever received.  I’ll never forget it.  Paperclipped to my returned story was a yellow note that simply said in black marker,

There was no salutation, no closing.  Just those four words.

I was devastated.  Two days later, in a heated argument, I tore up my first completed novel, “One Night With You”…a fictional piece about Elvis Presley.  I put my typewriter and pens away.  That was twenty-two years ago.

In 2003, the writing bug returned to me again.  Wait. Let me rephrase.  It didn’t return to me. I returned to it, and oh, how my heart rejoiced.  It was like being reunited with an old and dear friend.  How could I have shunned my soul’s calling for so long?  I began writing again, anything and everything…poems, short stories, flash fiction, novels, novellas, editorials.  You name it.

For the past seven years I’ve done nothing but work on perfecting my own writing as well as those of others.  I’ve read a lot, joined critique groups, landed a few lifelong beta partners.  The internet has been a lifeline for me and other writers, offering outlets that didn’t exist 22 years ago.  Now, my writing is better, crisper, but I know I still have a long way to go.  I still get rejections and they still burn, but I’ve also received requests for partials and a request for an entire manuscript.  And while each rejection stings, they are the yellow bricks that line the road to publication.  I have a belief in myself and my writing now that I didn’t have 22 years ago.  That publishing contract is close, I can smell it, and when it finally happens, I’ll have all the ‘Thanks but no thanks’ I ever received to thank for it.  What a journey it’s been.  What a fantastic journey it’s going to be.

What about you?  What was your worse rejection letter and how did you overcome the sting?

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What name to use when published?

We all know the importance of branding.  Anyone trying to sell a product knows how important it is to get it right from the beginning.  Authors are no different.  We’ve written a piece (novel, novella, short story) that someone else believes in and wants to publish.  How are we going to brand it?

I’ve toyed with this topic for a while and decided to use my maiden name or some variation of it:  J. Keller Ford or Jenny Keller Ford. Lately, however, I’ve had other say they really like my married name, Jenny Michaud (‘me-sho’).  I don’t know.  How do I choose?

I know!  I’ll let you guys decide.  Which name do you like the best for an author name?  Please vote in the poll below and leave comments galore.

Virtual chocolates to everyone who votes!  

N is for Names

Happy Monday, everyone!  This post is part of the A-Z challenge. Please take time to visit the other blogs that are participating.

Names.  Everyone has one.  Novelists sometimes have many.  In fact, being a novelist is one of the only professions where it’s perfectly okay to have multiple personalities, voices and imaginary  playmates (including creatures, shapeshifters, vampires, and werewolves, among others) running around in our heads constantly.  And of course, each one of those characters has a name, but what are they, and how do novelists come up with those names you love?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but some names just come to me when I write, like David, Charlotte, Trogsdill (“Trog”), Einar, and Eric from my novel, In the Shadow of the Dragon King.  I liked the ring that each name had and didn’t really realize what the significance of their first names were until I started doing some research into a last name for Trog.  I was really amazed at how their names spoke volumes of their characterizations:

David Alwyn Heiland:  beloved/noble friend/savior

Charlotte Breanna Stine:  free man/noble/anointed

Trogsdill Domnall:     to walk heavily/mighty; great chief

Eric Finian Hamden:  forever, ruler/handsome/praised

Einar:  warrior; battle leader

Aside from having random names pop into my head, how else do I come up with character names?  I look at several things.

Era:  current, trendy names may not work very well in the era your story takes place.  ”Electra” probably wouldn’t work in a story set in the early 1700s.

Place:  Where does your story take place?  ”Bobby Jean” may stand out like a sore thumb in wealthy societies.

Reserved or Contemporary?:  Is your character conservative?  Maybe a name like “Arthur” would be more appropriate than a more contemporary counterpart like “Sonny”.

I’ve also learned to try and avoid famous names, and not make the pronunciations too difficult.  Readers can’t relate to names they can’t pronounce.  And, unless you’re writing a comedy or trying to make a specific point, try to avoid same sounding names, like Harry Larry or Kendell Wyndel.

Where else do I look to find cool, interesting names?  The phone book, the Bible, baby books.  There are tons of “name” sites on the internet.  I also pay attention to those movie credits.  You’d be surprised by the gems you find there.

I found that keeping a running list of names at all times helps a lot.  Whenever I hear a cool name or come up with one, I jot it down so I don’t forget it.  

Whatever I do, I try to make my character’s name identifiable and memorable.  I’ve been told it helps to make a story stand out from the others.  I hope I’ve succeeded.

What are some of your favorite character names?

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L is for Loquacious

This is a continuation of the A-Z blog challenge.  Click here to see the list of all 1935 participants!

Loquacious:  [loh-kwey-shuhs]

1. talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering;  babbling; garrulous: a loquacious dinner guest.

I love this word.  It tickled me even more when Hermione Granger used it to describe Victor Crum; well, rather what Victor Crum wasn’t.  I’m sure Rowling sent some kids to the dictionary on that one.

I tend to do that, too…you know, send kids to the dictionary.  I don’t like dumbing down a novel or story.  As a YA author, I think it’s important for kids to learn a new word a day.  It’s my job, my lot in life.  It is my diabolical plan.

I’ve been told by some that I’m more loquacious than I should be.  I highly doubt this as I’m actually a rather shy person when it comes to talking to people face to face.  I admit, though, that sometimes my blogs ramble on.  When speaking with friends and family, I ramble on.  My stories ramble on.  I even have a character, a meadow gnome by the name of Twiller, in my novel, In the Shadow of the Dragon King, who is quite loquacious.  (You know, they’re a very talkative sort, meadow gnomes.  I suggest avoiding them all together or you’ll be stuck in conversations with them for hours.  They really don’t know when to shut up.)

Of course, talking a lot can have its advantages, too.  Blabbering and chattering to your neighbors and friends and co-workers about a new product like a new book, is a great marketing tool.  You simply have to make sure you don’t overdo it and bore your audience with all your enthusiasm, even though enthusiasm in the right amount is quite contagious.  Contagious enthusiasm.  Hey.  I like that marketing term.  I wonder if it’s been used before.  Oh, what am I saying?  Of course it has.  Marketing is contagious.  Oh!  Oh!  You know what is else is contagious?

Laughter.  Ever hear someone burst out with a funny laugh, and all of a sudden you have to laugh along with them just because their laugh tickles your funny bone?  Haven’t you ever kept laughing because you’re laughing?  Oh my gosh, I do that all the time until my sides hurt and it’s hard to breathe.  Laughter is great for the soul, you know.  Experts say you should have at least 5 good belly laughs a day because it takes away stress and just makes you feel better all the way around.  I’m way behind on my laugh quotient for the day.  Actually for the last umpteen years of my life.  I wonder if you can ever catch up on belly laughs.  Wouldn’t that be kewl if you could harness a belly laugh, you know, collect it and store it in a laugh box so when you needed to laugh, you’d have one right there at your disposal?  Oh wait…*snap fingers*…that’s an idea for a story.  Shhh.  No way!  I just had a brainstorm.  Huh?…What’s that?…I’m being too loquacious?…But I just got started…Oh, okay, I’ll let someone else talk for awhile.  Geez…tough crowd…and just when I was getting on a roll.  *ouch!* Ok, ok, I’m going.  Oh, wait, I forgot something.  *taps on computer screen*  Hey, you.  Yeah, you on the other side of the glass.  I’ve got a question for you.

Who is the most loquacious character you’ve ever read about? Take the stage for a while and don’t afraid to be loquacious in your answer.  After all, it is Friday the 13^th .  If you can’t gibber-jabber today to keep the evil spirits away, when can you?

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K is for Knack, Kudos and Kleenex

This is a continuation of the A-Z blog challenge.  Click here to see the list of all 1935 participants!

For the past several weeks I’ve tested my writing capabilities like I’ve never done before.  I wrote a short story based on a picture and submitted it to a publisher for an upcoming anthology.  This was no easy feat.

I stared at the picture a lot, actually for a couple of months.  I thought I had a story I wrote years ago that would work.  I dusted it off and after reading it again, decided it belonged back in the vault. I was back to square one.  I then started reading through some other unpublished pieces and decided to take a few things out of each one that I liked, and weave a new tale that would capture the essence of the picture.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be.

Slowly but surely, a story emerged and I was happy with it…well, I was happy with the 1^st half of it.  The second half sucked, with a capital S.  Even my beta readers agreed. However, with their comments, I brainstormed and came up with another half that we agreed was much better and presentable.  I submitted the story to the publisher.  That was April 2.

The next day I received an e-mail from the publisher. My heart almost leapt out of my chest.  I held my breath and opened the e-mail.  They liked the story but wanted changes. Would I be willing to make them and re-submit?  Can anyone say, “Heck Yeah!”  I had until April 11 to resubmit.

I thought about it, racked my brain, tortured my beta readers while offering my own critiques of their short stories for the same anthology competition.  Amazing enough, it never felt for a moment like we were competing against each other.  We were three authors working together in hopes of being published together.  And, because we were all part of an online writer’s group, the three of us had tons of support from the other members.  I can’t begin to say thank you enough to our support team.

In the wee hours of April 11, I sent over a revised copy of my short to the publisher.  An e-mail from the publisher around 11:40 yesterday morning sent my heart racing.  Was it good news?  Bad?  With a knot forming in my gut, I opened the e-mail.

They wanted clarification and ideas on how I would change some things.  Would I give them in-line comments on how I would fix some things?  Whew.  Not a denial.  I answered “Yes”, and I provided them with what they wanted, but let me tell you, the self-doubt kicked up a notch.  Here I was in the second round of edits and I still missed the mark.  What does that say about me as a writer?

Wait.  No.  Don’t go down the pity path, I said to myself.  They were requesting information from me.  That meant they were still interested.  Stay focused. Stay positive. The next round of e-mails concurred with my ideas and I got the “We’ll let you know” e-mail.  Okay.  Still in the running.

Today, I sit and wait.  Only five out of all the submissions the publisher received will find a home in the new anthology.  Part of me feels very positive. I mean, I gave it my all; the other part feels like I’m an outlier statistic.  These are feelings I think all new authors feel and go through.  Our hands sweat.  We get nervous.  We check our e-mails a gazillion times and pray when we get the one that counts, it’s good news.

No matter what the outcome, I know me.  Tears will fall, either out of joy or sadness.  The box of Kleenex is already on my desk.  I will cry for those who made it, and cry for those who didn’t, but never once will I doubt we all have the knack to tell a great story.  Kudos to all who tried and took the chance, and to my beta sisters who submitted along with me…you rock my world and I am blessed to have you on my side.  Good luck to each of you.  My fingers and toes are crossed.