Growing Up

Is weird. I've decided that 22 is both very old and very young. It is old because all the sudden there is all this responsibility and pressure that hasn't been there before, and different things are expected of you, and people start talking to you a little bit different and telling you different things than they would have before. It is young because people start telling you different things than they would have before, and you realize how much you were oblivious to before, and how weighty the world is and you feel like you're finally seeing things for what they really are in a lot of ways.

And seeing things for what they really are can be hard. There is some truth to the saying that ignorance is bliss. People are hurt and abused and go to jail and have depression and commit suicide and starve and manipulate in truly horrible ways, and the older you get and the more you know, you start realizing that these things are not just abstractions, they really happen to actual people, sometimes (often) much, much closer to home than you ever expected.

Sometimes I have growing pains, and I just sit and think, how do I even take in all this? What am I supposed to do with it? Why have I lucked out, when sometimes it would be easier for me to just have gone through something myself than to see someone else go through it?

This is when I know I really am an incurable optimist.

I do not think its right to wallow in the bad. Life sucks and then you die just doesn't cut it. For so many reasons. Yes, sometimes life sucks, but even in the midst of everything terrible, there is beauty and redemption and hope. Always.

I do not think its right to pretend, to shy away, or to leave the bad in the world at the level of abstraction. We cannot pretend abuse and pain and loneliness don't exist. They do. We cannot pretend it won't happen in our personal world, because it will, and it already has, even if we don't see it. And above all, because from my perspective this is the easiest trap to fall into, we CANNOT gloss over it. We MUST face the world with absolute brutal honesty.

We have absolutely no right to judge. Nobody is perfect, and pain has happened to everyone. We cannot reach people or love them if we judge them. We must look them in the eye. God will always be there for people that hurt, but so must we. That means saying, even though God is the only one who can ultimately heal you and take care of everything, and even though this is dirty and messy and painful, if you'll let me I would like to stay here right by your side and go through it with you, every step. Because, people, that is life. Dirty and messy and painful. It doesn't have to be soul-witheringly lonely too.

But remember, too, it is not only dirty and messy and painful. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, the dirt and mess and pain is only a small part of life. That's why wallowing is wrong. Yes, mud needs to be addressed, cleaned thoroughly and not swept under the rug; but make music while you're doing it, even if you're singing through tears. The music is all the sweeter for it.

Thank you for letting me collect my thoughts out-loud. Its been a bit of a philosophical few weeks, in case you couldn't tell. Thank you, also, for letting me get a bit religious. Hope you don't mind too much. What does all this have to do with writing, you say? Think of it this way: Who do you think make the best writers? The people who won't acknowledge the mess? The people who wallow in it?

Nope :)

Sarah Allen

Personal Editing List

[This is a re-blog of a post I did back in 2010]

Every writer has their own unique method, style, and voice, and with this comes unique issues. There are certain quirks, turns of phrase, and specific cliches that they tend towards in their writing. Recognizing these is the first step in avoiding them. It can be hard to figure out what they are, but having others read your writing is one way. Be humble and willing to accept feedback and apply it according as you see fit.

My suggestion is to make a list of your own personal writing cliches, make a "personal editing list", and keep it up by your writing area. If you know that you have certain bad habits, you can consciously keep from falling into them.

Here are some things from my own personal editing list. Some of them are specific, sentence level things, and some have to do with the overall, general idea.

-Struggle vs. slump: I have the bad habit of setting my characters in emotionally hard situations that they can't really do much about except passively accept it and try to be happy despite the problem. This can turn into simple "portrait of a saint" (as my creative writing professor called them) stories, which may show kind, generous characters, but they are passive and not interesting as characters. Every story needs active, immediate and relatable conflict, and this is something I have to consciously remember as I come up with my story ideas.

-Words that don't do enough: I have a list of words that I have a habit of overusing, which don't do as much as I want them too. Some of those words are smiled, laughed, sighed, cried and looked. Words like this are so generic that they don't really show whats going on. Its not that they're absolutely forbidden, but in general, for them to be effective they need context.

-A story isn't poignant/meaningful/significant just because its about infidelity/abandonment/abuse. These things are poignant and important, of course, but they are often such huge topics that they overwhelm the piece. An incredibly meaningful, successful piece can be about things as simple as sister jealousy, unmet expectations, or just the small things that make meaning in our every day life. I have a habit of picking topics like infidelity just because I assume that if its about something significant like that, the piece itself will be significant. That is not necessarily the case, and remembering that helps me steer away from sentimentalism.

What are your bad writing habits, and what are some good ways for getting over them?

Sarah Allen

The Caboose of the Crazy Train and a Play

I'm starting off with the hunch that today's post is going to be a bit rambly. But it all makes sense, at least in my head. So bare with me.

So this summer has been a bit chaotic. At least emotionally, if that's okay for me to say. It's hard to even explain, except to say this summer has just been weird, and definitely the hardest of my life. I'm not trying to sound angsty, its just been hard. And every time I thought things were going to get settled, they went and upheaved themselves all over again, and then I freaked out some more. Now, I can finally and safely say (fingers crossed) that I am seeing the caboose of the crazy train. Everything still not fully settled is at least somewhat in place, and in a way that just takes time to grow roots. If that makes sense.

There is finally some semblance of a schedule returning to my life. I do social media contracting stuff in the mornings, teach in the afternoons, and then I have after school to do stuff like write, and read, and write, and go to the gym, and watch stuff, and write. Which is fabulous, because I think I've actually written words every day for the past week or so. And it doesn't look like that's going to stop, which is double fabulous.

Now I want to be in a play. There are lots of reasons for this, other than the obvious one that I plain love (SERIOUSLY I LOVE IT SO MUCH) theater. Like the fact that I can't sit still, combined with what I guess you could call an inertia problem, which means that when I do sit still it often takes outside energy to get me moving again, and being in a play is a good outside energy source. Also, since my work entails lots of people who are small children, it would maybe be nice to do things at other times that involve people who are not small children, at least on the outside. (Don't get me wrong, I freaking adore small children, but a range is good, right?). Also, I like to meet new people. Also, its creatively inspiring. Also, I try and take advantage of getting out and doing things that I actually enjoy that are not school and my computer, because that doesn't happen often, and when it does its good for me. For all those other reasons. And its been a year and a half, and that's just too long. So yeah, I'm putting it out there that I'm ready to be in a play again. We'll see what happens.

I guess this is just an extension of yesterdays post, just applied to every day life. What are your favorite...extra-curriculars, I guess you could say? What do you do to spice things up and put yourself out there? Where do you go for that zing of freshness? Clubs? Sports? Outdoors? Hobbies? Tell me, oh wise readers.

Sarah Allen

Avoiding Redundancy

We writers only have ourselves to draw on. Our own experience and instinct. What I'm afraid of, at this point in my WIP, is that I'm being redundant. I'm worried that the emotional reactions are repetitive, or that I'm hitting the same points too many times. Because like I said, I've only got me to go on.

Obviously the real check for this is outside readers. They will be able to pick out that fast any moments where things lag or feel redundant. But to catch it ourselves beforehand or to change it afterwards, what do we do?

I guess recognition that this is a possibility might be the first step. Figure out what your gut instincts are, so that every once in a while you can shake things up by not following them. But I mean, we have those instincts for a reason; the things we think make good characters, the emotional reactions that we think mean something, mean something to us for a reason. This might be confusing already, but my question is this: if we're used to doing things one way, how do we even know what the other options are?

I'm trying to make sense, but I don't know how well that's going. Let's see, I'll try and be more specific. So, say that when you're trying to amp things up, you're instinct is to have a certain thing happen, or to do more with the Big Topic that means the most to your MC. How do you amp things up in a different way? How do you get emotional involvement from your MC without directly going to Big Topic?

I am in no way saying that we shouldn't be ourselves. Of course we should, that's what makes writing interesting. But I think its a definitely possible and often easy to get stuck in kind of a rut, and not stretch ourselves or use other, weirder, different parts of ourselves. How do we access those parts of ourselves when we want to spice things up?

Thoughts? Ideas?

Sarah Allen

Reading Supplemental

I've decided I want to do a little better on my supplemental reading. By that I mean anything other than fiction. I do okay with poetry, and want to stick with that, but I want to maybe get into some non-fiction too.

It just seems like this is a good idea. The more we read the more we know the more we have to write about, right? And its not like this needs to be a big project either. I'm thinking maybe a poem or two, maybe a short story, and a chapter of something like Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews or a fairy tale from the Grimm Brothers (though some might say that's cheating.) Maybe some books on Greek or Norse mythology would be cool. Maybe some biographies. Maybe the Qu'ran.

What do you think? Mythologies, folktales and biographies are what sound interesting to me right now, but what other suggestions do you have? Or are there particular biographies/books on mythology that are extra awesome?

Sarah Allen

Someday

Someday I will be a published author.
Someday I will win literary awards and be published in the New Yorker.
Someday someone will come up to me on the street and ask for my autograph.
Someday I will earn enough money from books to afford trips to London and cruises to Alaska.
Someday I will have a house and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy. Tricolor.
Someday a boy who I love will love me back and we will get married in December and go on a romantic honeymoon to Alaska and live in a house with a big library and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy.
Someday I will adopt a little boy and name him Linus.

Today I will write.
Today I will submit my writing to competitions and to the New Yorker.
Today I will make sure my roommates know they are special.
Today I will not go over my budget.
Today I will read and look at pictures of puppies.
Today I will be happy with myself, my family, and my books.
Today I will play with my little sister and make lesson plans.

Oh today.

Sarah Allen

Friday Roundup

I don't know if I'm going to do this usually, but it just seems like this week I happened upon some excellent articles that I couldn't not share. In case you hadn't already seen them.

The first is How To Steal Like An Artist (and 9 Things Nobody Told Me) by Austin Kleon. Brilliantly honest, realistic and inspiring.

The second is an excellent article by Wendy Lawton about what actually works in terms of author publicity and marketing, and how we can navigate in this crazy social media/advertising/publishing world. Its so fantastic and actually gives some new ideas I hadn't heard before.

Last but not least, some fantastic advice on having a serious career as a full-time writer, and what that honestly entails, written by Ron Marz.

So yeah. Lots of smart people who know more than I do. This is why I love the blogosphere.

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Sarah Allen

Passion vs. Technique: Writing from the Heart and the Head

So I just finished Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Having quite enjoyed it (OMG ANN BRONTE IS AMAZING!!!) it got me thinking: why do books like the ones from the Bronte sisters and other writers hit you so hard and stick around so long, while others, if I may be so presumptuous as to suggest The Tigers Wife by Tea Obreht as an example, leave a little to be desired?

My conclusion is that the difference is in the passion. The passion the writer imbues into the story as well as the passion within the story itself. Anything written by the Brontes just oozes with passion, while Ms. Obreht's novel, though absolutely beautiful and technically stunning, feels a little manufactured. Passion is what grips readers and makes your story timeless.

Here's the catch: if the technique is too sloppy or obtrusive, the passion will not come across the right way. I don't doubt that Tea wrote her book with the same passion and feeling as any author; but her technique was so cerebral and precise that it kind of got in the way of a unique voice. On the other end of the spectrum, wannabe writers everywhere (and believe me, they are) who either don't know or don't care about technique don't give us anything but an abstract, angsty mess that is way too generic to be relatable or interesting. Readers want to be able to really see you, clearly and uniquely, meaning their vision must be neither pixelated or smeared.

Easier said then done. I think most of us err on the side of messy, but we can't beat ourselves up too much about that or we might over-analyze and over-write, and that's no better than if we left it messy. Writing is a delicate balancing act between being fake and being repulsive, which I guess isn't so different from real life. This is, I think, where knowledge and experience come into play. Knowledge of what the technical "rules" actually are, and lots and lots of experience reading different writers who keep them and break them in interesting ways. Then we can experiment and see what works. But the rules are there for a reason--they don't restrict our voice, instead with proper use they help our voice come across more clearly. That means that when the rules aren't used, its for a reason too.

Anyway, those are some more of my English-major-nerd-Bronte-sisters-inspired thoughts. But what else is new. Do you agree? Do you think I'm being the right degree of cautious about keeping the literary "rules"? And there are writing rules all over the place, so which do you think are the right ones?

Sarah Allen

How To Make Your Blog More Popular

Short on time today, so I thought I'd leave you with the video I made as part of the Dear Muse vlogs as an attempt to answer some questions I've been getting about marketing a blog. This is super important for writers, because blogs are one of the main means at our disposal for book publicity. These are just my ideas based on my own experience, and if you have additional ones, I'd love to hear them.



Sarah Allen

How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

So I've been reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I am totally hooked. I'm just never swept away in quite the same way as I am when I read a Victorian novel. And its fabulous to be discovering a new Bronte sister. I mean, I've known of Ann, of course, I just haven't gotten around to reading any of her stuff until now. And its wonderful. I thought she was going to be much more cerebral and much less emotional then her sisters. She is definitely more sensible, realistic, and wry, but the emotion is just as strong. She can be quite hilarious as well.

Here's what's gotten me thinking: Jane Eyre does hold a very special place in my heart, as does Villette. But why is Ann the sister who has been historically brushed aside when the other competition is Wuthering Heights? Why has history chosen to emphasize one and not the other? Especially when Emily only wrote the one, and its not as good anyway? This is of course my personal biased opinion, and I'm not trying to discredit or invalidate Wuthering Heights. It is a beautiful book and for certain readers packs quite a hefty emotional punch, which is why it has stuck around for so long. What I'm trying to say here, is that I wonder why Ann is the one who has been brushed aside when she's just as good a writer as Charlotte and (*ahem* better than *ahem*) Emily?

Bit of a rant, but really the broader question is this: how do we want to be remembered and how do we create that legacy for ourselves? I'm sure much of it we can't help, and is just up to chance and history. I mean, its not like Ann would have chosen to be Bronte the Lesser. I think all we can do is create the best work we can, work hard at everything else, and hope for the best.

Me? I want to be remembered as an author who tried to show that its not easy or naive, but honorable and okay to be happy. That there is truth and beauty. That good art leads to faith and faith is power. Faith in ourselves individually and collectively, but also faith in something larger than ourselves. Like truth and beauty.

How do you want to be remembered?

Sarah Allen

Vertical Movement and the Pyramid of Abstraction

How many of you have heard of the Pyramid of Abstraction?

To me, this provides a great mental image of good writing. The base of your writing, the support, the majority, is specific, concrete detail. That's where the real connection happens, the true understanding.

Once you have these details, though, then something more needs to happen, something I call vertical movement, because in a way it is movement up the pyramid. You don't even need to get into abstractions, but somehow things need to be tied together in a way that gives the piece a connection to something more universal, or larger than itself. I'm going to use poetry as an example, but I think this applies to all kinds of writing.

A Spiral Notebook
by Ted Kooser

The bright wire rolls like a porpoise
in and out of the calm blue sea
of the cover, or perhaps like a sleeper
twisting in and out of his dreams,
for it could hold a record of dreams
if you wanted to buy it for that
though it seems to be meant for
more serious work, with its
college-ruled lines and its cover
that states in emphatic white letters,
5 SUBJECT NOTEBOOK. It seems
a part of growing old is no longer
to have five subjects, each
demanding an equal share of attention,
set apart by brown cardboard dividers,
but instead to stand in a drugstore
and hang on to one subject
a little too long, like this notebook
you weigh in your hands, passing
your fingers over its surfaces
as if it were some kind of wonder.

Amazing, beautiful detail. I love all the metaphors with the spiral wire. That is the biggest part of this piece. But do you see where it goes vertical? I would say its the lines "but instead to stand in a drugstore and hang on to one subject a little too long." It starts talking about something much, much more than just a spiral bound notebook, even though that's what its technically talking about. But it becomes more symbolic, more universal. Slightly more abstract, but you'll notice he's still using concrete, specific language.

Next example.

Break of Day
by Galway Kinnel

He turns the light on, lights
the cigarette, goes out on the porch,
chainsaws a block of green wood down the grain,
chucks the pieces into the box stove,
pours in kerosene, tosses in the match
he has set fire to the next cigarette with,
stands back while the creosote-lined, sheet-
metal rust-lengths shudder but just barely
manage to direct the cawhoosh in the stove—
which sucks in ash motes through gaps
at the bottom and glares out fire blaze
through overburn-cracks at the top—
all the way to the roof and up out through into
the still starry sky starting to lighten,
sits down to a bowl of crackers and bluish milk
in which reflections of a 40-watt ceiling bulb
appear and disappear, eats, contemplates
an atmosphere containing kerosene stink,
chainsaw smoke, chainsmoke, wood smoke, wood heat,
gleams of the 40-watt ceiling bulb bobbing in blue milk.

Again, amazing detail. This one is a little trickier to find where it goes vertical, but I would say its the line "appear and disappear, eats, contemplates an atmosphere containing kerosene stink, etc...". That is where it starts meaning more than its actually saying. Its not just describing things anymore, it mentions so subtly the way this man feels about all the things its just described, and it doesn't even go into how the man feels about his life of all these things because we've already gotten such a strong sensation of our own from all the concrete details that it doesn't need to. If he started saying, "the man was disenchanted with the kerosene stink..." that would be a gross oversimplification. Maybe that's it, but maybe it's comfortable, or it's exciting, or its whatever. Its could be any or all of them, and that's the point. Vertical expands the poem to mean more than its actually saying, but it still lets the reader find much of their own meaning.

What do you think? I hope I'm making sense here. It's ironic trying to describe an abstract principle of not being abstract. To me, though, this is one of the key principles that once people get, it takes their writing a gigantic leap forward. Then its a matter of figuring out how to do this and do it effectively, which is a much more painstaking, never ending process. If you start with that strong, concrete base, and just keep going, the vertical almost takes care of itself. You'll find the places where its starting to mean more, and you can go from there. Then you'll have something that just blows peoples minds.

Sarah Allen

What book are you reading right now?

And where did you hear about it?

I'm reading The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. I picked it up because I'm a huge C.S. Lewis fan, in case you couldn't tell, and he called MacDonald his literary "master".

You?

Sarah Allen

Bleh.

I am feeling not so good today, so I just thought I'd give you a preview of how I will be spending my day.



Hope you are feeling better than I am!

Sarah Allen

Your Favorite Marketing Strategies

I loved the updates I got on yesterdays post. It seems like you all are working on such awesome stuff. Some of those ideas sound so amazingly awesome, and I definitely want to be kept updated on what happens with those.

It has also been a while since we've talked marketing here at the bloggity blog. So today I want to get your updates and ideas in terms of marketing. The fact is, writers are pretty much acting as their own publicists in today's marketing world.

If you click on the little contacts tab up top, you'll realize how big of a social media nut I am. Honestly, I find it fascinating, almost like a game, and I think its one of the fun, exciting parts about being a writer. I consider this blog kind of my social media hub, but I've also got a Twitter, Google+, YouTube channel, Tumblr, and if you noticed on the sidebar, a button to a brand new Facebook page. And a few others. I know that seems crazy, but I sincerely love it. I love finding new awesome stuff and getting in contact with amazing people who share my quirks and dorky interests. In other words, if I haven't been blatant enough already, I would LOVE to connect with any of you who use any of those sites, because you are part of that awesome people group.

But really, I want to know what has worked best for you. What sites have been most effective, and what strategies the most successful within those sites? What has helped you get more Facebook or YouTube followers? What maybe obscure sites do you use that have actually helped you get in touch with a great group of people?

I'm still trying to learn the tricks of the trade. I think we all are. Whats scary is that so little about social media or marketing is really under our control, and the most we can do is be genuine, active, consistent and relevant. But there are certain things we can do to help spread the word, and I want to know what those things are according to you.

Don't be shy :)

Sarah Allen

Project Updates: What are you working on right now?

Time for more updates.

My WIP is going pretty well. As based on my meter over on the side, I am so so so close to being half-way done. I may already be half-way done depending on how many words I actually end up with. My MC is a quiet middle-aged guy, except in a few recent scenes he's kind of had mini blow ups, which I didn't expect. It keeps things a little more interesting, I suppose. I'm having a lot of fun with him. At this point in the story his problem is frustrating him because there is little he can do to solve it, which means its frustrating me because I need to figure things so that he will actually be doing something, or else pleh. Yes, that is now officially a word.

Ok, now your turn. What projects are you working on? What stage are you at? Jeez, I'm ending sentences with prepositions all over the place in this post, aren't I? Oh well. Anyway, yeah, whats the status on your current project? And do you have other minor side projects going on too? What keeps you motivated? What are some of your favorite tricks of the trade? Basically, how's it going writing-wise?

Sarah Allen

Busting Writers Block: Guest Post by Holli Dawson

Holli Dawson is a writer and artist living in Michigan with her long-suffering partner, Steve. Alongside her creative output, she also writes on behalf of a few companies including a major moving quotes provider.

***
The phenomenon known as writer’s block is something that we will all likely feel we are up against at one juncture or another, though the definition of the term itself if wide open to debate. However, regardless of personal standpoint the fact of the matter is that writer’s block is essentially a form of advanced and self-perpetuating procrastination that is as annoying as it is preventable – which is 100%. There are abundant guides out there for weird and wonderful ways of preventing a bout setting in in the first place, but the following is a crash course that uses no tricks, no spiritual nonsense and nothing that literally anyone cannot manage to pull off:

1. Definition – The fact that the problem has an official title is the biggest
problem in its own right, as once something has a name it becomes the
scapegoat for everything. An odd memory lapse, inability to concentrate,
wandering mind or procrastination is not a disease or even a malaise,
but is something that happens to everybody everyday and should not be
made into the issue that it is not.

2. Triggers – Each and every person has their own triggers for running their
thought processes and concentration, therefore identify as many of these
as possible and eliminate them all within reason. It is also essential to
accept that there will always be distractions so do not expect to be able
to work in a vacuum.

3. Realism – There is no person in any position at any level that does not
have the odd off day here and there, or perhaps even the odd hour of
downtime each day. For any person to assume that they can perform
their job flawlessly every day and never hit the proverbial brick wall is
ludicrous – therefore when the brick wall does present itself, just accept
you are human after all instead of panicking.

4. Rewards – Very silly in the eyes of some though a fundamental to others
– if working on a project or piece that is likely to take an extensive
amount of time, establish a personal set of rewards or incentives for a
certain block of time. One hour of work could equal a ten minute walk or
something slightly more delicious, but whatever the choice, remember to
reward hard work…not simply punish the contrary.

5. Outside Help – If genuine stuck or unable to get started, instead
of ignoring the phone or locking the office door, try welcoming
the comments and thoughts of others. After all, they may not be a
professional on the subject at hand but this does not mean their thoughts
won’t be truly insightful.

6. Plan Ahead – It may seem something of a pessimistic approach to plan
for the worst in case it should come about, but a realistic and toned-
down alternative can be hugely useful. Never expect to fail, but instead get out of the mindset of expecting perfection the very first time. The
pressure such a mindset has the potential to relieve is simply enormous
and can breed inspiration the natural way.

7. Abolish Can’ts – While it could be classed as an idealistic way of looking
at things, the simple truth of the matter is that anything and everything
can be impossible if the person in question believes it to be. In short, if a
person believes something incredibly simple is impossible, it will become
so as they will make no real effort to do it. Never approach any task with
such an attitude – even a ‘Wow, this might be very difficult!’ mindset it
far more productive.

8. Independence – If the reason for the bout of procrastination is the
thought that the results being produced may not measure up to the
expectations of others, this can be a recipe for long-term disaster. It is
impossible to accurately see anything through the eyes of others and
therefore that has the potential to leave a person striving for a goal they
can never reach. Establish realistic personal goals in advance and never
let another’s views even enter into consideration.
***

10 Rules of Writing

I don't know, maybe its just me, but I find things easier to handle when they're in list form. Here are Elmore Leonard's infamous 10 Rules of Writing:

1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a charac­ter's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead look­ing for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways than an Eskimo to describe ice and snow in his book Arctic Dreams, you can do all the weather reporting you want.

2 Avoid prologues: they can be ­annoying, especially a prologue ­following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in non-fiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want. There is a prologue in John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, but it's OK because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: "I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks."

3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "said" is far less intrusive than "grumbled", "gasped", "cautioned", "lied". I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.

4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".

5 Keep your exclamation points ­under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.

6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". This rule doesn't require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use "suddenly" tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.

7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apos­trophes, you won't be able to stop. Notice the way Annie Proulx captures the flavour of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories Close Range.

8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", what do the "Ameri­can and the girl with him" look like? "She had taken off her hat and put it on the table." That's the only reference to a physical description in the story.

9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.

10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them.

Aren't those great? They make so much sense. Also, check out the Guardian article with these ten rules, as well as rules from other modern authors like Jonathan Franzen.

Cool, eh? And honestly, they really do make your writing so much better. And you have to know the rules in order to know how to break them.

Sarah Allen

9/11 and Why We Need Books

What is there, really, to be said on days like this? Though it might sound ironic coming from a writer, I think at its deepest level experience is beyond words, but its experiences like 9/11 that make it seem pointless to even try. What do Harry Potter and Jane Austen matter at times like this? I think that is a very fair question. What's the point of books and art when people are dying and hungry and poor and afraid?

Books can't give people food and water and shelter. For some people this is reason enough to consider fiction a waste of time. And its true, books don't fulfill those most basic needs. But I would suggest that books and art fulfill an even deeper need, and on the grand scale are even more important then food and shelter. Events like September 11th are symptoms of a much larger and more pervasive disease.

We humans are so stuck inside ourselves. Fear, greed, pride, bigotry, hate--all the reasons behind things like terrorist attacks and other crime--are a result of people not being able to see past themselves.

Basically, we need books to take us outside ourselves.

Reading and art gives us knowledge, experience, and understanding. We feel things we might never have otherwise felt, and see things through a very different perspective. I think that, often, just the experience of having an outside center of focus, no matter what it is, can be enough of a wake-up call and paradigm shift to get us to have even a moment of trying to see things from someone else's perspective before we act. This is a bit of a silly, tongue-in-cheek question, but I wonder how many members of Al Quaida or the Taliban have read Pride and Prejudice? And vice versa; how many of us have read the Quoran?

So sometimes things suck. Sometimes people hurt other people. Sometimes the world seems like its full of hurt and people who don't care. We need to care. As individuals we should try and comfort and give and donate, and do whatever we can to, in the words of nerdfighters everywhere, end world suck. But as far as a world collectively, you know what we the world could do to help and really get at the root of the problem?

Read.

Sarah Allen

5 Killer Online Copywriter Tips Every One Should Know

This post was written by Lior Levine, an online marketing consultant for a custom neon sign store and for an online task management tool company.
***
When you hear people talking about copywriting they'll come from one of two camps. The first are the ones who think that being a great copywriter is up there with being able to conjure rabbits out of hats in that it's nothing short of magic. Then there's the camp who think that creating great copy is easy and anyone can do it.

The reality is that copywriting is a skill that you practice, practice and then practice some more to become truly great at it. If you ask any author how they got published in the end you'll get the same response "I kept writing until my writing improved to the point where I got published". And the exact same is true of copywriting - the more you do it the better you'll become.

But there are some key things to watch out for when you're writing copy that will quickly separate you from the mediocre and put you in the league of the soon-to-be-great.

Here are 5 killer copywriting tips for you to use:
Tip #1: Profile Your Market

It's very hard to appeal to an audience unless you know what the audience looks like. It's the equivalent of a comedian going on stage blindfold and not being able to hear - you simply can't judge your audience. To make the greatest impact with your copy you need to understand who you're writing for in advance.
How old are they?
Are they male or female?
What are their greatest dreams and their worst nightmares?
You need to have an exact image of your target customer in your mind before you write a single word of copy.

Tip #2: Sell The Sizzle

All too often copywriters drone on and on about feature x and feature y of a product or service. The features are never what sell a product - it's what the product can do to make the persons life better.

So selling the sizzle means "A juicy and mouthwatering 12oz sirloin steak that will leave you wanting more" instead of "Our beef is organically bred and humanely treated." Capture your customer's imaginations and desires from the outset and you're already 75% of the way there.
Tip #3: Keep It Short

People have short attention spans and some people have incredibly short attention spans. So when you're writing copy you need to make it bite sized. Avoid run on sentences and long paragraphs like the plague.

If you confuse your reader with language or long blocks of text they'll mentally switch off and it's game over for you. It's unlikely that they're going to give you a second chance and read the entire message all over again.
Tip #4: Positive Language and Imagery

Some copywriters sell by using fear as a motivator and while this can work in some cases more often than not your response will be lower overall.

It's far more effective to use a positive message to build a mental image of where you want your client to be when they're reading your copy. The more emotive the language the more you can influence their final decision.
Tip #5: Study The Greats

You can learn an awful, awful lot about this art from looking at what other copywriters are doing. Look at the work of Gary Halbert for example - an exceptional online and offline copywriter. Study not just what he wrote but how he wrote it. The structure, the language he used and the emotions his copy brought out in you.

Read online sales letters and magazine adverts for beauty products. One of my favorite ones is to watch infomercials on TV because these guys have maybe 30 seconds of your time to sell you so they're very, very good at what they do.

So there you have it - 5 copywriting tips that will help you make a name for yourself in the world of writing great copy.

Getting Past The Wall

It's writing time. You put on a comfy t-shirt, turn on the Michael Giacchino station on Pandora, and begin. Starting takes a little while, but after about 50 or 100 words you start getting into more of a flow. The goal is 1000 words, but then at around 650, you hit the wall. It just stops coming. You try plodding, but nothing really happens and everything feels contrived. So what do you do?

The obvious answer is to take a break. I think this generally is a good idea. Go on a run, get something to eat, read, just get away from the computer for a while. Then you come back revitalized and more ready to keep going.

But what if you only have a short time to write to begin with, and can't afford much of a break? Perhaps mini-breaks would work; grabbing a granola bar, taking a quick lap around the room, reading a poem. Maybe. But, assuming I'm not the only one who experiences this, what do you do to kick things off again? How do you push through successfully? Maybe a change of scenery or something. I really want to make some good progress on my novel, and that means I need to be able to get past the wall.

Advice?

Sarah Allen

Ekphrastic Poetry 101

This is what my students are working on, so I thought why not talk about it here too? It's really not as scary as the word "ekphrastic" makes it sound. All it is is poetry based on a work of art, like a painting, sculpture or photograph. Simple as that.

For reference, here's a whole page of ekphrastic poems, everything from Jackson Pollock to Raphael. Some better than others.

What I like about ekphrastic poetry is that, if its done well, it forces the poet to deeper and deeper observation. You have to be aware of every nuance and every detail in the painting to really make it work. You put in back story and emotional connections. Doing this for a work of art is great practice for being more observant in real life, which is an essential part of any writing. So as far as writing exercises go, I think this is a good one.

So I've got a fascinating Picasso here to maybe get you started, but my challenge for you today is to pick your favorite work of art and get a few lines down. Doesn't even have to be super great, but just try, get as observant and detailed as you can, and see what you come up with. And I'd love to know how it goes :)

Sarah Allen

The Downside to Being An Optimist

So I'm an optimist. Clearly. I believe that its better to be happy than not, and that when one is not happy, efforts should be made to change that. Not everybody believes that way. So there's a few things about being an optimist that I have to explain. That I want to get off my chest.

It makes us, or at least me, feel awful when someone assumes that we don't understand sadness or depression. We do. In fact, you'd be surprised. Yes, we're generally happy. When you come to us wallowing, our automatic reaction is to try and buoy you up, help you see the positives. That does not mean we don't understand the suck. That doesn't mean that we don't have times, long periods of it, when our utmost belief in and efforts at happiness don't work. Its terrifying. Sometimes the optimism of even genuine optimists is a facade, turned on as a reaction against the pessimism and depression of the people around them. Both to try and help them, because optimism is auto-mode, and also because they have to defend optimism with their whole soul, especially in times when its hard to believe in it, or they will crumble.

When optimists fall, they fall hard. In my experience, this is something pessimists don't quite get. Being an optimist can be painful. In general, we're happy and doing our thing, but that makes sad and depressed and overwhelmed that much harder to take. Both inside and outside of us. And because we're generally happy, we're not quite sure how to talk about the bad when it happens. We don't want to freak anyone out. Not to be harsh, but wallowers become used to being in a hard place, and used to talking about it and handling it. But when it happens to an optimist, it happens extra bad, and we're alone with it too. To sound totally cheesy and angsty, there have been many times when the closest people in my life have no clue how bad I'm hurting and panicking on the inside, because I'm the "happy one" and I don't know how to not be. Not anyone's fault, just how things are. And I know I'm not the only one.

Being optimistic doesn't mean being naive about or ignoring the ugliness and crap in the world. That's being naive and ignorant. Optimists take the crap and decide to be happy anyway. As much bad as there is, I believe there is also much good, much beauty, and much to be grateful for. I believe pessimism doesn't do anybody any good. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't make assumptions about someone because they're not on Prozac or in therapy. In a sense, they're the ones doing it on their own.

As a side note, I'm doing fine. I'm stressed (who isn't?), but actually doing pretty good. This is just something that's been on my mind for a long time, based on past experience and conversations.

I also hope I haven't offended anybody. I'm not trying to make a statement about depression or clinical drugs or anything like that, I'm trying to make a statement about the assumptions and stereotypes of happy people that frustrate me. I don't think any two people can truly, completely understand each other; for now I think we've got to leave that to deity. Everyone is a unique individual, and I'm talking in generalities here. I'm sure there are points I've missed, things I don't understand. But all this is what I do understand, or at least the way I see things.

I'm interested to hear what you think.

Sarah Allen

Labor Day Goals

This labor day is a little more symbolic for me then it ever has been. There are a few normal things I want to do today:

Go to the gym.
Go grocery shopping. Maybe.
Go to my family barbeque at the park.
Organize my very unorganized room.
Write.

Those are day-to-day things that I want to get done. But today is also a bit of a renewal of efforts for me, or a gathering of a strength for a final push to accomplish the things I want to get done before the end of the year:

Finish my novel. This is the most important.
Settle and catch all the random job balls I have in the air right now. Probably the most urgent. This week, okay universe?
(Once I've finished juggling job balls) Audition for plays and get a set gym routine going. Also set a scheduled writing time. Yes please please please.
Finish my novel. Maybe even *gasp* earn some money by it. Maybe that's a next year goal.

Whats going on for you on this fine no work/no school day?

Sarah Allen

God Caught a Cold

"God Caught a Cold" by Cynthia Rylant

And he was such a baby.
He never caught colds.
He loved to brag about it.
And now here He was:
snot nosed.
It's hard to be
authoritative
with a cold.
It's hard to
thunder
"THOU SHALT NOT!"
when it comes out
"thou shalt dot!"
Nobody takes Him
seriously.
And besides,
He wanted some comic books
and juice
and somebody to be
nice to Him.
He called up His
old friend
Mother Theresa.
He asked her to
come over and see Him.
He asked could she
bring some comic books.
And of course she did.
Mother Theresa loves
all who suffer.
Even God.
Maybe Him a little more.

Finding an Ilene

If you don't subscribe to vlogbrothers, you should. If you haven't seen John Green's latest video, here it is:



First of all, this video makes me feel so much better. Very nice to hear that post-graduation is terrifying for pretty much everyone.

Secondly, John gives some fantastic advice here. Get an Ilene. But I want to know how to get an Ilene. How do you find a professional/experienced person in your desired field who is willing to mentor you, let alone talk to you? I suppose the internet makes finding potential Ilene's relatively easy, but how do you go about contacting them, and what in the world do you say? "I was wondering if you would be my Ilene."

Anyway, just thought I'd ask for your thoughts. Do any of you have Ilene's?

Sarah Allen

More Top Ten Songs for Writers

Its time for more music suggestions. Some of the ones I'm going to list are just great performances, but I think what I'm really looking for is great lyrics. Good lyrics are basically poetry, right?

So, along with the yes-I-may-have-already-mentioned-some-of-these-before caveat, here's a selection from my current These Are Great Songs list:

Whale, by Yellow Ostrich
Skin, by Sixx: A.M.
Wanted, by Rachel Diggs
Clap Your Hands, by Pale Young Gentleman
No Children, by The Mountain Goats (this also happens to be one of John Greens favorite bands. Just fyi.)
Lonely Anywhere, by The Everybodyfields
Sparklers, Rocky Votolato
Find My Way, The Gabe Dixon Band
Un Dernier Verre, by Beirut
Tchaikovsky and Solitude, by Miniature Tigers (sorry, this video is all I could find)

So yeah, some of these are really weird, but I think they're worth checking out for sure. Now I want your suggestions. What songs do you love? I want to expand my playlist, so don't be shy with your recommendations.

Sarah Allen