Dahlia Adler's Ten Blunt Messages for Writers in 2014

by Deren Hansen

Dahlia Adler recently shared, "Ten Blunt Messages on the Eve of 2014" that you would do well to review as you're launching into a new writing year.

Here's a sample and a list of the topics she discusses:

 1. No agent is still better than a bad agent. Also, NO PUBLISHER IS BETTER THAN A BAD PUBLISHER.

... the fact is, there’s only so much being in a bad relationship with an agent can hurt you without a publisher being involved. In the age of self-publishing, there is always that option, and thankfully I know a number of people who’ve recovered from bad agent relationships with successful self-publishing endeavors.

A bad publisher, however, can seriously screw you. A bad publisher can make it so your book will never, ever be read. They can make it so you’ve thrown away your one shot with this book in a way even a bad agent can’t do. A bad publisher can take a huge chunk of your earnings while doing absolutely nothing for you that you couldn’t do yourself.

2. Properly managing expectations is the single-most underrated issue in publishing right now.

3. You don’t need to get offended at everything that can be read as offensive if you want it to be. Nor do you need to respond to it.

4. Refusing to accept critique is the surest way to stunt your growth as a writer, both in skill and career.

5. Idealism is nice, but so’s appreciating where and why some of your ideals are actually probably clashing with other ones.

6. New Adult is a real thing that is selling. That doesn’t mean it’s being handled particularly well by traditional publishers.

7. You cannot have a solid partnership with people you don’t respect.

8. You are a person, not a promo machine.

9. Everybody talks, and everybody can see what you put out on the Internet.

10. The only way to make a change in the publishing industry is to support the change you want to see.

Read the entire post here.

Deren Hansen is the author of the Dunlith Hill Writers Guides. This article is from Sustainable Creativity: How to Enjoy a Committed, Long-term Relationship with your Muse. Learn more at dunlithhill.com.

5 Diseases All Writers Should Be Aware Of

By Julie Daines


Writing is generally considered a low risk profession. But there are several serious--and even terminal--diseases to be on the lookout for. Here are a few that affect me.

1. Obsessive Compulsive Editing Disorder (OCED). I edit everything from the back of cereal boxes to notes from my kids to whatever novel I'm reading. I wish I could turn it off, but there doesn't seem to be a switch. It's almost impossible for me to read a book without a pencil in hand to add a comma here or delete a word there. I hate it. I just want to enjoy the story.

2. Unintentional Analytical Plot Predicting Syndrome. (Also known as Beat Beating.)  I can't watch a movie or TV show without analyzing the plot and trying to predict the ending. My husband asks me why I even bother watching any more because I always know what's going to happen.

3. Author Attention Distraction Disorder (AADD, also frequently referred to as "crazy"). I'm constantly distracted. Not by shiny toys and squirrels, but by everything inside my head. "Mom, this is really important. I have to have one hundred..." One hundred. Yes! That's it! What if my main character lives a hundred miles away? That would put enough strain on the relationship to make the scene work better and lead right into the climax. But then the villain... "Mom? Did you hear me?" "What? Is someone talking to me?"

4. Blood Shot Twitchy Eye Syndrome. Some call it insomnia, when you wake up in the middle of the night because you just had this great idea and you can't go back to sleep because scenes and dialogue keep playing out over and over in your mind. Please just make it stop!

5. Acute Hyper-Friendlessness Complex (AKA: Loner's Disease). I've always been an introvert, but since I started writing, it's blossomed into an epidemic. A single person epidemic. How can I have time for friends when I have scenes to write, edits to make, and research to do. I've already got hoards of voices in my mind, why do I need more? Come on people! What's more important here? Real life or the fictional world I've created in my head?

What disease do you suffer for the sake of your art?

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

I just watched this beautiful video called "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It has already won several awards including "Best Animated Short" at the Austin Film festival and is up for an Academy Award.

It's 15 minutes long so get a cup of hot chocolate and sit back and enjoy. It's worth the time.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Here is a little blurb that explains the inspiration behind it:

Directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, the 15-minute film draws from Hurricane Katrina, "The Wizard of Oz," Buster Keaton and, of course, a love for books. The story starts in New Orleans with the Keaton-like Mr. Morris Lessmore writing a book on the balcony of a hotel. A menacing storm swirls into town, blowing away houses and street signs, taking Mr. Lessmore and his unfinished book with it.

My take on the film: *spoiler alert*

I love the story and the idea of finding a magical place where books and literature become the food of life and happiness. But at the same time I felt sad for Mr. Lessmore (and herein lies the genius of his name), there is so much more to life than simply books. He finds joy in his fantasyland and his writing, but he misses out on the best part of life--family and friends, relationships. 

It was a good reminder to me that (to quote Uncle Iroh) we must all find balance. No one part of life, no matter how wonderful, should completely take over.

What are your thoughts?

Finding Balance

by Deren Hansen

Sandra Tayler, speaking at the 2011 Life, the Universe, and Everything (LTUE) conference, addressed the perennial question of finding balance. She said you can balance your life by paying attention (as in at least 10 minutes a day) to the five things that are most important to you.

I've amplified Sandra's five things to illustrate the technique.

Source of Inspiration

The word inspire comes from Latin root that mean, "to breath into." Many creation stories have God, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or the Amorphous Essence of the Universe breathing life into creation.

What is it that breaths life into your writing, your work, and your very existence?

What fills you with joy in being?

Whatever it may be, take time each day to reconnect with your source of inspiration.

Important Relationships

For good or ill, humans are social animals. Much of our sense of who we are is a function of those with whom we are close. Put another way, much of what we do is motivated by the people with whom we have the most important relationships. Some have pursued their art at the expense of those relationships and wound up with no one to share it with when they won the prize.

Take time each day to acknowledge and nurture your important relationships. Not only will you have more support right now, you'll likely have someone to appreciate it when you succeed.

Health and Welfare

As Count Rugen, in the Princess Bride, says, "If you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything."

Take time to take care of yourself.

Writing

If you are serious about writing it should have a high priority. While writing every day is an important habit, the point here is that you ought to do something related to writing each day to keep in touch with your passion.

"Something only I care about."

Sherry Wachter, writing on The Blood Red Pencil, talked about the importance of a room of one's own. That is, how having a project of your own makes it easier to compromise when you're working on someone else's project. Taking time each day to do something only you care about is essential if you don't want to lose track of yourself amid all the demands placed upon you.
 
Balance = The Things that Matter

You can think of this as the plate-spinner approach to personal balance. Like the performer who runs back and forth spinning up the plates that are slowing down, taking time each day to at least touch the five most important things in your life will go a long way to helping you find balance.

And don't think of it as balancing your life. The job of balancing an entire life is overwhelming. Sandra Tayler said, "Balance the day and the year will take care of itself."


Deren blogs at The Laws of Making.