I’m Back! (No, really!)

It’s been a long hard road for me, and while it continues to be true, I’m ready to commit to T.A.A. again. To prove it, as I’ve faltered a few times, these are the topics you will see this week-

Tuesday-Wednesday 12/6/11-12/7/11
The Dangers of Rivalry
What happens when you let rivalry go to your head. How it steals your joy for writing, and reading, and things you can do to get back in balance.

You Really Should Read….(How NOT to be the Scrooge in your writer’s group)
Any writer who’s been critiqued will eventually get suggested they read a certain book or writer in hopes you’ll learn how to “fix” something in your own writing that’s not doing what it should, and you know it’s true, but it can still feel discouraging, even a little insulting, but you know it’s (usually) meant to be encouraging.

Before you go off on a rant (As I have sadly done) learn from my mistakes so you will stay on your writer friend(s) good side, address the problem, and still let the frustration out so you won’t be an emotional time bomb waiting to lay waste to your common sense, and anyone/anything else in its path.

Learn from “The Past” but write in “The Present”
It’s vital to read the books you wish to write yourself, but you also need to know how to apply the timeless lessons in books published in a time gone by. Hopefully what I’m learning the hard way will save you from having a far worse time of it.

Wednesday – 12/7/11 The World-building Wars
An ongoing series about ways to take some of the crazy out of crafting our fantasy worlds.
(Part 1: Welcome to the World – A checklist even plot-phobics can handle and have fun with.)

Thursday – 12/8/11New Giveaway!
Details and Entry info Thursday

Friday – 12/9/11 Flipside Café
There are two sides to every story, and multipal ways to apply the same craft advice. The weekly feature will go in-depth with craft advice you always hear, and examine another way to go about it, to keep it fresh, and keep you motivated to improve your craft and combat the “Been there, Re-Done that” complex.
(This week: When in doubt, Flesh it Out: A new way to approach “Show, don’t Tell.”)

Saturday and Sunday (TBA)

I may be a day or two late sometimes, but bare with me, I’m committed to getting back on track.

Lastly, I’ll talk about the things I learned from my difficult but necessary sabbatical(s) in a future “Letter from the Editor” but for now, just know while I’m still a bit shaky, I’ve missed interacting with those of you who’ve been so supportive and concerned for me in my string of sabbaticals from the blog. I will still stumble for some time, but it’s time to stop letting my life go by, and live it again.

Here’s to catching up to you on the ongoing road to living a better life.
Your Frazzled yet Fearless Literary Rat,

Taurean

Editor-in-Chief

How Does Critiquing Make YOU A Better Writer?

I’m not back regularly, and will be busy with NaNoWriMo in particular for the next two weeks, but I wanted to have a discussion about something many writers will have to face once their story has been written, whether it takes a month or not, getting feedback to make it better.

I can’t count how many articles I’ve read and interviews I’ve seen, heard or read where it’s said at some point “Get second eyes on your writing.” Not just for the technical stuff, which as important as it is, I really find it a pain sometimes, but also for things that don’t work or should be removed, and often the case for me, doesn’t make sense as currently written.

But how can you help others when you barely can help your own craft quirks and missteps ?

While many have told me you just have to say what I like and what I don’t if I can’t be technically helpful, I’m not simply talking about reading tastes and other subjective things like that. I just really don’t feel I can help to the extent I was helped. It’s one of the key reasons I had to leave my first critique group.

I was, and sadly still am, weak in the areas they excelled, so often I felt like if they had issues I’d never had or understood, how could I be helpful?

People can say “What X character did isn’t convincing” until the cows come home, but knowing that, and even agreeing that is the case, doesn’t mean finding a better way to do it just comes to you, and that’s for critiquing others work and trying to edit and/or revise your own.

So in the comments I urge you to answer the following-

What’s ONE  did you learn from critiquing others writing that made your writing better?

Only one to really zero in on what the greatest takeaway for you is.

Together, let’s try to take crisis out of critiquing others writing, and our own.

Ciao For Now,
Taurean

Write For Yourself: Because YOU matter too!

Inspired by the blog, “The Other Side of the Story” by Janice Hardy, author of The Healing Wars Trilogy.


As writers, we all have times when we just struggle on certain parts of the process, and even though we keeping telling ourselves to be patient and keep trying we’ll one day achieve the results we strive for, and being patient with ourselves can often be harder than waiting to hear an editor or agent wants to buy our book(s).


“I Write For Myself.”


How many times have we heard or been told this same advice from other writers, often those who’ve achieved some level of success that is noticeably greater, if not eons beyond, what we have experienced so far, and I believe while many of you, like myself, really want to believe it, it simply may not be easy to achieve, simple as it is to say. 


Does that mean we’re pathetically lazy or impatient? 


I don’t think so. 


Contrary what I hear from some writers, some of us don’t find adopting this mindset an easy, or straightway thing, and here’s why-


We just lost our way. Nothing else to it.


This is what happened to me, AGAIN, and it’s a strong part of why I’ve been MIA from the blog so long, and I really missed those of you who are T.A.A. faithfuls, and I continue to appreciate the support my fellow bloggers and writers have been gracious to give me during this time, and I hope I can return the favor someday. 


While I’m still in recovery mode, and even if my updates remain inconsistent for the foreseeable future, I will keep it going, because I love doing it, and hope sharing my journey as a writer and reader will ease some of the pain of writers who feel or have felt similar frustrations.


If I can help one writer among you feel less alone and hopeless, I consider that a special kind of success, and you can’t measure it with money or stock charts, but that also means we all have an equal chance to give it, and maybe get some back ourselves, because at day’s end, we need community and understanding now more than ever.


Even in those times when we must stand alone to face our fears and right our wrongs, we need to remember the community who got us to this point, I believe we all need some amount of it, this just varies from writer to writer, no different than books that work for some readers versus others.


We spend so much time thinking of our readers needs, and I’m in no way saying this is a bad thing, all writers and readers who don’t write need to stretch their horizons, but we can’t let allow it to devalue and neglect our own personal feelings and taste in books, and that’s not fair or healthy to us, because we’re readers too. 


Tomorrow, I will talk about what’s helping me climb out of the new hole I fell into this year, and share what’s helping me fight back, and I promise an update tomorrow, and here’s some encouraging proof, I’ll give the first two replies to Friday’s post the following prizes-


Reply Prize #1:  $20 Barnes and Noble E-Gift Card*
Reply Prize #2: $10 iTunes gift card*


(*Prizes can only be awarded to residents in U.S. or Canada)
2nd Note: Hawaii and Alaska are eligible! I hate contests and giveaways that leave them out They’re part of America too.)


Check back tomorrow, I look forward to lots more discussion, and if you’ve got questions or would like to comment on your personal battle with this subject, feel free to share in the comments, or if it’s more personal or intricate, but would help writer’s morale, e-mail me, and you can chose to be anonymous, but give me an alias so my responses can read natural on the blog. I’ll update my new contact info later today.


Until then, May The Fantastic Fauna be with you,


Taurean
T.A.A. 
Editor-in Chief
Resident Frazzled yet Unflappable Literary Rat


P.S. If you’re interested, read the post on Janice’s blog that sparked this topic here.

Self Study Book Club For Novelists, Poets and Short Story Writers

Someone on a forum I frequent told me my tastes in reading were too narrowingm, and I should open my mind to new books and writers I was frankly either too afraid or envious to read.

for the purposes of this idea, I’ll assume you have or are searching for books on the craft of writing, this books club will focus on reading books in the genres or type of books you want to write or are writing now.

When choosing books to read, they should fall into the following catagories-

Books You Love Reading No Matter What
Often these are the books and writers who made you want to write in the first place.
Books You’re Afraid To Read (And write too!).
Books by writers you’ve envied too much to give a chance.
Look for tee the joy and/or lessons they can teach you.

To show you how this looks, I’ll share some of the books I’m going to read starting later today, burning the midnight oil a bit-

Books You Love Reading No Matter What
Often these are the books and writers who made you want to write in the first place.
Books You’re Afraid To Read (And write too!).
Books by writers you’ve envied too much to give a chance.

Look for tee the joy and/or lessons they can teach you.
To show you how this looks, I’ll share some of the books I’m going to read starting later today, burning the midnight oil a bit-

Books You Love Reading No Matter What
Anything by

Books You’re Afraid To Read (And write too!),
Anything By 

Books by writers you’ve envied too much to give a chance.

Look for tee the joy and/or lessons they can teach you.
To show you how this looks, I’ll share some of the books I’m going to read starting later today, burning the midnight oil a bit-

If you’re feeling brave enough, please share the books you want and need to read in the format and categories above in the comments.

As for me, once I’ve made some headway on my to be read list, I’ll start doing book reviews, and I’ll have a new regular feature on the blog that chronicles my Self-Study reading.

Until next time,
Be Inspired,
May The Fantastic Fauna Be With You

Your Earnest Yet Scatterbrained Literary Rat,
Taurean

F is for FREEDOM! Love what YOU love, No Regrets, No Excuses

It’s easy to get discouraged about your writing. Even when you know you’re doing everything in your power to get better. Learn from every book you write. Every book you failed to finished. Every book that wasn’t “The one.” Everyone you’ve met on this path you chose, writers, family on the sidelines, and not let setback and disappointment be the end of you, because it isn’t, but these feelings never go away once you’re published.

But I know that’s hard to really understand when you collect nothing but form letter rejections year after year, I’m the same as some of you who are reading this now, and you’ve been struggling to get published as I am, you know as I do that as much as you need and sincerely want to be positive, keeping yourself motivated and finding fun in the process is not always simple, and that’s why the first step in my F.U.N. factor method is FREEDOM.

Say it aloud. Freedom!

Keep saying that to your heart, it feeds on this word, you resolve needs to hear it, your thinking must NEVER forget this word, a word we can take for granted, when we lose our way in life.

I’m not talking only about freedom to write what we love, and read what we love, if you follow my blog you believe that on some level already, or at least learning to, I also mean freedom to tell yourself the truth, it will hurt, but lying to yourself hurts even more.

After my last meltdown back in February, I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid talking too much about myself, I didn’t start this blog to bore folks with my problems, or to demonize writers I can’t equal, and let my jealousy cloud my thinking more than does now, zero. Okay, 0.5, but I’m not trying to be a saint here, and it’s better than when it was 60%.

But this is a story I must share with you, because it’s something I wish I’d done years ago, and I hope it will help at least one of you get on the path to healing the true writer within you.

Today, I told a wise writer I know that as hard as I try, my query letters sucked, and nothing I did made them good. No matter how I came at them. She gave me some good advice, which I understood in ways I never would’ve a year ago, but that didn’t make my recent attempts any better, even if they weren’t getting worse.

I tried so hard not to tell her off. After all, she’s a busy lady who would gave up time from their busy life to givr me insight. Few people would do this if it’s not mandatory, especially when times are tough for so many in the world right now, suffering far worse than me, and maybe some of you, for all I know, one of them could be reading this now. It’s something I work hard to be mindful of.

But sometimes, despite your intentions, you give into the frustration, and for someone like me, who can not hide their rage and frustration behind  a mask (One of the many reasons I’ll never go into politics or law enforcement) you ruffle people’s feathers more than gain new skills and insight to improving your craft.

She said what she did for my benefit, not to make me feel worse, and I need to remember that she’s been where I am, and she rose above it to achieve her goals, I can do the same.

I need to remind myself that the only way this will end is either figure out my mistakes and plow through them or quit. But I know I’ll never quit, so I move forward, not always in graceful silence, but I do, and if a flaky crybaby guy like me can do it for eight years and counting, anyone can. So long as being a better writer day by day is your goal too.

In those eight years, I studied my craft, stayed up late polishing my manuscripts, did things I loathed because I sucked at them, but needed to learn, and while I’m never going to love writing query letters, trying to craft those letters helped me learn things I needed to know, and even if I don’t understand them now, someday I will.

There is something I do understand now.

I need to be more patient with myself.

This has always been my greatest weakness next to taking criticism poorly. Whether it’s true or not.

It’s better than when I was 5, (Thank God! All those writers who tried to help me would seriously hate me) but it’s still something I have to watch carefully, and there are times when staying silent doesn’t help you learn anything, the trick is knowing what to say, and how to say it approtiately, but everyone slips up sometimes. That’s human and normal, just don’t let it become a habit, trust me, it’ll be a demonic habit to curb the older you get. Not impossible, but hard, even harder than “Mastering” query letters, balancing the business aspects of publishing with what you as a creative person needs and deserves, but if you can do it, or at least not let it stop you, it will only make you stronger, as a writer and a person, for the rest of your life.

I still haven’t gotten there. But I know what holds me back. That’s really half the battle. A doctor can treat a patient if he doesn’t know what’s ailing him. A Realtor can’t find you a house if they don’t know your budget and what you can realistically attain, and maintain.

So it stands to reason a writer can’t know where he’s going wrong if he doesn’t find out, and what he just can’t find on his own, know the right people to ask, and leverage that to see where you’re at or where you need to be to achieve your goals.

So much about writing is subjective, once you get spelling, grammar, punctuation out of the way. This is both great and grueling. Grueling because it’s easier to see what’s WRONG in someone’s writing than what’s RIGHT with it. Yet it’s also a good thing, because what some think is meaningless drivel, others can see the merit where others don’t, otherwise the only books that would ever get sold would all be somewhat the same, and that’s no fun, right?

At the least, remember the following: I have to write what I love, read what I love, and improve what I hate to best champion for what I love, no excuses, no regrets.

Madame Novelist, if you read this, know I heard you loud and clear today.

One day, I will be as strong as you, and when that day comes, I want to share a meal with you, and tell you with my voice, not just my words, “I understand, and I’m a better person for it, thank you for seeing past the pain I harbored, for it was never meant for you, only myself for lacking your patience and even temperament.”

Until then, I toast you, and all writers who read this with these words-

To us, the writers,
Who love what we do, no matter how much fail,
How many times we’re faced hardship,
For that will make our victory all the sweeter,
Because we earned it, and it’s what we love!

Love your overemotional literary rat,
Whose sober in terms of alcohol but hopelessly drunk with passion and persistence,
Taurean

P.S: Check back tomorrow for part two in my F.U.N. factor method. Understanding.

The F.U.N. Factor – How To Make Your Writing and Reading Life Both Productive and Pleasureful!

Symbiosis.

It’s one of my favorite words I learned as a kid. It speaks to so many aspects of life. Symbiosis is when two separate entires rely on each others strengths to help compensate the weaknesses of one another.

A more personal way to say “Teamwork.”

For example, vegetable gardens not only need water and nutrient rich soil, but sunlight as well. Sunlight, water, and rich soil all play their part in keeping life cycle of plants and trees in balance.

The water cycle is also dependent on the sun. It’s the light and heat from the sun that causes water to evaporate, become clouds, which brings rain, snow, or hailstones  rushing to the ground .In addition to sunlight though, wind speed and climate temperature also play key factors in the water cycle.

As we each walk down our own writer’s path, we may want to achieve similar goals, like daily sharpening of our craft, writing new material on a reasonably consistent basis, getting an agent. Or make our first sale. We achieve these goals in different ways and at different times, usually (But annoyingly) on a longer time frame.

Regardless of how different your road differs from others, many things are a constant to all writers, whether fiction or nonfiction, short vs. long.

We must write, of course,  but we also must read, which is where our love for language starts after we learn our first words through sound as toddlers. Just like Peanut Butter and Chocolate, Bacon and Eggs, and Fish and Chips, Reading and Writing are of equal importance to writers.

But this is also where new writers especially face one of the first big challenges prior to or shortly after either getting an agent or miraculously sold your book by going direct to a publisher, something that’s getting harder to do now versus decades ago.

Sometimes, you may find reading is not the same as it was when you weren’t writing, which for the purposes of this topic, writing with publication being your eventual goal.

Before, you read what you loved and didn’t have to justify or explain it to yourselves, you just appreciated it when a certain story or writer’s style speaks to you and your interests and experiences.

Once we start writing, and want to publish some of that writing, things change a bit. Now you take second looks as books you normally wouldn’t because they’re causing a serious buzz among readers and fellow writers, and winning an award or two only adds fuel to the fire surronding the accolades of a certain book, series, or author.

Some of these books you may like too, others you simply will not, even if it’s in the same genre or type of book you’re trying to write. First, know that it’s OKAY not to like it, or to simply not be good at a book you like reading, I’m sure many writers like books in certain catagories they don’t feel good at or have any interest to write themselves.

Think of how people have gone loony for memoirs this past decade, but that doesn’t mean all the writers who loved memoir, should or frankly want to write their own.

Now you’ll hear many writers who say they don’t have this problem, and I’m seriously glad they don’t, I don’t wish this kind of pain and frustration on anyone, even my worst enemies.

For those of you T.A.A. readers who know or have once felt this pain, or know someone who has, it is REAL, and thankfully, can be healed. For the next week starting today, I’m going to put into practice, a way of making peace with the rivalry issues writers who want to get published and build a writing career always face and how to rise above them.

Readers, it’s time to get the F.U.N. back in READING, not just writing.

I know many published writers, and publishing insiders, tell you not to let the market solely dictate everything you write, or READ for that matter.  At the same time, new writers are also force fed the saying, “Study the market” often more so than, “Show, don’t tell.”

But this isn’t about arguing one over the other, because they are both important, this is really about learning how to write, and read, that doesn’t sacrifice the pleasure for the practical. This is about-

The F.U.N. Method for reading and writing-

F for freedom
U for understanding
N for necessity

Over the next week or so, I will explore each aspect of the what the F.U.N. method is all about and how you can tailor it to fit the kind of writer and reader you are.

Snow or no snow, for all you four seasoners, Spring is coming soon, and it’s time to take back the fun reading and writing gave us, while still pushing yourself toward excellence in your craft one day at a time.

Check back tomorrow for our first stop-

Freedom!

Until then, may the Fantastic Fauna be with you.
Taurean