Publication

If you are at that point in your writing when your piece is finished, polished, and there nothing more to be done, then you are what next? Well, the next logical step is trying to get your writing published because why not? Writers like an audience; plus, whether it is in a book or a literary magazine, there is something pleasing about have your writing published--there just is.

So how do you go about publishing? Here are some tips that I hope are helpful:

Look at who is publishing the books you enjoy. Say, for example, Viking publishes a lot of the books you read and like, then start with them first. And as a side note to that, always start out up at the top. That is to say, don't settle for a no name publisher.

Agents: going through an agent is one possibility. The agent functions as another editor before you send it off to the actual publisher. The agent can get your book into publishing houses that wouldn't otherwise look at your book. You should never pick an agent where you have to pay money upfront. If that is the case, then just walk away. One negative side to an agent is that they make roughly 15-30% (depending on what you both agree on) in all the royalties--forever!

Contracts: you can get a contract lawyer. Royalty is the amount you get back per a book sale. In general, you usually get a 10% royalty. Your advance, the money they pay you before any sales are made, is against your royalties; meaning, until your book makes up your advance in royalties, you don't get paid anything more.

Editor: think about your editor.... Look for editors who publish books you really like. Develop trust (i.e. never miss a deadline!). Pick an editor who will push you. Editor's like people who engage with problems (and don't always respond in a slave-ish, minion "yes sir" sort of way). Editors want you for the long haul, they want you in their stable. Develop a collaborative relationship of trust.

What you can expect...

It is your obligation to help promote your books. Go to book signings, conferences, and so on (I mean they did just spend a quarter of a million getting your book out there).

At any point, when the publisher asks you to put out your own money, that is a red flag--say no. Be hard nosed. You know how much you are worth, so you know what a reasonable fee for your time is.

If you are not going to publish through a house, then there are literary magazines. These magazines are hungry for matter. Most have very high standards. Write a cover letter that shows the title of your piece you enclosed, a brief sentence saying what your piece is about and why it fits the particular magazine, and a brief sentence showing your history of publication. And, in general, you should always maintain copyright.

Hope some of this helped.

Lan Samantha Chang

Lan Samantha Chang is an award winning fiction writer (All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost, Hunger) and teaches at the prestigious University of Iowa's Iowa's Writer's Workshop. Here are some things she has to say on writing fiction.

Fiction is a focus on things in the world.

Writing is a construction of identity.

Take details and turn them into something more. For example, a lady could be wearing a leopard spotted jacket because her personality is predator-like. 

Defy conventional logic. Literature is an un-quantifiable, making writing an irrational practice.

Writing fiction helps us learn to love others and not just ourselves. The development of compassion, and the ability to see others and feel for them, is the fiction writer's art; and this is what art has to be about. The practice of the fiction writer's art is learning to see outside themselves, seeing beyond the self.

Don't be afraid to interact with everyone from all cultures, religions and beliefs, etc. etc. These interactions bring more facets of the human experience into your fiction. For example, acknowledge that humans have spiritual experiences that drive and motivate them.  

The Earth is a Landfill

The earth is a Landfill

I tread in asphalt streams amongst the Great Plains

Overwhelmed by the rushing rapids of nearby

Gerald R. Ford River

As the albino sky cows grazed peacefully in the toxic pastures

To stomachs content, releasing thunderous flatulence

Onto the earth

Red brick revolvers emitted smoke lingered by death

Imprinted in the buffalo grass at the battle field

Of Superfund

The natives lived off the land, filled by its roots

And the pioneers laid waste, landed there by

By the whispers in the wind

One group’s trash is another’s treasure.

Cluttered

Cluttered

Peering through my window,

I cup my hands to see

Mr. Roy G. Biv.

Haplessly strewn about

within a backdrop of “trees.”

My eyes strained, as

I took it all in:

“nature’s” random.

I discovered a reflecting pond of me

I stepped back,

tried the brass knob (one more time),

and wondered:

Where is my key?

Linda McCullough Moore

Linda McCullough Moore is a short story writer who has published over 300 short stories in various literary magazines, and she has won numerous awards (most notably, The Pushcart prize). Here are some brief notes on what she has to say about writing and writing short fiction.

Moore believes the best short stories, and any story for that matter, have two narratives going on at the same time. The two narratives may be moving back-and-forth like a checkered pattern; or the narratives may be told in giant blocks, telling all of narrative #1 before telling narrative #2. For Linda McCullough Moore, two narratives going on within the same story is the mark of a good short story.

Second, Moore believes that a short story, by definition, is about human longing/yearning. Somebody has to want something. Kurt Vonnegut says, even if it is a nun wanting a glass of water, there must be that yearning for something.

Third, allow your stories and characters to go place you don't particularly like, For example, two people meet and you plan a really nice reunion; however, when you get to writing the scene, the two people end up arguing.

Finally, write a last sentence that will turn a story on its ear! (This is probably the toughest out of all these tips. Even Moore admitted that that is still a goal of hers, having a last sentence that completely changes things.)

Writing the Essay

Over April 19-21, I had the privilege of attending the Festival of Faith and Writing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As the title would suggest, it is a writing festival in which authors--some more well known than others--came to Calvin College to speak on topics surrounding all writers of many genres. I took many great notes, (or at least I think I took many great notes) on many great authors--Marilynne Robinson, Brian Doyle, Patrick Madden, Gary D. Schmidt, Johnathan Safran Foer, etc. etc.--that I will share more of later.

This post, the one I am currently typing up right now, comes from the insightful words of Brian Doyle and Patrick Madden--two great modern essayists.

What do they say?

Well, for starters, the essay form of writing is in danger! Yes, danger! It is a dying art; and it is a dying art because it is a misunderstood art. That is to say, when most people hear the word "essay," they run, they cower, they cringe, stoop, wince, recoil, shrink... there is just a simple misunderstanding plaguing the essay.

Let's be honest, what do you think of, immediately, after hearing the word--do I dare say it?--essay. I know I think of the arduous hours spent crafting--no, that sounds too kind--spent slaving over writing prompts assigned as homework, major papers, exams, and so on. And we all know writing the essay in those situations was never fun; and if you say otherwise, you're lying. I mean, really, who enjoyed essays? No one. I don't think it was possible to enjoy essays back then.

But that is why the essay is a dying art form. Too many people have had too many horrific experiences with the essay. It doesn't have to be this way; certainly two prominent essayists, Patrick Madden and Brian Doyle, believe this. The essay, in fact, can be one of the best forms of writing.

How?

The essay can be just you; it is an opportunity to open up a vein and just bleed onto the page. The essay is a chance to tiptoe towards holiness. That is to say, there is nothing ordinary; everything has an extraordinary component to it.

The essay is endlessly new. It is taking a car, preferably your dream car, out for a ride. Just go with the flow; let your hair blow in the wind, as they say--explore playfulness and voice, love and pain, bluntness, foolery, bamboozle-ry, and anything else that excites you, hits home with you, gets you all hot-n-bothered. The point being, we, human beings, are trapped in the prison of our dignity; and the essay, in its fullness, takes off that mask and relieves the burden of dignity.

Aching to write an essay? Here are some quick tips from the talk from Brian Doyle and Patrick Madden...

• Don't universalize, cosmolize, homilize, didactic-alize, etc. etc. 
• There is a story behind the essay you are writing, so make it a story: beginning, middle, and end.
• Jazz your verbs.
• Don't be afraid to have blunt, jerky, goofy transitions.
• You can write great essays about other people; it doesn't have to be about you.
• Do both generalizations and detail, show and tell.
• Have an unexpectedness to your essay--just let go; let your mind range free.
• Tell a story that suggests something. Don't give your opinion. (For example, write as you are saying, "Hey, here's a story, what do you think?")
• Approach with humble skepticism. It is as if you are saying, "Are we really sure we know what is going on? What if?"

Now go out there and explore the essay form.

Anxiety

Hello. Today, my faithful readers, you all get another poem. I would not consider poetry a strong point of mine. I do believe, however, if you want to be the best writer you can be, then you have to practice in all forms of writing: creative fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, essay, and poetry (I know I am not covering all my bases here).

For me, poetry promoted a deeper thought of reflection. A greater plumbing of the human heart. And technically speaking, poetry forced me to jazz up my word choice with a richer and fuller language. Enjoy this poem I entitled, "Anxiety."


 Anxiety

Four years and nothing to show.

Major, major problems

Shakespeare won’t shake these fears

Am I Donne?

Literature litters

Greens fritter each passing

Ink symbol:

And Frost-y trees blow in

as Shels flow onto shores

of this Poe-dunk towns Walt-

zing Whit-e-men, one-two-

three step-on-toes again

“A-Pablo-gize, don’t be

a Dick-in-son,” said a man.

My eyes strain for gold and

I get the muck,

until one art piece glimmers.

And I ask—

Are these Words worth it?

Silence

I am slacking on updating this blog with content. It is crunch time, right now; the semester is coming to a close. So, here is a poem I wrote in fall. It is called "Silence." Enjoy.

Silence

First dates sit in turquoise vinyl booths,

nursing on their text messages.

Women trudge home

through five o’clock traffic,

pacified by Andrea Bocelli’s

radio distorted voice.

Men sit with plastic attached to their ears,

placed on hold,

sucking on their IPods.

Mute birds perch on bark branches

Twitter tweets on their behalf.

Insulated from silence.

It has been awhile

It has been awhile since I last posted anything. Normally I would continue with my series, but I don't feel like writing that up right now (but I will continue it soon). Instead, I will share another short story that I have written. It will only be the first few paragraphs as usual, though (I do this so that if I have the opportunity to get it published somewhere, I don't have to worry about taking down my story). Enjoy:

Patrick Gilmore opened his bedroom window and poked his head outside. The air was cold--very cold--like a piercing dagger. But no matter the unpleasantness, there was a familiarity Patrick felt--though it wasn't a comforting familiarity. He paused.


A lady, walking her dog, sauntered along the sidewalk. She leaned backwards on her heels as if she had nowhere to be and nothing to worry about. Even the dog let its tongue hang loose, breathing heavy, dopey breathes of innocence. A couple ran along the sidewalk, talking and laughing. Patrick's neighbor across the street, Luther Franklin, stood in his bathrobe, pajama pants, and slippers, waiting for the mailman. Just waiting. Waiting with a cup of coffee in his hands. Waiting. And when the mail did come, Luther greeted him with a smile and a wave as if they were old college pals.


Patrick couldn't help but feel sorry for those poor souls. Their innocence. Their carefreeness. Their nonchalantness. Their ignorance truly is bliss, thought Patrick, but it's tragic. If only they knew what I knew. If only they could walk a day in my shoes, knowing the imminent threats in the world. But they are far too occupied with the pleasures of walking the dog, sharing laughter, and lounging in lush pajamas with a warm cup of coffee. I know better than to be preoccupied with the fantasies of this world. Reality is where I sit.


Patrick continued watching until the people cleared from the street. Then he pulled back from the window. He felt more relaxed with an empty street.


But then there was this car. Patrick's eyes went on alert, darting around. A Jeep Grand Cherokee parked across the street at the neighbor's house. Black. Tinted windows. License plate number MJY D303. Florida. What is Florida doing in Wisconsin? Family? Friends? The snow around the tires looked undisturbed. Whoever it is, they must have gotten here sometime last night, before the snowfall. 

Characters (Part II)

I'm back with more ways to develop a character. If you need a refresher go back to "Characters (Part I)." Anyway, great characters are characters who have quirks, itches, motivations, and so on and so forth. Here is some questions that will bring your characters to life.

Distinctive speech patterns can mark a character as... well... distinctive. Marilyn Monroe, for example, talks in a breathy, superficial way; or Robin Williams, he talks in a manicfasthardtocatchallhiswords kind of way. So, when developing your character's speech patterns, here are some questions to ask:

Does your character speak formally or informally (diction, structure, etc.)?

Does your character cuss?

Are there distinctive phrases your character uses? A phrase (maybe one or two or three different phrases) that they use over and over again that marks them and their nature.

Does your character use regionalisms, slang, jargon, etc. (i.e. "ain't"). Do they speak in a way typical of the area they live in or the profession they are in?

Are there typical sentence structures (i.e. a series of fragments, never actually finishes sentences, etc.)?

Your character's speech pattern should fit their personality (and their personality should fit their speech pattern). All the exteriors should line up and not contradict each other. (If you remember, I go into more depth about "exteriors" in Part I.)

I hope this helps develop those life-like characters; I know it helps me. And as always, these are mere suggestions, tools in a writer's toolbox. These are not a checklist where you include (A), (B), and (C), and voila; it doesn't work like that. No. Instead, you use what is helpful for you--the writer.

Stay tuned for Characters (Part III)... I know, real creative.

Writer's Retreat

Hello! I just got back from a writers retreat where plenty of writing, plenty of writing contests, plenty of writing exercises, and plenty of discussions on writing all took place. It was a community of writers just hanging out and writing. Now, if you are not into writing, I know that doesn't sound like much fun; but let me tell, it was.

One of the main writing prompts was that we had to use one of the following three sentences (for our first sentence of our short story), and the chosen line cannot be altered in any way:

1. Rachel's first trip to England didn't go as planned.
2. A light snow was falling as Charlie Reardon left the diner and made his way down Madison Street.
3. Sometimes, when it's quiet, I can remember what my life was like before moving to Cedar Springs.

I chose sentence (1). Here is the beginning of my short story that I am writing based on the prompt:

Rachel's first trip to England didn't go as planned. Just like the second didn't go as planned, nor the third. Come to think of it, Rachel couldn't remember anytime when things went according to plan at England: Family Diner in Boise, Idaho. And this time--her fourth time, with her fifth-grade class--was no exception.


"Class," said Rachel, "we will be sitting in the corner booth seats." She extended her arm towards four turquoise vinyl seats. And then she led her class from the front door; past the regulars, grumbling about those damn kids; past Laverne, the fifty-something, raspy voiced waitress with too much purple eye shadow and deep-red lipstick; and into the booth seats. 

Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL)

Hello. So maybe some of you are wondering how my short stories are doing. Well, like I have expected, they don't draw much attention to themselves. Murder on Laodicea Street and The Awake are Dead are my only two stories that I have self-published on Amazon's Kindle Library.

Roughly, I average selling 1.5 stories a day (that is like 50 cents a day!). Some days I get no sales, and I rank in the 200,000s on the best-seller lists. Other days I'll get three sales and rank #40,000.

But, the main reason I am writing this post is because I have some pretty cool news. Well... at least I think it is cool. Yesterday (2-29-2012), I got my first "borrow." A borrow is when a Amazon Prime Member picks up your book for free. They don't have to pay the 99-cent book price; I don't get the 35-cent royalty.

But wait, there's more!

This is really cool for me because per every "borrow" I make roughly $1.50. Pretty neat, huh? That's one-dollar-and-fifty-cents that I get to keep all of.

So yes, ideally I'd prefer if I got 1.5 borrows a day. But either way, it is a lot fun having people read your work, your writing.

Characters (Part I)

As author's we will write stories involving characters. It is important to give depth to the character, making them more life-like and believable. So, as authors, it is our job to incarnate our character's inner life. Give the physical to infer the spiritual. Give the exterior to show the interior. Watching the character act and move around a place allows the reader to see something about the character's inner character.

How is this done?

First, the voices of the characters, what they say, and how they say it, says a lot about the character. We learn about characters by how they talk.

Show the way your character walks. Does your character walk with their hands behind their back? If so, this is very Prince Charles-esque, and the reader would assume your character is very comfortable with themselves. Where else could they hold their hands? Pockets? Back pockets? Arms folded? each says something different about your character.

How does your character sit? Do they sit on the edge of their seat? Or, is the character turned away on their seat, not facing the other people? One shows listening intently. The other shows a lack of caring. There are so many ways your character can sit. But, the question to ask is, does your character have a distinctive  way of sitting that says something about them?

How does your character greet (or say goodbye) to people?

How does your character hold their hands in a social setting. Certain ways send certain messages.

How does your character hold their head? Is it nodding? Tilted? Hanging?

All of these don't have to be used, but they are part of a writers toolbox. As is everything I write about on this blog, these are tools that you can adapt to your own writing needs. You might use all of it; or you might use none of it. Stay tuned for more ideas on character building!

Opening your story

Openings grab the reader's attention, making them want to commit more time to the book. Often, it is said that busy editors with tons of manuscripts will throw away books because of a uninteresting first page, a boring first paragraph, and, even, a bland first sentence. Therefore, openings--and openings with a BANG!--are an important part to a story; because sadly, readers to judge books by their covers (and by covers I mean opening to a story).

Here are some helpful hints; but as always, these are recommendations. If these tips don't help, then don't use them. Writers constantly pick and choose techniques that they think will be useful, creating their own personal toolbox of tips.

• You want to drop your character right in the middle of the action (i.e. think the beginning of the Indiana Jones movies. Even though the action is not relevant to the rest of the story, Indy is dropped right in the middle of action).

• Provide the necessary background to bring your audience up to speed (nothing more though).

• Establish the major dramatic question (it doesn't have to be revealed entirely, though).

• Identify the narrator, or the narrative point-of-view early on.

• Don't paint elaborate state sets, don't have lengthy preambles, don't have overtures (and you get the point).

• Establish a distinctive voice (what is distinctive about that voice?). Make it recognizable.

• Don't be afraid to start right in the action (i.e. "The second blow crushed my nose into a bloody mess."). This beginning gets the reader right into interesting action, asking questions about (a) who is he fighting? (b) what happened in the first blow? etc. etc.

• If the setting has an important role--if it is critical--take that time to describe that picture (AGAIN: Only. If. Its. Critical.).

• Let the audience know something will happen (i.e. "The night before the volcano erupted...")

• A lot of writing is intuitive, write what you feel is an attention grabbing opening.

Plot

The plot is the dramatic question that drives the reader through the book. The readers want to know the answers to these dramatic questions.

Take Lord of the Rings, for example. One dramatic question really driving the story forward is, does Frodo (or even the Fellowship) successfully destroy the One Ring in the fires from which it came? Or in the Twilight books. Readers want to know what is going to happen with the big love triangle going on.

As a writer, it is critical to have that dramatic question in mind with each story. And with these dramatic questions, come three possible answers:

1. Yes (Frodo and the Fellowship successfully destroy the ring).
2. No (Frodo and the Fellowship fail, and the evil Sauron prevails).
3. Maybe (Frodo and the Fellowship succeed, but there is ambiguity to what the definite outcome is).

Stories are about what happens next--asking that dramatic question.

So, in more detail, what do these dramatic questions look like? Here is a sequence of dramatic questions that authors would do well to keep in mind as they write.

• What is it that my character wants?
• Conscious desires v. unconscious desires
• What keeps my character from getting it? What are the obstacles?
• What will my character do/risk/attempt to get it?
• After this, everything falls to the consequences--so, what is the fallout from the choice? What are the consequences?

The dramatic question is not about the meaning of the story. The meaning can come later. Don't focus on the meaning, at first; otherwise, the story can become didactic. Your characters are no longer characters; rather, your characters become walking ideas.

Writing Exercises

Have you ever tried a writing exercise? One that requires a certain style from you the author? For example, take this prompt:

The girl was excited about riding on the elevator.

Now, try to show (not tell) the girls emotion of excitement. As Flannery O'Connor always says, describing someone or something always begins with the eye. As in, show us certain features that would give away her excitement.

For this writing prompt in particular, I would write something about the girl smiling with two big dimples punctuated on her cheeks. Then I would say how she lets out a shriek and is jumping up and down; but I wouldn't say a shriek of excitement, that would be telling, not showing. Instead, the reader should get from the smile and dimples that the shriek is not from fear, but from excitement.

Try a writing exercise out. It can help the brain get flowing and it can help any writer get better at certain aspects of their writing (whatever the prompt is emphasizing).

Questions readers ask

As writers, we have to answer the questions that readers will ask. These questions intrigue the reader to read further into the story. Think of these questions as the "What happens next?" questions. Here is a list of some questions that are important, as writers, to address.

• Whose telling the story? And why are they telling the story?
• Who does the story belong to?
• What characters am I with when the story opens?
• Why does the story begin at this particular moment in the character's life?
• Why is this event different from any other event in the character's life? What is distinct about it?
• Where are you when the story opens? (i.e. season, time of day, location, etc.)
• What is at stake for the main character?
• What do the main characters want? What is it that they are dieing for lack of?
• What do my main characters fear? What motivates or pushes them?

Exploiting any one of these questions will make the reader tick. These questions make the reader want to read more because they want to know the answers.

Movie Review: The Ides of March

The Ides of March

Director: George Clooney


Starring: Ryan Gosling (Stephen Meyers), George Clooney (Governor Mike Morris), Paul Giamatti (Tom Duffy), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Paul Zara)

Idealistic press secretary, Stephen Meyers (Gosling), believes in playing fair and by the rules. During the middle of the Ohio primary, however, his job is at stake, a scandal has surfaced, and Meyers is thrusted into the kill or be killed world that is dirty politics.

Is it worth seeing? Yes. The movie takes twists and turns, leaving you on the edge of your seat. And these suspenseful moments are not built around mind-numbing, action-packed sequences. No. Actually, there is no violence whatsoever. This is a look inside the world of politics, and it is haunting to say the very least.

New short story

Hello everyone. I am writing, now, to introduce a new short story that I have self-published in Kindle. The short story is entitled The Awake are Dead. It is a mix of suspense, "mystery," and surprise.

I wrote this story awhile ago. As a matter of fact, I wrote it at the same time as Murder on Laodicea Street. Therefore, as you read both stories, you may realize there are similarities with what I am trying to achieve. And, as was pointed out to me before, there are eerily similar details in both. I realize that.

Right now I am working on my first attempt at a novella/novel (I am not sure which it will be... it all depends on how much I have written by the time I am done writing the story). Nonetheless, I am excited to tackle a larger writing project. I don't want to say much about it right now, but as most of it is written I will reveal more details (talking too much about a project disperses the creative energy!).

Amazon's R. W. Morici Author's Page

Hello. I have a breif update. About a month ago I created an "Author's Page" on Amazon. Recently, I actually added stuff to it (whereas before, it was blank). I have added a biography page and an RSS feed from my blog to the Amazon Author's Page. Additionally, you can see all of my self-published works on the Author's Page (and as of right now, by all I mean all one of my stories I have self-published so far).

If you are interested, you can find my Amazon Author's Page here.