Feb 03

Deadwood Writers Voices 1 Year Anniversary

Editor’s Log 02/03/15

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One year ago, the Deadwood Writers’ Voices opened its first issue. There was no fanfare. But it was another momentous step that the group took in its journey along the writer’s path. A group of brave authors committed themselves to publishing  a monthly piece along the theme of writing. Backed by a dedicated volunteer crew of editors who work with the authors, we stepped into the unknown.

It’s not been an easy journey. We’ve navigated potholes and fallen trees blocking the way. Each challenge was, and continues to be, a learning opportunity for us. While there is much more work to be done, there are accomplishments to be celebrated.

Writing and Publishing Regularly

Commitment to writing on a regular basis is a common challenge expressed at different writer’s groups meetings and conferences I’ve attended. Anyone who attends a writer’s group can attest to hearing from others, or thinking it themselves, “I want to write every day and produce something monthly, but _______________…” Each of the contributors to DWV have set aside the excuses and submit work for monthly deadlines. Oftentimes, the writing goes through several revisions from conversations with their editor.

Increased Skills

Writing for a public audience has opened opportunities for these busy writers, who have other career obligations, to spend more time honing their skills. The results continue to grow with each post.

Writing More Frequently

We’ve gone beyond talking the talk to walking the walk. Many of these authors are writing pieces in addition to this monthly commitment. This has led to goal setting for 2015 where many are publicly committing to writing and contributing to other sources—in addition to maintaining their work with DWV.

Next Steps

As we shift to year two of DWV, the dialog has changed from let’s write and publish regularly to a desire to explore our voices beyond the topic of writing. We’re finding that we’ve much to say and even more to explore. This ranges from exploring different genres to marketing and tapping the power of social media for connecting DWV.

Beginning now, the topics that authors contribute is wide open. All genres and purposes are open. The Deadwood Writers’ Group has always been a learning community, in addition to providing feedback and reflection on participants’ work. This year, we have increased the number of regular contributors, adding new voices to the family. We will also have some guest writers to add their voices for enriching the experience. If you are interested, review our submission guidelines. Only a limited number of guest writers will be included this year.

Post comments on the articles, the authors will respond. Challenge them by offering topics you’d like to see them write about. Thank you for reading the Deadwood Writers’ Voices.

 

Jan 24

Help Wanted: Minions

I have a lot of stuff to do.  First on my list are the things I have to do to maintain my life.  Obtaining food/water, shelter, and clothing make up the basics.  It’s what people have been doing from the dawn of humankind.  If I don’t do the modern equivalents – work my job, buy groceries and clothes, maintain my house – I may very well become extinct.

Second on the list are the things I should do.  Guilt often goes hand in hand with the ‘shoulds.’  Losing weight, exercising, volunteering – all are well and good, but not easy to fit into a busy schedule.  That creates major stressors.  Cavemen had their stressors, too.  However, I think that once you managed to outrun the saber-toothed cat of the day, you could pretty much let it go and enjoy your mammoth meat without ruminating over whether or not it would make your thighs bigger.

Last on the list are the things I want to do.  You know, travel, hobbies, writing, entertainment, socializing, etc.; all the stuff that gets put on the backburner in favor of the ‘must dos’ and the ‘should dos.’  How ironic is it that modern life imposes so much overhead to the basics of obtaining food/water, shelter, and clothing that we don’t have more time for leisurely pursuits?  We have to obtain and maintain cars.  We deal with endless paperwork that must be read, filed, filled out, paid, and tossed or shredded.  Electronics are meant to be fun except when they aren’t because they’ve gone on the fritz and you have to deal with the problems.  The list of upkeep duties is long and large.

What’s a person to do?  I’m thinking having minions is the answer.  I admit to being somewhat inspired to this thought from seeing the trailer for the cartoon movie “Minions.”  Having a bunch of these lovable goofs doing my bidding sounds kind of fun.  However, the “Despicable Me” movies notwithstanding, minions have a bad reputation given they are usually depicted serving the needs of evil masters set upon ruling the world.  The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a minion as “someone who is not powerful or important and who obeys the orders of a powerful leader or boss.”  See that?  It says “powerful leader or boss” not megalomaniacal madman out to become overlord of the human race.  A secondary definition is “one highly favored.”  I know I would certainly appreciate someone who does all the stuff I don’t want to do.

So, I’m putting out the help wanted sign to bring in some minions.  The salary: zero.  I mean, a minion will do the job just for the satisfaction of serving the leader – right?  I won’t require any evil deeds to be done, but if it makes a minion happy I can produce an evil laugh when assigning him or her to shred my finance statements.  I can wear grey suits while my cat, Calder, sits in my lap being stroked as I give orders.  See?  This can work!

Care to apply?  No experience required.  Leave comments for more details.

Jan 23

How Important is the Title?

What weight should we give to the title of a novel?

If the sum of a book is 100%, is the title worth 20% or 80%? On the one hand, if the title isn’t catchy then potential book buyers may never pick it up. All the efforts the author has put in will never be tested. What a waste for both author and reader. On the other hand, if the title is too convoluted readers may not understand the direction the author is taking them. Like a four-star chef, authors want readers to finish their creation. Putting it aside half-finished is worse than having never started. It is the difference between telling the waiter, “I’ll try something else, thank you,” and telling your friends, “I’ll never eat in that restaurant again.”

This question has been weighing heavily on my mind for the past few months as I turn the final corner on writing Knock Softly (working title). I’ve asked a few fellow writers – those who are in my writing group and have read the manuscript so far – to think of something better. Nothing is sticking. I try not to fret about it, tell myself it’s not important until you finish, but that finish line is now in sight and the fret is turning into sweat.

Let’s look at the responsibility of a title. That’s right, a title has responsibilities. First and foremost it has to succinctly sum up your story. It also has to be catchy enough to cause a reaction. It should say either “pick me up” or “not for me.” But is that all? Shouldn’t the title also come into to play at the end of the read? Shouldn’t the reader be able to see that title again on someone else’s shelf and be able to recall the entire story? Have an engaging conversation with that person over the book? Gone with the Wind does that. So does Hunt for Red October and To Kill a Mockingbird, and numerous others. That’s my dilemma with Knock Softly. I want a title that will recall the entire tome when next you see it again.

I came up with Knock Softly strictly as a constant reminder to myself that no main characters die in this story – there are things worse than death. Cancer is the villain. Curing our heroine is the story’s master thread, and keeping that central to the other events in the story hasn’t been difficult. Those other events include our heroine’s infidelity and a tortured past life she’s kept secret from her husband and children. Only mitochondrial DNA can save her now. To get it, her husband must delve into her dark past. Her desire to die with her secret is almost as strong as her will to live for her children and the child she carries. Knock Softly doesn’t convey any of that.

In Knock Softly, we have a mother of two, pregnant with another man’s child and suffering stage-4 cancer. She refuses to abort the baby, even though it increasingly diminishes her own chances of survival. Her husband rides the full length of the emotional rapids as he discovers there is so much more to the woman he married.

I don’t have the answer to my question; what weight should we give to the title of a novel?

I suspect it’s a squishy number, based on how strong the author’s own name is. Steven King could call his next novel Untitled and it would sell out. I doubt 100 copies would sell if my name were on it. For someone like me, a mild-mannered suspense writer whose day job is composing coherent internet ads in forty characters or less, I suspect the title is worth nearly half of everything written. It is in advertising, and in selling newspapers.

Now taking good suggestions for A.K.A. Knock Softly. Anyone?

Jan 21

Chinese Voices

I just finished reading Unbound Voices by Judy Yung. The book tells the stories of first and second-generation Chinese women living in San Francisco’s Chinatown between 1850 and 1945. What makes this book so riveting is: Each woman tells her story in her own words. I was very moved by how each one expressed herself.

If the woman speaks in English, Judy transcribes exactly what she says and the way she says it. She doesn’t correct for language, sentence structure or word choice. If a woman spoke in Chinese, Judy translated her words the same way.

This is from an interview Judy had with her mother in the 1980s. It was conducted in Chinese: “When I became pregnant with your third sister, I said no matter what, I was not going to have the baby in Menlo Park. It was a matter of life and death. I told your father, even if you don’t want to go to San Francisco, I am leaving. There were two Chinese women obstetricians in the city and I was determined to have my next child in a hospital.”

Judy is second generation Chinese. She grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1950s and went to an American public school each day and afterwards to the Chinese school. In Chinese school she learned the Chinese language and history and read Chinese classics. This was very helpful to her when she interviewed the women for this book. She was quickly able to establish rapport and trust because she spoke the language and knew the culture. The women trusted her to tell their stories.

The book begins, around 1850, with women telling how they came to Gold Mountain (the Chinese name for America). Some came with their husbands, others followed them later and some were left to live their lives out in China while their husbands remained in America and remarried. The latter were called Gold Mountain Widows.

This is from an interview Judy conducted in China with Kwong King You, a retired doctor, age 75, in 1982. She was a “sau saang gwa” (Gold Mountain widow). She hadn’t seen Ah Fook, her husband and the father of her children, in 40 years. She’d heard that he’d remarried in America and wanted to see him one last time.

“When he first left, I was very upset and wanted revenge, at least until I reached the age of forty-five. My colleagues kept telling me not to be stupid. If he remarried, I should remarry. I used to cry tears from my eyes down to my toes. It’s been such a hard life…There’s always hope that he might change his mind and come home…My hope is that he will someday return. I will always welcome him back. My mind would be put to rest if I could just see him one more time.”

Judy’s interviews cover the period from 1850 to 1945. I was intrigued by the way she conducted them. For the most part, she went to the women’s homes or the homes of one of their descendants, chatted, asked them all the same questions from a list and let them talk. It was only after the interview was finished that she asked them to sign a consent form. This was so they would have enough time to get to know her and decide if they were willing to let her tell their story.

At whatever time the women came to the Gold Mountain, it was very difficult. Congress had passed a number of laws, especially the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, to keep them out. Once their ship docked in San Francisco harbor, they were taken to Angel Island and interrogated for a few days, weeks or more. Their answers had to match exactly the answers their husbands gave when they were interviewed. Otherwise the women would be sent back to China on the next ship.

To make sure their answers did match (i.e. the number of houses in the village or where the room they slept in after they were first married was located in the house, etc.), each husband prepared a coaching book for his wife. She was supposed to study it on the voyage over and then destroy it.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, many of the women were tricked. Instead of being married when they arrived in San Francisco, they were sold into prostitution. A number died, some were able to buy their freedom and Methodist and Presbyterian women rescued others.

The Methodists established the Methodist Mission Home in 1871 and the Presbyterians established the Presbyterian Mission Home in 1874. Both places gave the women a place to stay, taught them English and helped them find a Christian husband or job, other than prostitution, to support themselves.

More and more women arrived in Chinatown. They made homes for their families, worked and participated in community life. Because of them, life was better for their daughters. The daughters went to American public schools. Some even went to college. Because of this they were able to get good jobs outside of Chinatown that paid more. The terrible discrimination of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries gave way to the tolerance and friendships you see today.

No longer are the Chinese forced to live in Chinatown. They can and do live all over San Francisco, in every neighborhood: Downtown, in the Marina, Pacific Heights, out by the ocean and in many other neighborhoods.

My mother, who is not Chinese, was able to stay in her house, out by the ocean, for many years longer than she ordinarily would have, because her good friend, Virginia, a Chinese American, lived across the street. Virginia is about ten years younger than Mom and at that time was still able to drive. Virginia and Mom used to do their grocery shopping together every Thursday morning and then go out to lunch. Where? Why to a neighborhood Chinese restaurant of course.

Jan 18

Why You Should (Shamelessly Self-) Promote Yourself

I believe in shameless self-promotion and so should you.

I don’t mean just with your writing but with all aspects of your life.  You need to be passionate.  Who else is going to get excited about you and your work if you aren’t?

I have never taken off work on my birthday, and I never will.  It’s a waste of a good opportunity.  When someone asks that standard “How are you doing today?” question, I reply, “I’m doing great; today’s my birthday.”  I always get a smile and some variation of “Oh, I didn’t know.  Happy Birthday!”  It’s a bonus when that comment is followed by a “Let me treat you to lunch/coffee/spa day/paid week off” offer.

FullSizeRenderbuttonsI’m all about free stuff.  My husband and I celebrate every fifth wedding anniversary in Walt Disney World.  The resort staff knows we’re there for our special occasion–they know because we told them–so they give us large, cheerful Happy Anniversary buttons that we wear.  Because these days being married more than nine weeks can be an accomplishment, I tell everyone we meet “It’s our ##-year wedding anniversary.”  Compliments feel good. We get numerous congratulations, free drinks, special appetizers and special treats.  On our 2013 trip, a gift shop cast member took our buttons and surprised us with free personalization of our names and “10th anniversary” artfully crafted in gold calligraphy.  Those buttons were the most complimented, commented and coveted aspect of our trip.

The point is no one knows to celebrate you if you don’t share that information.  By telling people, you are celebrating you yourself.  Others will follow your lead and celebrate.

No one would have done anything if we weren’t bold.  Being bold is not egotistical or vain.  It is being proud of your accomplishments, whether they are personal or professional.

Think about the kids you know, yours or others.  Would you be hesitant to share the fact that one of them made first trumpet in the band?  Would you be embarrassed to brag that he or she won the science fair?  Would you volunteer that information?  If you don’t hold that back, then why would you hesitant to share your writing success?

To increase your success, you must promote your work.  Promoting can be as simple as telling people, “I am a writer.”  With every book I publish–three to date, all available through kindle on Amazon–I send an email out to my family, friends and acquaintances stating, “I published a book, (Title).  Go to (this link), please buy my book, and then leave me a review at (this link).  Thank you.”

When you ask, you may be surprised by what you will get.  With emails like that, I received reviews of Lessons from Dad: a Letter to You and a 4-star rating of my first fiction book, Jimmy the Burglar.  My most successful project publication to date is my first short story, Mom, Star Trek and Las Vegas: a Grand adventure with 10 reviews, two first place state awards and one third place National award. Give them a read yourself, and let me know what you think.

In order for people to know you’re a writer, you must tell them.  By promoting yourself, you are holding yourself accountable to others, thus motivating you to set goals and deadlines.  It also encourages you to write when you feel uninspired or stuck.  Will this generate sales?  Maybe and maybe not.  If sales are a part of your goals, then exposure is what you need.

Doing self-promotion can be intimidating.  I’m outgoing,–I get that spirit from my Dad–so it’s not as scary for me.  This does not mean I am not tentative. What if no one likes my writing?  If no one knows I exist, I’ll never know. And I want to know.

I promote myself on a variety of social media sites: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and, reluctantly, Facebook.  The more people who see me, the more I am noticed.  Those two statements are different.

Am I that important to merit or deserve all this media attention?  Yes I am.  I’m a talented wordsmith with three books, two columns staff for Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine and one award-winning blog.  However, some people may think these are modest successes and therefore, I’m not worth all this fuss.  I’m simply pretending to be more than I am.

But I’ll never be more than I am without believing I am.  You need that fierce approach to your writing.

If you’re not proud of your work and share your pride, why should anyone else be excited?  I won’t be.

Be strong.  Be fierce.  Be shameless.  Be successful.