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W R I T I N G W O R L D
A World of Writing Information - For Writers Around the World
http://www.writing-world.com
Issue 10:02 10,186 subscribers January 21, 2010
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MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION: See the bottom of this newsletter for
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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THE EDITOR'S DESK: by Moira Allen
THE WRITING DESK - Book Lengths, by Moira Allen
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING
WRITING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
FEATURE: Creative Uses of Magic in Your Fantasy Story,
by Philip Martin
THE WRITE SITES -- Online Resources for Writers
WRITING CONTESTS WITH NO ENTRY FEES
The Author's Bookshelf
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WRITE CHILDREN'S BOOKS.
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* Contests. Over 40 contests are always open and free to enter.
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
================================================================
Bite-Size Resolutions
---------------------
This year, I'm going to write a novel. This year, I'm going to lose
weight. This year, I'm going to organize my photos and redesign my
photo website. And this year, I'm going to spend less time doing
stuff I think I "should" be doing and more time doing things I enjoy.
Sounds like a great plan, right? The only problem is, those are the
same resolutions I made LAST year. So what makes me think that this
year is going to be any different?
The difference, I hope, lies in the approach. The whole problem
with New Year's Resolutions is that, so often, we make them with a
"year" in mind. As the fireworks are going off over Times Square
(or the Thames), it's easy to feel that a year is a very long time
indeed. Twelve months -- oodles of time to accomplish all those
things that we want to "have accomplished" by December 31, 2010.
That sense of "loads of time" is what makes it all too easy to say,
"I'll do that TOMORROW."
So this year, I'm not looking at year-end resolutions. Instead, I'm
trying for "bite-size resolutions." Rather than maintain a vague
hope that, somehow, I'll weigh less at the end of 2010, I'm looking
at WEEKLY resolutions: This week, I resolve to lose ONE pound. This
week, I will take specific steps, however small: Changing something
that I eat, getting on the exercycle, actually LIFTING those weights
that are sitting on my counter.
At the end of the week, I can evaluate the success (or failure), not
of some nebulous long-term goal, but of my specific goal for that
week. Did I lose a pound? Fabulous! Did I lose half a pound?
Then I must be doing something right, and need to keep doing it --
and do more of it. Did I lose nothing? Then I need to evaluate
"why." Is it because, despite my "resolution," I didn't actually
change anything? Or did I make changes -- but not ENOUGH changes?
Each week's "evaluation" gives me information that will help me plan
my goal for the NEXT week.
The same applies to writing goals. This week, my goal is to
complete ONE chapter of my novel. As I write this, it's Monday. By
Sunday, I can evaluate my progress: Did I write a chapter? Did I
write HALF a chapter? Did I write anything at all? If I didn't
meet my goal, what DID I actually do with my time -- and how can I
prioritize my tasks a bit differently?
Weekly goals also make it easier to adapt to changes in plans and
circumstances. If all your relatives are coming to town for the
holidays, you probably won't have much time to write -- so make your
goal for that week to "enjoy the family." If an article deadline is
coming up, take a week off from your novel. Being able to set goals
by the week gives you the flexibility to set DIFFERENT goals when
circumstances require them.
The best thing about bite-size goals, however, is that every time
you achieve one, you feel like a success. You don't have to wait
twelve months to determine whether you've achieved your resolutions.
Instead, you get to pat yourself on the back every week -- for every
chapter you write or pound you lose or query you send out. Better
yet, every success makes you feel confident that you can do it
again: If you wrote a chapter last week, you KNOW you can write
another one this week. If you lost a pound last week, chances are
pretty good you can do it again -- and again. And if you DON'T meet
your goals for the week, it's just a week. On Monday, you get to
start over.
And for the record, I'm down two pounds and up four chapters...
-- Moira Allen, Editor
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ABBEY HILL LITERARY seeks short story submissions, most genres,
that incorporates one of the writing challenges listed on
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word Flash Fiction contest-no prompt required! Deadline 02/28/10
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THE WRITING DESK: Book Lengths, by Moira Allen
=================================================================
Q: Does my book have to be a certain page length?
I am writing a fiction book and I'm curious: Does it have to be a
certain length? It's a thriller and nothing too serious, so what
should the page length be?
A: Instead of thinking in terms of "pages," think in terms of
"words." A typical novel today runs between 80,000 and 100,000
words. Some are longer; a very few are shorter. You can use the
word count function of your word-processing program to determine the
number of words in each chapter, or in the book as a whole
(depending on how you've saved the file).
However, it's better not to worry too much about length and simply
write the book as it seems "right" to you. If it's longer than the
count listed above, but you feel that the length is necessary to
"tell the story," don't worry about it. Going over the "typical"
word-count is usually better than being too "short," as it's always
easier to cut material than to try to pad the novel just to fit a
particular length.
Q: If I want to write a 200-page (published) book, how many
manuscript pages do I need?
I am writing my first book and have a silly question for you... If I
want my book to be about 200 pages long -- the actual printed book
that will be in the stores -- how many typed pages would that
translate into? I'm using 12 point Times New Roman, double-spacing
with 1" border. I'm thinking about 300 words to the actual book
page.
A: The first answer to your question is that you really shouldn't be
thinking about this question at all. Writers generally think in
terms of "word count," not number of published pages. Novels tend
to run anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 words. Anything under 60,000
words is very "slim," while anything over 100,000 words tends to
start to look like a mega-opus, like a Robert Jordan book.
So -- since this is your first novel, you're probably better off
trying to target something between those two parameters in terms of
word-count. Don't worry about pages; that's something editors worry
about.
Keep in mind that it's hard to ever have a consistent number of
words per page -- some pages, with long, dense paragraphs, will have
more words, while others with short lines of dialogue will have fewer.
If you really want to know how your manuscript compares to a
published book, a way to figure it out is to type in a couple of
pages from a published book. Then, format those pages in your
preferred font -- and you'll see how they translate into "typed"
pages. But again, I think you're spending too much time worrying
about insignificant details.
How long do your chapters look to you? You mentioned in another
e-mail that you have four to five chapters. For a novel, that seems
like a very small number -- sounds more like sections than chapters.
(Of course, some novels don't use chapters at all -- they just start
at the beginning and go on, uninterrupted, to the end.)
Take a look at some other published novels similar to your own.
How many chapters, typically, do they have? Ten? Twelve? Can you
split your text into smaller sections?
Chapters aren't measured by word-count. They are measured by
"logic" -- as in, logically, what goes into this chapter? Usually,
a chapter will cover a related series of events. When you move on
in time, or to another viewpoint, or to a different series of
events, you'll usually move to another chapter. Also, it's always a
good idea to leave the reader with an unanswered question at the end
of a chapter -- i.e., "how is this going to come out?" The question
is what leads the reader on to the next chapter.
The standard advice at this point is to "write the book the way it
works for you." Don't worry about arbitrary measures like the page
count of a finished book, or dividing chapters by number of words.
Just write your book, and worry about how to slice and dice it
later!
Copyright (c) 2010 Moira Allen
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NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING
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Bloggers in US to Report Any "Freebies" They Receive
----------------------------------------------------
Any blogger in the States who receives a freebie, including books,
to review in their blogs must now disclose them or face an $11,000
fine, according to new guidelines from the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC claims that bloggers who review products they have received
have in effect received a 'payment in kind' and can be seen to be
giving endorsements in return for the freebies. One wonders what the
view is regarding book reviewers who are routinely given copies of
the book they are to review. For more on this story visit:
http://tinyurl.com/ydj588q
Google is Word of the Decade
----------------------------
According to the American Dialect Society, Google is the word of the
decade and tweet is the word of the year. However, according to the
Oxford University Press, the word of the year is unfriend - meaning
to remove a friend from social network sites. For more on this
story visit: http://www.americandialect.org/
Val McDermid Wins CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger
--------------------------------------------
The Cartier Diamond Dagger recognises outstanding achievement in the
field of crime writing and McDermid was awarded it in recognition of
twenty years' of crime writing. To find out who won the other CWA
Daggers visit: http://www.thecwa.co.uk/
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Highlight your portfolio. We set up the site. You add content.
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WRITING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
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Call for Articles on Fairy Tales
--------------------------------
Enchanted Conversation is an online magazine, in Blogger format,
that celebrates the art, history, analysis, charm, beauty, and
horror of fairy tales. Payment is 4 cents a word for articles
(fiction or non-fiction), poems at a flat rate of $10. View website
for submission guidelines. http://tinyurl.com/yc6hbhe
Reading Today Call for Submissions
----------------------------------
Readers are invited to submit articles on a broad variety of topics
relating to reading and reading education. Since Reading Today is
mailed to all members of the International Reading Association,
the newspaper tries to address the needs and interests of an
audience involved in education at all levels from pre-K through
adult education, in 100 countries. Therefore, interests are fairly
wide-ranging. General-interest articles appearing in Reading Today
range from interviews with children's book authors to descriptions
of innovative reading programs to coverage of important
reading-related conferences. Anything that might help or interest
reading professionals is a potential story. View website for contact
details. http://tinyurl.com/y8f8o2k
Science Articles Wanted
-----------------------
Greater Good magazine's articles mix science reporting with
storytelling, often highlighting groundbreaking academic research,
but in a manner that's engaging and accessible to a popular
audience. Payment for feature articles is $.25/word. View website
for details. http://tinyurl.com/y9ahw63
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WRITER'S RAINBOW ONLINE WORKSHOPS focus on blog building, the
creative process, the writer's platform (new!) and generative
writing classes. Flexible schedule, easy format, affordable.
Taught by creativity coach, author and editor Tamara
Sellman. http://writersrainbow.wordpress.com/online-teaching.
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COPY EDITOR - line-by-line editing for spelling, grammar, typos,
punctuation and repetitive words in fiction, nonfiction, short
stories, biographies, query letters and book proposals. Critiques
also available. $2 a page. Write to sigridmacdonaldrogers.com or
visit http://sigridmacdonald.blogspot.com
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FEATURE: Creative Uses of Magic in Your Fantasy Story
=================================================================
By Philip Martin
How can you create an interesting form of magic for your fantasy
story? Will magic, in your fiction, be like a tool? A technique? A
language? An art? A gift? A shadowy force of nature?
Or will you have several forms, as Tolkien did in The Lord of the
Rings, where the dark forces use magic like a bulldozer to gain
power, while the elves have a wonderful nature that is magic simply
because everything they do is "more effortless, more quick, more
complete" than the abilities of those around them?
In fantasy fiction, magic is the central nervous system. Done
poorly, it makes readers roll their eyes and reviewers mouth the
"genre" label derisively. Sophisticated, interesting magic, on the
other hand, can fuel an amazing, wondrous story. It can add that
unparalleled spark that elevates fantasy above other types of
writing that have to keep their feet on the ground of plausible
reality.
Magic doesn't need to be plausible, but it has to work well. Here of
some of the keys:
1. Keep the rules of magic consistent.
---------------------------------------
Magic needs to work according to firm rules. Don't create surprises
of magic out of the blue to save your characters -- the fictional
equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Everything should be set in place long in advance. Then, the writer
(and his/her characters) must stick by those rules of magic, even if
difficult. Things set loose into the story must play out their full
consequences. Like Rumpelstiltskin, if you lay down a magical
challenge, you have to accept the logical outcome.
As Jane Yolen wrote in Writing Books for Children (1983): "The world
a writer creates may have as its laws that the inhabitants are
nothing but a pack of cards, that animals converse intelligently
while messing about in boats, or that a magic ring can make its
bearer invisible at the long, slow cost of his soul. But once these
laws are set down, the writer cannot, on a whim, set them aside.
They must work in the fantasy world as surely as gravity works in
ours."
2. Limit the powers of magic.
------------------------------
For dramatic impact, as important as the powers of magic are its
limitations. If magic is all-powerful, if a wand is waved and all
problems are instantly solved, the plot is pointless. Where is the
narrative tension in that?
In the Harry Potter books, Harry's nemesis, Lord Voldemort, has
great powers, but even so, those powers are limited. Lord Voldemort
must plan his moves carefully. He must recruit minions to help him
carry out evil deeds. He must retreat, wait, and choose to strike at
just the right time. And he is constantly thwarted.
What will the limitations on magic be? To be effective, magic might
require some very specific set of actions, tools, or knowledge, or
the participation of multiple characters, or any limitation that
makes the story more interesting and draws out the tension and
builds our fears that things won't work out for our beloved heroes.
Perhaps magic loses its potency with distance from a source. Or
perhaps it can only be used in certain conditions, or only for
certain purposes. It might require a zen-like approach: a complete
clearing of the mind, as in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass,
where young Lyra must carefully put her mind at rest before she asks
a question of the magical device.
These creative limitations can be as interesting as the magic
itself.
3. Make the magic fresh and interesting.
----------------------------------------
As author Garth Nix has said, magic should be more interesting than
using an electric stove or a rifle. Readers delight in inventiveness.
Curious variants of magic range from using origami for magical
spells (Paper Mage, by Leah Cutler), or turning a man's head into
the head of an ass (Shakespeare), or making a magical harp or fiddle
from the bones of a dead woman that tells the tale of a murder (an
old folktale found in many cultures).
On the other hand, any common device -- a mirror, a wand -- can be
interesting if used in a fresh way.
In Ursula Le Guin's book Gifts, the magical talents of hill-folk
families range from calling animals to the power known as "the
unmaking," which is described with chilling effect in this passage:
"My father stood above the barrel, gazing down steadily into it. He
moved his hand, his left hand, and said something or breathed
sharply out. The rat squirmed once, shuddered, and floated on the
water. I touched it. It was soft, without bones, like a little
half-filled sack of meal inside its thin wet skin. 'It is unmade,'
my father said, his eyes on mine, and I was afraid of his eyes
then."
4. Make magic applicable to the story.
--------------------------------------
This should be obvious. But I've seen too many manuscripts where
magical events happen in a scene that is truly astounding to all,
and then the characters go on to the next thing little changed,
barely seeming even to remember the amazing things that just
happened. Magic should have a considerable impact on characters to
make the story more interesting, not just be a cool factor or a card
to play and forget.
In The Lord of the Rings, for instance, the likable Frodo carries
the ring for a long time. It makes sense that he is increasingly
affected by it, psychologically, especially as he enters Mordor.
What are the effects of magic? Whether it is good or bad magic, the
effects should not be indifferent.
Ask how the magic transforms the characters -- or even the entire
world. Here is another passage by Le Guin, from A Wizard of
Earthsea. Young Ged's mentor, the Master Hand, tells the fledgling
mage: "A wizard's power of Changing and of Summoning can shake the
balance of the world. It is dangerous, that power. It is most
perilous. It must follow knowledge and serve need. To light a candle
is to cast a shadow..."
5. Offer imagery to help us visualize your magic in action.
-----------------------------------------------------------
If someone in your book is magically transformed or uses magic, can
you show us how it works or how it feels? Consider this passage from
Gifts by Le Guin"
"But what does it feel like, to use it?"
[Canoc, Orrec's father] frowned and thought a long time before he
spoke. His left hand moved a little, involuntarily. "As if you were
a knot at the center of a dozen lines, all of them drawn into you,
and you holding them taut. As if you were a bow, but with a dozen
bowstrings. And you draw them in tighter, and they draw on you, till
you say, 'Now!' And the power shoots out like the arrow."
That's a description of magic! It's rich with the tangible imagery
and cadence of poetry -- the kind of writing that those who read Le
Guin's novels are hooked on.
6. Make magic uncertain.
-------------------------
If magic is so powerful, it follows that it is not always fully
understood. Magic should be accompanied by mystery.
Magic is powerful, and often uncertain, even dangerous, even to its
own practitioners. What are the costs, feelings, problems,
weaknesses, mishaps? In some stories, this leads to comic results:
magicians are absent-minded, prone to misconjuring, and sorely in
need of malpractice insurance. In the Sorcerer's Apprentice, the
magic at first is helpful, but once let loose, causes havoc.
In the Harry Potter stories, magic is a long, complex learning
curve. It must be done just so, or risk failure, at first with
comical effects as the Hogwarts students botch their lessons and
wrestle with unruly magical herbs, snarling creatures, and spells
that backfire or fizzle. But as the stakes are elevated, any misstep
risks loss of life, limb, happiness, or potentially total
catastrophe.
7. Never make the magic greater than the underlying human story.
----------------------------------------------------------------
In the end, human elements should prevail.
For example, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in the end what prevails is
Dorothy's most human desire, to go home to Auntie Em and Uncle
Henry, back to the dry but familiar Kansas plains. The clicking of
the slippers (ruby in the movie, silver in the book) and the magical
journey back are less important than Dorothy's true love for home
and family. The magic in this case is indeed out of the blue, but
the theme of home is not.
To build a magical system for your story, ask yourself how to create
the most interesting magic. Play with all the options: mechanical
devices, potions, spoken spells, acute senses, inner gifts, every
possible tiny miracle or great tornado of magic.
Then, limit it! And make the magic more central to the story. See
how your characters are influenced by the course of magic. Have fun
with it!
But in the end, let the human elements win out. That is the real
magic: to be able to create anything you can imagine, to create the
most powerful magical wand in the world of fiction, but then figure
out how to use it in a way to make a story more interesting, not
less so.
>>--------------------------------------------------<<
Philip Martin directs Great Lakes Literary
(http://www.GreatLakesLit.com), offering affordable book doctor
services and other help for writers. He is series editor of The New
Writer's Handbook, an award-winning annual anthology on literary
craft and career development, and is author of several books
himself, including A Guide to Fantasy Literature (2009); portions of
this article are drawn from that recent work. He also manages
several blogs, including The Writer's Handbook Blog
Copyright (c) 2010
For more information on creating believable magic visit:
http://www.writing-world.com/sf/magic.shtml
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FROM A-BOMB JUICE TO ZONKED - 1813 Slangisms about Rotgut,
Guzzling, and Puking Your Brains Out (plus a few nice drinking
toasts). Randall Platt presents the first Slangmaster e-book.
Why? Because we don't speak in black and white. Learn more about
the color of our language at http://www.slangmaster.com. Use
the right word, for the right era and occasion, every time!
****************************************************************
WRITER'S RAINBOW ONLINE WORKSHOPS focus on blog building, the
creative process, the writer's platform (new!) and generative
writing classes. Flexible schedule, easy format, affordable. Taught
by creativity coach, author and editor Tamara Sellman.
http://writersrainbow.wordpress.com/online-teaching
****************************************************************
THE WRITE SITES
=================================================================
Carolyn Jewel's Romance Writing Tips
------------------------------------
If you want to learn how to write romance novels, head along to this
site. Jewel is the author of nine published romance novels and on
her site she helps you to learn from her early mistakes.
http://www.carolynjewel.com/craft/workshop.shtml
How To Write A Fantasy Novel
----------------------------
This Lens, by A.F. Stewart, a published fantasy author, has some
great tips and articles on the general craft of fiction writing as
well as the specifics of fantasy novels. Check out the links
section for more advice on this genre.
http://www.squidoo.com/insiderealms#module8513898
Creative Nonfiction
-------------------
If you've ever wondered exactly what is meant by the term creative
nonfiction, then a trip to this site will help to clear things up
for you. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the article to
listen to the audio clips explaining creative fiction.
http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/whatiscnf.htm
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WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER - You can download a free list of
writing markets if you subscribe this week. Discover almost
2,000 writing markets from USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australasia.
http://www.worldwidefreelance.com
*****************************************************************
SERIOUS ABOUT WRITING? Join the National Association of Independent
Writers and Editors, the professional association with a
career-building difference. We partner with you to create a
strategic online presence with genuine credibility. You get a free
NAIWE-linked website (and more) so you'll be where people come to
find writers. Join us today at http://naiwe.com!
*****************************************************************
WRITING CONTESTS
=================================================================
This section lists contests that charge no entry fees. Unless
otherwise indicated, competitions are open to all adult writers.
For a guide to more than 1000 writing contests throughout the
world, see Moira Allen's book, "Writing to Win: The Colossal
Guide to Writing Contests"
(http://www.writing-world.com/bookstore/index.shtml).
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB FICTION CONTEST
------------------------------------
DEADLINE: January 31, 2010
GENRE: Short Stories
DETAILS: 2000 words max piece of short fiction featuring dogs of an
AKC-registrable breed or a breed listed in the Miscellaneous class.
PRIZE: $750, $500, $250 and publication in AKC Gazette and Family
Dog magazines.
URL: http://www.akc.org/pubs/fictioncontest/
HIGLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN FICTION CONTEST
--------------------------------------
DEADLINE: January 31, 2010
GENRE: Short Stories
OPEN TO: Anyone 16+
DETAILS: Write a children's story based on your family. Stories may
be any length up to 750 words. Stories for beginning readers should
not exceed 475 words.
PRIZE: 3 prizes of $1000 or tuition for the Highlights Foundation
Writers Workshop at Chautauqua.
URL: http://www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest
AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD
------------------------------
DEADLINE: February 7, 2010
GENRE: Books
DETAILS: Unpublished or self-published novels, 50,000-150,000 words.
Two categories general fiction and young adult fiction.
PRIZE: Winner in each category (General Fiction and Young Adult)
receives publication by Penguin Group USA and $15,000 advance.
URL: http://www.amazon.com/b?node=332264011
NELSON ALGREN AWARDS
--------------------
DEADLINE: February 2, 2010
GENRE: Short Stories
OPEN TO: US citizens aged 18+
DETAILS: 1-2 stories, maximum 10,000 words each
PRIZE: $5,000. Three runner-up prizes of $1,500 each; winners may be
published in the Chicago Tribune or on their website.
URL: http://tinyurl.com/yboq259
MEMOIR PRIZES FOR PROSE OR POETRY
------------------------------------
DEADLINE: February 15, 2010
GENRE: Poetry and nonfiction prose
DETAILS: 1-5 poems or one prose piece, maximum 10,000 words.
Memoir can be biography, autobiography, autobiographical fiction,
flash memoir, essay, reportage, diary, etc., in either poetry or
prose format.
PRIZE: 1st Prize $500, 2nd Prize $250, 3rd Prize $100; there is also
a $100 prize for graphic memoirs
URL: http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/contest
SCRIBOPHILE NEW BEGINNINGS CONTEST
----------------------------------
DEADLINE: March 31, 2010
GENRE: Short Stories
DETAILS: It's a new year and a new decade, just the perfect time to
make some fresh starts. We hope your new year's resolution is to
write more--and in that spirit, this contest has some awesome prizes
to get you motivated! Write a short story (under 3000 words)
featuring the theme "new beginnings."
PRIZES: 1st place: $100 Amazon.com gift card and a credit for 3000
words of editing service from the great folks at Elite Editing. 2nd
place will receive a $50 Amazon.com gift card.
URL: http://www.scribophile.com/contests/new-beginnings-contest/
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AUTHOR'S BOOKSHELF: Books by Our Readers
=================================================================
Breaking Faith, by Stuart Aken
Portraits in Lavender, by Connie Torrisi
Writing to Win: The Colossal Guide to Writing Contests - 2010
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Copyright 2010 Moira Allen
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