Angel at the fence fraud

I find it difficult to believe that Oprah had another author on her show that wrote a memoir that is completely untrue. The James Frey memoir fraud was a huge story, couldn't someone have done some checking. Oprah, I am available to check sources for you. I heard yesterday it took about a week for the gentlemen who broke the story to find the truth. How did the publisher not check sources? What do you think about this latest memoir fraud?

Another year of Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne
Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Have a Happy New Year! Read more about auld lang syne lyrics, history, and trivia.

What do you want to be?

A prose writer gets tired of writing prose, and wants to be a poet. So he begins every line with a capital letter, and keeps on writing prose. ~Samuel McChord Crothers, "Every Man's Natural Desire to Be Somebody Else" The Dame School of Experience, 1920

Sometimes it's hard for me to decide what I want to do with my writing...I have absolutely and totally fallen in love with poetry over the last few years but I also want to go back to writing my chick-lit book which I stopped writing mid-sentence two years ago. The problem for me is that I want to do everything, learn all I can about writing, writers, poets, poetry and creativity, maybe teach in the very near future, write a book or two or three, write my blog, get my MFA in Creative Writing. How do you decide what you want to do with your writing? Did you make a decision one way or another? How will next year be different than the previous years in your journey as a writer? Did you make any writing goals in 2008 that you are carrying over to 2009? Or is 2009 a brand new year with its own agenda? Inquiring minds want to know...
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Coraline Trailer

I'm really looking forward to this movie!

Lentils for a prosperous New Year's Day

“New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights”
jose Hamilton Wright Mabie (American writer, 1845-1916)

My alter-ego Countess Arugula just posted a recipe for Greek-inspired lentil soup. I've done a little bit of research on this; many Europeans including Italians and Hungarians believe that eating lentils or lentil soup on New Year's Day will bring prosperity for the new year. Some Italians eat it minutes after New Year's Eve. What if we all collectively lifted our spoons in 2009 to a prosperous, healthy, and creative new year!

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

My favorite Christmas gift

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I bought myself a calendar on Christmas Eve, I didn't wait until the middle of January when they would be 50% off. I wanted to look at the new year and think of all of the possibilities for 2009. 2008 was a tough year, as a small business we have definitely experienced the economic downtown, but we will adjust and make changes and hopefully get through another year. But 2008 was also a great year I am close to finishing my second semester at Goddard, met wonderful new supportive friends, traveled more in 2008 than ever in my life, visited with family who I haven't seen in years, got poetry and a short story published, and learned a lot more about what I want to accomplish as a writer, a poet and a creative person.
It is very easy to get discouraged when the year didn't turn out exactly as you planned but that's why I always love New Year's Day. Possibilities, opportunities, the unknown, the power everyone has to change their life, here's hoping that 2009 is the year you achieve your goals!
In Barbara Sher's book Wishcraft How to Get What You Really Want Barbara writes that "your true goal, or target, has to be a concrete action or event, not only so you'll know for sure when you get there, but so that you can make that date with success in advance!"

Today, instead of making New Year's resolutions that your enthusiasm might wane for by January 30th what goals can you set with dates? Plan for success this year in advance...Now get back to work!

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Happy, Happy Christmas!

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! ~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836


Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

If you have ever read any of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books you know she had very special Christmas memories. Their Christmases always simple, but very special made me wish for a Christmas in the big woods, on in a little house on the prairie with simple gifts like peppermint sticks and stocking full of toys. Wherever you spend the day may it be with people you love, in good health, with plenty of food and drink, in warmth, in peace...Happy Christmas!

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

WOOF Winners!

WOOF Contest – Top 5 Picks:

About Writing

Writing Nag – “Stop Talking and Begin Doing” - Why write daily? Start today and be inspired by the creative people in your life. Includes collaborative poem.

Kimota - “Resisting Extravagant Verbosity” - The arguments for clear writing and against pretension and long words.

Fiction / Blog Science Fiction / Short Story

Rosey Haze - “Mute” - What?

Jenn - “The Sentence” - Two women experience a common reaction to a tragedy that impacts both of their lives.

Poetry

~willow~ - “NaNo: Anita's pain” - ... dissatisfied with how I had glossed over the backstory of one of my NaNo characters, I decided to revisit a scene using poetry; Anita's Pain is the result.

Brought to you by PlotDog Press with the Serial Suspense Screenplay "Intervention"

Presenting the finest of the writer’s blogs by the bloggers who write them. Highlighting the top 5 posts as chosen by the November 21, 2008 WOOF Contest participants. Sorry for the delay, but we are back up and running! Want in to join the next WOOF? The next contest ends December 26. Submit a link to your best writing post of the last 2 weeks using the form at the bottom of this page.

Inaugural Poet Chosen

Inaugural Woman Poet Chosen

Will art and the written word be valued again in this country?
Read Elizabeth Alexander's poem Blues. or check out more work on her blog.
Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

New to me content writing site

Ever since I wrote a dozen articles for ehow I've been hearing about Bukisa, from what I hear it pays better than other content writing sites, and there's more opportunity to make money when you get others to join. I don't have any content on there yet because I'm working on schoolwork but I'm curious if any other writer's have used this site and/or made money with Bukisa.

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Q & A with local writer-Wendy Burt-Thomas

Today we have a Q & A with Wendy Burt-Thomas. She is a full-time freelance writer, editor and copywriter with more than 1,000 published pieces. Her third book, "The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters" hits stores December 2008. To learn more about Wendy or her three books, visit www.GuideToQueryLetters.com. If you have a writing-related question, you can post it on http://AskWendy.wordpress.com.


1. Q: Can you tell us about your book?

The book was a great fit for me because I'd been teaching "Breaking Into Freelance Writing" for about eight years. In the workshop, I covered a lot of what is in this book: writing query letters to get articles in magazines, to land an agent, or to get a book deal with a publisher. Since I'm a full-time freelance magazine writer and editor with two previous books, this was incredibly fun to write because it didn't require tons of research. I was lucky enough to receive lots of great sample query letters from writers and authors that I use as "good" examples in the book. I wrote all the "bad" examples myself because I didn't dare ask for contributions that I knew I'd be ripping apart!

In addition to the ins and outs of what makes a good query, the book covers things like why (or why not) to get an agent, where to find one and how to choose one; writing a synopsis or proposal; selling different rights to your work; other forms of correspondence; and what editors and agents look for in new writers.

It was really important to me that the book not be a dry, boring reference book, but rather an entertaining read (while still being chock full of information). I was thrilled that Writer's Digest let me keep all the humor.


2. Q: Why are query letters so important?

Breaking into the publishing world is hard enough right now. Unless you have a serious "in" of some kind, you really need a great query letter to impress an agent or acquisitions editor. Essentially, your query letter is your first impression. If they like your idea (and voice and writing style and background), they'll either request a proposal, sample chapters, or the entire manuscript. If they don't like your query letter, you've got to pitch it to another agency/publisher. Unlike a manuscript, which can be edited or reworked if an editor thinks it has promise, you only get one shot with your query. Make it count!

I see a lot of authors who spend months (or years) finishing their book, only to rush through the process of crafting a good, solid query letter. What a waste! If agents/editors turn you down based on a bad query letter, you've blown your chance of getting them to read your manuscript. It could be the next bestseller, but they'll never see it. My advice is to put as much effort into your query as you did your book. If it's not fabulous, don't send it until it is.


3. Q: You're also a magazine editor. What is your biggest gripe regarding queries?

Queries that show that the writer obviously hasn't read our publication. I'll admit that I did this when I was a new writer too – submitted blindly to any publication whose name sounded even remotely related to my topic. One of the examples I use was when I submitted a parenting article to a magazine for senior citizens. Oops! A well-written query pitching an article that's not a match for the magazine isn't going to get you any further than a poorly written query.


4. Q: There's an entire chapter in the book about agents. Do you think all new writers should get agents?

Probably 99% of new writers should get an agent. There are lots of reasons, but my top three are: 1) Many of the larger publishing houses won't even look at unagented submissions now; 2) Agents can negotiate better rights and more money on your behalf; 3) Agents know the industry trends, changes and staff better than you ever could.


5. Q: You've been a mentor, coach or editor for many writers. What do you think is the most common reason that good writers don't get published?

Poor marketing skills. I see so many writers that are either too afraid, too uniformed, or frankly, too lazy, to market their work. They think their job is done when the write "the end" but writing is only half of the process. I've always told people who took my class that there are tons of great writers in the world who will never get published. I'd rather be a good writer who eats lobster than a great writer who eats hot dogs. I make a living as a writer because I spend as much time marketing as I do writing.


6. Q: What are some of the biggest misconceptions that writers have about getting a book deal?

That they'll be rich overnight, that they don't need to promote their book once it's published, that publishing houses will send them on world book tours, that people will recognize them at the airport. Still, you can make great money as an author if you're prepared to put in the effort. If it wasn't possible, there wouldn't be so many full-time writers.


7. Q: What must-read books do you recommend to new writers?

Christina Katz (author of "Writer Mama") has a new book out called "Get Known Before the Book Deal" - which is fabulous. Also, Stephen King's "On Writing" and David Morrel's "Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing." Anything by Anne Lamott or my Dad, Steve Burt.


8. Q: What's the biggest lesson you've learned as a full-time writer?

Seize every opportunity - especially when you first start writing. I remember telling someone about a really high-paying writing gig I got and he said, "Wow. You have the best luck!" I thought, "Luck has nothing to do with it! I've worked hard to get where I am." Later that week I read this great quote: "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." It's absolutely true. And writing queries is only about luck in this sense. If you're prepared with a good query and/or manuscript, when the opportunity comes along you'll be successful.


9. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Writing the "bad" query letters. I've read – and written! – so many horrible ones over the years that it was a little too easy to craft them. But misery loves company and we ALL love to read really bad query letters, right?


10. Q: What do you want readers to learn from your book?

I want them to understand that while writing a good query letter is important, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. You can break it down into parts, learn from any first-round rejections, and read other good queries to help understand what works. I also want them to remember that writing is fun. Sometimes new writers get so caught up in the procedures that they lose their original voice in a query. Don't bury your style under formalities and to-the-letter formatting.

Obama Named Person of the Year

Obama is Time Magazine's Person of the Year.

Advice on Submitting to a Literary Journal

Ink runs from the corners of my mouth
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.
~Mark Strand, "Eating Poetry," Reasons for Moving, 1968

I'm sure I have used this quote before, but it's one that is really meaningful to me this week. I haven't been posting because I'm working hard on choosing work for our school literary journal and trying to finish my 4th packet of work which is due on Monday. Although I can't give the students who have submitted work to the journal any advice, (they will just be accepted or not) I thought I could post some here as a reminder when sending in work to a literary journal.

1. Write a professional cover letter.

2. Don't use obscure language when a simple word would do.

3. Don't only check for spelling errors but check for word errors, if you can't find any ask a friend or family member to read your work line by line. Sometimes you can't see errors in your own work.

4. Read your work aloud before submitting, if you are stumbling over the words so will the editor who is reading it.

5. Don't send in first drafts, even if you think your first draft is brilliant. Very few first drafts are brilliant. Work on revision and edit your work.

6. Know your form. If the journal is looking for sestina's don't send in a haiku or a personal essay because it's kind of like a sestina.

7. If you don't get accepted, try another literary journal but study the market. A personal essay about being abducted by aliens will probably not get accepted in a journal that says "please no more abduction stories."


I also wrote a couple of articles on Sunday when I was procrastinating doing my "real work"
Starting a Snowman Collection
Hot Spiced Apple Cider
I guess if writing is my procrastination for writing that's not too bad.

Today, write one writing related goal for 2009 that relates to submitting work. Now get back to work!

Lovingly,

The Writing Nag

Toys For Tots

It's hard to think about children not having even one gift to open at Christmas, I just saw on the news that this year the demand for toys is up 20% but donations are down around the country. Just getting the word out about this great organization.

For more information in your area please visit Toys For Tots.

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Celebrate Your Successes

Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.
P. G. Wodehouse

Why is it so easy to celebrate a friends success but when it comes to our successes over the year we tend to dismiss them. It is the consistent small successes in our quest that we should celebrate. Don't wait for the published book, celebrate today!
Today take time to write down all of your successes over the year. Maybe you finished a story you have been struggling with for months, or you got a poem published, or you showed up at every meeting of your new critique group. Maybe you achieved your writing goals this year or maybe your successes are all personal. It's so easy to talk negatively to yourself about what you haven't achieved...today is a day for celebrating what you have! Now get back to work!


Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Christmas Song Traditions

I've just made posting this song my blogs Christmas tradition. What Christmas songs make you melancholy for spiced cider, hanging stockings, falling snow, Christmas lights, fir trees,writing Christmas cards, snowmen, and celebrating the season?

In honor of Emily

It was Emily Dickinson's Birthday this week, the more I read about Emily and study her poetry the more I realize her great contribution to American poetry. If you're ever in Amherst, Massachusetts a visit to her house is a must.
Support the museum.

A clock stopped -- not the mantel's
Geneva's farthest skill
Can't put the puppet bowing
That just now dangled still.

An awe came on the trinket!
The figures hunched with pain,
Then quivered out of decimals
Into degreeless noon.

It will not stir for doctors,
This pendulum of snow;
The shopman importunes it,
While cool, concernless No

Nods from the gilded pointers,
Nods from seconds slim,
Decades of arrogance between
The dial life and him.

Today read several of Emily's poems or try to write a poem in the style of Emily Dickinson.

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

FREE Giveaway: Stunning and Simple Seasonal Salutations eBook!

It's snowing on my blog...at least until January! Happy Wednesday.

Time to make holiday cards!
Download a FREE copy of Stunning and Simple Seasonal Salutations, an eBook featuring10 beautiful handmade cards, complete with photos and descriptive "how-to" instructions, showcasing a variety of techniques such as rubber stamping, collage, and innovative paper and mixed media arts. Download your copy!

Keyboard for Blondes

Saw this bubble gum pink keyboard this morning, not being blond I wonder how tiring these jokes get. Or maybe a Christmas gift for a blond writer friend that has a sense of humor? I liked the OOPS! key instead of the backspace key.

A Creative Writing Habit

How to start a creative writing habit.

Calling all altered art lovers, writers, poets, scrapbookers

Altered Artists, Collage Artists, Writers, Poets, ETC.

FREE Giveaway: Artella Maes NEW Altered Ancestors eBook
Download a FREE copy of the Artella eBook, Artella Mae's NEW Altered Ancestors!, a 58-page eBook overflowing with ideas and techniques for using vintage photos in your artwork. Download your FREE copy here.

What if Christmas doesn't come from a store

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
Dr. Seuss

I published this post last December but think it is even more timely this year. This year my husband and I are just doing stockings. We are grateful for all we have when so many people last month lost jobs, family and homes.


It's easy to get wrapped up in packages, boxes or bags. Last night we went downtown to pick up a few Christmas gifts and the lights, music, rushing people, and general holiday atmosphere made it hard to stick to our small list. I wanted to buy gifts for everyone.

Today, think about the gifts you received this year, which ones stood out.
For me, it was the gift of time and memories. A friends advice, a cup of coffee, a meal out with family to celebrate a special birthday, a phone call from a long-lost friend, an email from someone who read my blog and just wanted to let me know they liked it, a card or letter from family or friends, these gifts I remember. It's hard to remember the physical gifts. What if Christmas didn't come from a store this year...what would you give? what would you like to receive? Now get back to work!

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Should You Ever Write for Free?

As a beginning writer and poet I've been published many times for no payment. I figure it's a way to get my name out there, my work out there and to practice freelance writing techniques like deadlines and word count.

My newest "fun" not for big payment writing has been with ehow. I use it to write recipes that people often ask me for, articles that I never thought were ready for print publication and to just flex my writing muscle when I hit a block. It has also been a good place to meet other writers who are doing the same thing.
I'm sure unless you were willing to write hundreds or thousands of articles, the amount of money you could make is minimal but it's currently earning more money than my savings account.; ) Plus unlike Helium, you don't have to rate other people's writing which I found was a time waster.
Some hints if you want to give it a try. Write simple easy articles that appeal to a wide audience. My most popular how to's; hardboil an egg, homemade raisin bread, and honey-nut butter. If there is a subject you're an expert in give it a try!
Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

What are you afraid of?

"But if I write what my soul thinks, it will be visible, and the words will be its body."
Helen Keller

This week the book that I can't put down is:



The first chapter like many creative writing books talks about fear and facing fear as a writer. It discusses the ways we stop ourselves from becoming the writer we want to be. Creative blocks might be fear of failure or fear of success. What would happen if you became a successful writer? What would happen if you failed? What if people judged you by your writing?

Today list your writing fears that prevent you from succeeding or moving forward in the writing journey. Then take the list and go through it line by line writing a response to each fear. If your fear is you're not good enough a response might be "With daily writing practice and determination I will be a better writer a year from today, or a month, or a week, or a day." Don't let the fear stop you from pursuing your dream, as Pat Schneider says "fear breeds fear, increases, and can become the source as well as the product of itself."
It might help your writing practice, as it has mine, to journal every morning before you begin. It can be as simple as December 4th, it is snowing this morning and I have an idea for a poem. It could be a sketch or an image that you want to remember. Nothing is off limits. Don't intimidate yourself by thinking about what you're going to write, just put the fingers to the keyboard or the pen to the paper and just write. Now get back to work!

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters...

I'm posting an email I received from my friend and author Wendy Burt-Thomas. If you're considering buying the book make sure you do it today, December 1, Cyber-Monday for a FREE EBOOK. Just email your receipt to wendyburt at aol.com.
Here's the letter she sent out.


Dear Friends,
Have you ever thought of making money from your writing? Perhaps you've got an idea for a novel or nonfiction book. Or maybe you've got some magazine articles swirling around in your head. If you (or someone you know) would like to know how to sell your work, I invite you to buy my new book, "The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters" on December 1.

The 30+ samples of good and bad queries walk writers through the “must-have” and “don't-even-think-about-it” points with a balance of clear instruction, examples and humor. Where similar query books just tell you to write a hook - it gives insight into what makes a good opening paragraph for an article, novel or nonfiction query. There are special considerations for book queries by genre (from Romance and Mystery to Speculative and Thriller - plus everything in between) and the FAQs come straight from the author's experience as a writer, author, magazine editor and book copyeditor. The “what editors/agents/publishers like” and “what editors/agents/publishers don't like” are incredible resources, offering a look into water coolers throughout the publishing industry. Plus, it's funny.

Why December 1? It's my official "Amazon Spike Day," where I attempt to bump my book up the rankings. The better my book sells before its December 5 release date, the more often Amazon will recommend it to shoppers and the more likely bookstores will order extra copies.

Here's a link to check out the book.

So what's in it for you? Everyone who orders "The Writer's Digest Guide to Query Letters" from Amazon on December 1 receives:

1. My free e-book, "3 Years of Ask Wendy; Your Freelance Writing Questions Answered" (a $9.95 value!) - featuring Q & As on everything from how to sell greeting card copy and fillers to making money from personal essays and short stories. (This e-book is compiled from my "Ask Wendy" column for WritersOnTheRise.com, one of Writer's Digest Magazine's Top 100 Web sites for Writers.)

PLUS....
2. A chance to win one of 6 books:
o "Get Known Before the Book Deal" by Christina Katz (author of "Writer Mama" and founder of WritersOnTheRise.com)
o "Writer Mama; How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids" by Christina Katz (www.thewritermama.com)
o "Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick" by Wendy Burt and Erin Kindberg (our second book in the Hip Chick series)
o "A Christmas Dozen; Christmas Stories to Warm the Heart" by Steve Burt (award-winning writer and author of 12 books)**
o "Odd Lot; Stories to Chill the Heart" by Steve Burt (winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award; winner of 6 Honorable Mentions for Year's Best Fantasy & Horror; Honorable Mention Best Horror Book by ForeWord Magazine and Honorable Mention Best Genre Fiction from Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards)**
o "Oddest Yet; Even More Stores to Chill the Heart" (Bram Stoker Winner!)**
**Steve Burt is not only my dad and mentor, but also an award-winning author. In fact, he won the Bram Stoker Award, the highest honor in horror writing!

PLUS...
3. One winner will receive a free email or phone consultation and editorial feedback on the topic of their choice: writing for magazines, novel queries, greeting cards, nonfiction book proposals, freelancing for a living, etc..

Just order the book from Amazon on Monday, December 1 and email me your receipt. I'll email you the e-book and enter your name in the drawing!