Looking for something new to read?

So many writers have said how important it is to read read read! Here's a great website to rate the books you read and find new books to read!

This is a great tool for writers.  http://www.goodreads.com/

Children Literature

Here's a great website to check out if you're writing for kids!
http://kidlit.com/

Blogging, Social Media & Networking

Chersti Nieveen came to talk to us about about blogging, and social media tonight. It was great how much she told us about twitter and blogging.

Blogging:
Look at the people who are successful and see what they are doing:
Here's a great example of a successful writer's blog:   brodiashton.blogspot.com
Her blog helped sell her book

The blog shows her writing style. She talks about her kids, her life, a little bit about her writing. But its really about getting to know you. It’s all about connecting to other people. It’s all about presenting yourself. You have to go and find other blogs and comment on them, and become friends with those other bloggers. It’s all about networking.

Blog about something that is genuine, something unique about you.

Often – if you don’t blog once a month, don’t blog

You want to connect with your readers

Twitter:

1.     Lotsa followers
2.    Quality followers/following
3.     Inform yourself

• Writing community on twitter is pretty close
• You can meet agents and people on twitter

You want more people to follow you, and you follow a fewer amount, but

1000 followers, 1500 u following – that’s okay

Some common hashtags:  #askagent   #amwriting  #amediting

Use the things that are going viral to help you. i.e. writers are doing #mustachesformaddie and that’s going viral..so you could post on twitter your picture and be a part of it..

#bookbirthday – you celebrate the book’s birthday when it is published

Do not dis anybody, do not dis any writers or agents or anything.

Be very positive & encouraging.

If you’re going to use twitter, you should use it several times a week. If they aren’t

People are selfish – give them something. If you’re funny, you’re giving them humor. You could give them advice..You could share cool things about writing. Just be doing twitter all the time, and get on and check it super often. You want to be able to get on very often – especially when you’re growing. So when someone responds to your tweet or something, you can respond back quickly – people will follow you more if you’re active.  Don’t just say “my book is this, go look at it!”. Give to other people.

Twitter Pitches: Pitching your book in 140 characters.  There's lots of great advice here on writertherapy.com
*Find contests for doing pitches for your book. Sometimes you can put several pitches, so you can try that too. :)
Find these on twitter, http://brenleedrake.blogspot.com/, http://authoresque.blogspot.com/, or http://writertherapy.com/

Sci Fi

Notes from our meeting on Science Fiction - big thanks to Sarah for teaching us all about it!

Epic fantasy – huge, intricate worlds, - Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, Tolkien Really intricate worlds (word count 120-150k words)

Heroic fantasy – usually lots of action, sword fighting, gritty, Conan the Barbarian (80-100k words)

Urban fantasy (aka Modern fantasy) – our world, buffy the vampire slayer (smaller, faster-paced, usually about 70k words)

The difference between sci fi and fantasy –

“Dr. Who is awesome because it walks the line between. It also walks the line between being really stupid and really awesome.” Science fiction will simply have science terms to explain what’s going on. IE-the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver—it could easily be a ‘wand’ but the scientific terms gives it a more science fiction feel.

“Sci Fi” -

Space Marine - more military, it’s focused on the battles. The science makes sense but science is not the focus. Battlestar Gallactica (80-100k words)

Space opera – i.e. star wars, space, doesn’t have the scientific specifics (i.e. the light saber works because…he used the force because he has the special blood…etc.)

Hard sci fi – science is legitimate (60-200k words depending on topic)

Steam punk

Distopian

Supernatural

Etc.

Technology in science fiction should be grounded in current day technologies.

Sci fi & fantasy – style & writing style:

Sci fi: sentences are shorter, more sciency-stuff, condensed dialogue

Fantasy: careful with the ‘ye’ etc – might bug your readers. You can use normal prose but use slightly fancier diction like ‘wept’ instead of ‘cried’

Big new world: big world, narrow in. desert planet? Where is the water? Civilizations are gathered around water.  Don’t believe it? Read up on the Egyptians – everything centered around the river.

Come up with a general map. Commerce? How long to travel between cities?

All taking place in one city – way easier to write.

How many nations? Similar? Different? Geographical differences between them?

Cultural settings: governments, religion, gender roles, race, economics, technological advancements, family structures.

You don’t have to have ALL of it for ALL of them. Focus on two or three. Add in the occasional details for the other areas. You don’t have to make it complicated.

If you’re stuck, just pick a few randomly. Put them in a hat and draw out some options.

Trying to develop a language:

Don’t be Tolkien. Tolkien was a master linguist. He made up 15 languages, then wrote the books for the language.

Easy way to make language – make up a code. Use existing languages. i.e. Took japanese grammar and Italian words and make up words using google translate. You don’t have to go into full detail – i.e. George R. R. Martin wrote a book with a new language and only made up about 8 words. You often see books use italics when characters are speaking a different language.

Subtle learning curve. Don’t pile on this character with this ethnicity & religion and this weapon and this background – don’t rush. You’ll drive your reader insane. Slowly build up to the awesome stuff. Have small differences like; what is the standard of beauty? Are boys favored over girls? These are common things people are familiar with but they also reveal a lot about a culture.

Give them some things to relate to—don’t make everything new. Introduce things slowly and gradually build in the world. Trees are still trees, bread is bread, etc.

Brandon & Robert Jordan, Martin, Tolkien – they pull from existing cultures.

*Things tend to change as you go a bit.  Start on the small details and run with it.

Magic:

You don’t have to have a system. Tolkien let Gandalf have magic when it was convenient. That’s okay but the trend is more to have an established system like Sanderson or Rowling. In a magic system, there should be a price and a limitation. IE- In Harry Potter, the cost is knowing the proper incantation and reciting it properly (and you have to practice, it's not just easy for everyone). The limitation is only one spell can be done at a time, you must be powerful enough to perform said spell, etc. Try to make the cost greater than the reward. (Sanderson does this) 

Literary Agents & Publishing

Tip - find a literary agent stationed (or who was stationed) in New York

Why is getting an agent important? EPublishing & Independent Publishers make it seem like agents aren't important, but...they are important.

Self Publishing / Independent Publishers
- don't need an agent

5 Big Publishers: Harper Collins, Penguin, etc.
- will only take manuscripts from literary agencies - no slushpile even there.
- to get published with them you HAVE to have an agent..

Agents
- if you get an agent, you don't have to know all the stuff in writer's market
- at the end of the Writer's Market it lists conferences - this is the BEST way to meet agents. then you can email them and say that you met that at this ___ conference.
- you can find someone looking for the specific kind of book you write - but they might have seen too many books like yours
- query far and wide!

Writer's Market tells you:
- how to write a query letter
- how to pitch your work
- lists all agencies in the United States, the genres they represent, how to contact them, what they want (hard copy, email, with or without a synopsis), instructions
- lists conferences - this is the BEST way to meet agents