That Special Business of Writing - Guest Post Simon Whaley

My guest today is Simon Whaley. I've known Simon for a few years now via social media and his articles in Writing Magazine are the ones I turn to first. Simon is also a short story writer, tutor and a terrific photographer. One thing about Simon is he's never been too busy to answer any questions I've had regarding the business of writing. Likewise, I've always been very happy to contribute to his articles when asked which is why I'm pleased he's brought out a new book on this very subject. 

I'll let Simon tell you about 'The Business of Writing' himself!

Writers are special. Well, the ones I know are. Because whenever you ask for help they will always provide it, if they can.

It’s something I learned as a budding writer in my early teens (gosh, we’re talking more than three decades now). At the time, I wrote to several famous writers (Alan Ayckbourn, Alan Bleasdale, John Sullivan, and David Crofts) asking for advice. And guess what? Every single one of them wrote back. (I still have the letters.)

Some of the advice was general. John Sullivan suggested that as I was 14, there was no need to panic just yet. I had plenty of time to experience life, because that’s what writers draw upon. Alan Bleasdale hinted that other careers were far easier and more rewarding financially. He based his argument on the assumption that it takes seven years to become a brain surgeon, and therefore it was probably quicker, and easier, to become a brain surgeon than a published writer. Looking back, he was spot on.

Alan Ayckbourn wrote three sides of A4 paper. I’m sure it was a ‘stock’ reply, but the fact that he’d sat down at some point to create a ‘stock’ reply still suggested a keenness to help other writers, even though he was pressed for time.

Perhaps, strangely, even though writers are often competing with one another, we still take pleasure from other writers’ successes, which is why, I think, we’re willing to help out. In particular, when it comes to a competitive market such as writing fiction for the women’s magazines, where we are all in competition with one another, we’ll still offer our thoughts and advice when a fellow womag writer asks for them.

In my Business of Writing column in Writing Magazine, I frequently ask other writers for help. When discussing a topic such as earning money from secondary rights like PLR or ALCS, I think it’s important to get comments from real writers who are out there, doing the job, and dealing with these aspects of the writing life on a daily basis.

Whenever ALCS is mentioned on Facebook groups, someone asks what it’s all about, and then everyone piles in explaining what the writer needs to do to register to get access to this money. This is despite the fact that those helping out may get less money in the future, because the pot of money has to be distributed between a greater number of writers. If you want to know more about ALCS, check out this post on my blog: http://www.thebusinessofwriting.co.uk/up-and-down, or buy a copy of my book ;-)

All writers are busy people. We earn our money by writing, not by helping out. Yet every writer I’ve ever approached for help when writing my column has always kindly done so. (Including Wendy, thank you!)

It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to gather some of my Business of Writing articles together into a book. When writers have helped out like this, I feel their generosity of advice should be available for a lot longer than the month of the issue the article appeared in.

So to all the writers who’ve helped me with my column since it began in 2014, thank you. (And thank you in advance to the writers I’ve yet to knock on their door asking for assistance.)

If you’re looking for advice from fellow writers about how they improve their productivity, determine which rights they sell in their stories, deal with crises of confidence (yes, we all have them), stay within the law of libel, create a business-like workspace, cope with rejection, and much, much more, then do check out my book, The Business of Writing.

And if you’re always looking for hints, tips and advice about the business of being a writer, then please visit my blog: www.thebusinessofwriting.co.uk. It’s free. Because as writers, we know how important it is to help each other.

Thank you!

Simon

www.simonwhaley.co.uk

www.thebusinessofwriting.co.uk

Wendy's Story Timeline Calculator Updated!

Last week, Patsy Collins, was a guest on my blog introducing her new writing guide, 'From Story Idea to Reader' (you can read the post here). In her book, under the chapter heading of 'useful reference materials', she provides a link to my Story Timeline Calculator.

So what is it?

That's easy to answer: it's what it says on the tin. It's a pretty fabulous tool for working out your story/novel's timeline, created for me by my husband when I got bogged down with paper and dates while writing an historical story. I don't know how I managed without it.

Just click on the timeline picture in the sidebar (or here) to find out more about it and download.

Why am I mentioning it again? Because Wendy's Story Timeline Calculator has just been updated... cue fanfare!

After feedback from some of the people who have used it, we have now included the following:

• More character columns
• A box to put in the start and end year of your writing project

What people have said about Wendy's Story Timeline Calculator:

"This is great for me as I always get a pickled brain writing my novels. They're family history inspired and call for past events connecting to the present so your time-line will be a brilliant help to me!"

"I'm working on a novel about the lives of several generations of people in a French village, so this will be invaluable."

"I can't even begin to find the words to express my appreciation. My first novel was a historical fiction that spanned generations and this would have saved me tears." 

My timeline calculator is free to download and use but if you want to make a small contribution to the hard work that's gone into it, there are a couple of my short story collections on the sidebar to choose from, each for the price of a cup of coffee!

If you find my timeline useful, please let me know in a comment and, if you share it, please credit this blog and provide a link  to it.

Enjoy!

From Story Idea to Reader - Guest Post Patsy Collins

This week's guest needs very little introduction - it is our very own Patsy Collins of Womagwriter fame. It's always a delight to welcome a fellow short story writer onto my blog and I'm even more pleased because she (along with writer Rosemary Kind) has written a new guide to writing short stories. It's called From Story Idea to Reader. With hundreds of magazine stories and competition wins under her belt, there is nobody better qualified to write a book like this and if you aren't already a short story writer and are thinking about having a go, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it (there's even a mention of my rather nifty Story Timeline in it).

So without more ado, let's start the interview.

What made you decide to write this book?

It's all my husband's fault! He said as I'd written articles (for Writing Magazine) about writing, a book was the logical next step. Logical? Yes, maybe, but also huge and a bit daunting.

I happened to mention this to Rosemary who immediately suggested a collaboration. Fairly quickly I realised her work as an editor and publisher plus the fact she can explain grammar, in a way which actually makes the subject clearer, would be assets.

We soon started planning what we'd do if we went ahead. Rosemary created a list of the topics we'd like to cover. Alongside each were initials. Mine were against subjects such as getting started, generating ideas, finding time, women's magazine fiction, competitions, staying motivated, getting and using feedback, keeping submission records... All things I knew about and was happy to tackle.

Rosemary felt the same way about the rest, which include grammar, self publishing, tax and legal matters associated with writing, characterisation, POV, editing, research...

As soon as we saw we really could do it we were eager to start.

How long have you known Rosemary?

We first met about nine years ago on a writing forum and then a critique group. It's amazing how well you can get to know someone through their writing, especially when you're part of the process. We've helped each other with our short stories and novels. Rosemary has edited some of my work and published it through her company, Alfie Dog Fiction.

We've even met for real a few times. On each occasion there was less cake and more dog walking involved than you might imagine. It would appear she's a good influence.

Was it difficult to co-write or was it all plain sailing?

Pretty much plain sailing. In fact I wrote a few short sections on board a ferry!

I'm not saying we never suggested that something the other had written could be improved (and other creative ways of expressing that general sentiment) but knowing this was solely for the good of the finished book meant I didn't mind rewriting until we were both happy. Rosemary still replies to my emails, which I'm taking as proof she feels the same way.

How long did it take you to write?

That depends how you look at it. We've both spent years building up the knowledge, experience, articles and course materials the book is based on. But once we had it all planned out we completed most of the new writing in around six months. We both write full time so, although we didn't concentrate solely on this project, that represents a lot of keyboard hours.

What can this book offer that other writing guides can’t?

It really does take a writer through the whole process from hunting down ideas and the basic equipment needed, through making the work the best it can be, to ensuring it gets read.

Between us we have experience of being published, of editing and publishing our own stories, and those of others. We've won, and run, and judged writing competitions. Most of all though, we're writers. We love writing and want to help others enjoy it too.

Did you find writing a resource book harder than writing fiction?

Not harder, no. It's different, just as writing a short ghost story is different from writing a romantic novel or an article. Although it's been done to make it more accessible to the reader, having the information broken down into shorter sections probably helped with the writing too.

Is there advice in it that you wish you’d followed when you first started?

All of it! But if you want me to be specific...

The exercises would have helped. Immediately applying something we've learned really does help retain the information. Naturally I'm biased, but I honestly do think many writers, particularly those just starting out or returning to writing after a break, will find From Story Idea to Reader useful and encouraging.

Links:

You can buy From Story Idea to Reader here

Patsy's blog:  for free entry competition links and other writing news is http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk

Womagwriter blog:  for guidelines and other information regarding women’s magazine fiction http://womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk

Show Not Tell Your Setting - Guest Post Becca Puglisi

There can be few writers who haven't heard of 'The Emotion Thesaurus'. It was my bible when I first started writing in 2012, and I still keep it by me whenever I write a new story. My guest today is Becca Puglisi, co-author of this thesaurus and its sequels and, with the recent publication of her setting thesauruses, I'm delighted she found time out of her busy schedule to have a chat with me.

You’ve collaborated on several books with Angela Ackerman now. How long have you known each other?

Angela and I met in 2004 when we both joined Critique Circle. We happened to find each other, fell in love with each others’ work, and immediately became critique partners. Four years later, we joined forces to start our blog (then called The Bookshelf Muse), and the rest is history.

Who was it who came up with the idea for your first thesaurus, ‘The Emotion Thesaurus’?

As with most of our efforts, we both played a part in the The Emotion Thesaurus’s success. While editing one day, I realized that my characters were constantly smiling and shuffling their feet, but I didn’t know how else to show what they were feeling. I needed more clues to show their emotions, so I began keeping lists of the cues associated with various feelings. When I brought the information to our critique group, we learned that every single person struggled with this. We all started working to flesh out the lists, but interest dwindled over time until Angela and I were the only die-hards left. When we began our blog and were trying to figure out what content would help readers and keep them coming back for more, Angela had the brilliant idea of highlighting one emotion each week. And The Emotion Thesaurus was born.

How do you go about writing a book together? Does it ever lead to arguments?

I can honestly say that Angela and I have never had an argument. Truly. We don’t always agree, but we’re both open-minded and respectful, and we recognize each others’ strengths. When there’s a strong difference of opinion, we tend to defer to whoever is more experienced in that area.

When it comes to co-writing, we have a fairly simple process. Together, we figure out what information would be useful for writers and come up with a template. Then we split in half the text that needs to be written; Angela drafts one half and I do the other. When it comes time to edit, we trade content so I’m editing her work and she’s tidying up mine. Then we switch again. By this point, the work has become a combination of both of our styles and it’s difficult to tell who initially wrote what.

Which, out of your thesaurus set, is your favourite? Was one harder to write than another?

You know, I love The Emotion Thesaurus because it’s helped so many people. The number of authors who write to us and say that the light bulb came on for them after reading our book…it has a soft place in my heart for that reason. But my personal favourite is The Negative Trait Thesaurus. The information in the front matter about character wounds and the effects they have on personality was such an eye-opener for me. I feel like writing that book gave me a good handle on character arc, which had never been my strong suit. I believe the content in that book is a game-changer, and for that reason, it’s my favourite.

As for difficulty, the character trait books were definitely the hardest to write because so much of the content was based in psychology. Neither of us being therapists, we had to do a lot of extra work on those—a ton of research, testing of our information to make sure it was correct, and vetting by experts in the field. The pressure to get everything right pushed us to work harder on those books than on any of the others.

I’ve been following your fabulous blog, Writers Helping Writers, since 2012 when it was ‘The Bookshelf Muse’. What are you trying to achieve with this blog?

Well, it started as a platform to build an audience for when we publish our own fiction one day. But the more writing advice and thesauruses we shared, the more we realized how much our content was helping others. And that really excited us. So we shifted gears and changed the name to better reflect what we wanted our blog to be: Writers Helping Writers. And that’s really our purpose—to share what we’ve learned with others.

Can you tell my readers a bit about your new initiative, ‘One Stop for Writers’.

One Stop For Writers is an online resource that contains all of our thesaurus content, along with many other tools and references, in one convenient spot. We call it an online library because so much of what writers need can be found in this one place. The thesauruses are all cross-referenced and searchable. We have customizable worksheets to help with character building, scene setting, symbolism, and much more. We’ve also recently launched a story structure tool to help writers structure their stories in a way that will resonate with readers. We love this site because so much of what writers need is in one location, so it saves time and helps them be more efficient and productive.

You and Angela are busy ladies. Do you have any time for your own fiction?

Every six months or so, Angela and I will talk about our fiction—mostly in a nostalgic and wistful tone, lol. Fiction writing is our passion; it’s how we got started in this business, after all. But our nonfiction books are doing so well, and writing them is always a learning experience for both of us. It’s rewarding on a number of levels, and we’re aware of how fortunate we are to have had a measure of success in this field. So we want to make the most of it while we can. If we could do both, we would. For now, our focus is on nonfiction, knowing that we’ll have time to get back to our fiction eventually.

What do you think is the biggest mistake new writers make?

Hmmm. I’d have to say that a lot of new writers fall into the trap of thinking that they’re ready to publish before they truly are. I’ve benefited greatly from the rise of self-publishing and have a lot of good to say about it, but one thing we lost when the gatekeepers of traditional publishing became optional rather than required was a sense of accountability. I would advise all new writers to get into a critique group or find a partner. Reliable critiquers committed to offering honest feedback can give new writers a better sense of when they’re ready to take that big step.

What next for Becca and Angela? Any more thesauruses?

Well, after the launch of our Setting Thesarus books last month, we’re taking it easy this summer. But in the fall, we hope to get started on our next publication: The Emotional Wounds Thesaurus. This is the one we’re currently highlighting at the blog and people have been clamouring for it to be turned into a book, so that will be our next big project.

If you would like to buy one of Becca and Angela's thesauruses, they can be found here (UK) and here (USA)

You can read Becca's previous guest blog on 'Show not Tell' here.

BIO:

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling. You can find Becca online at both of these spots, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.