How Much Do you Really Need to Say?

Write a paragraph about something you did today. Make it at least 4 sentences.

Now take out the first sentence and the last sentence. How necessary is the middle? Do those sentences say enough to stand on their own?

Think about the construction of the paragraph. Why you chose to put one sentence first, then the next and the next. If you’re writing something short and news-like you may need to edit out the middle sentences. If you’re writing something more descriptive you may want to keep them in if they add more atmosphere and detail needed to the story.

Would You Like Coffee With That?

Do you want a hot mug of coffee or do you want a mug of hot coffee? Do you watch your word placement as you write and edit? Make sure you are describing a hot coffee and not a hot mug.

Something like “I’m an antique lover.” Works in conversation, spoken words have tone to show their meaning and feedback to help any confusion. When writing calling someone an antique lover could be misunderstood. Do you love antiques or are you the antique? This really makes a bigger difference when you are trying to describe an idea of sequence of events to someone else. It is also one of the things I was told I do a lot when I was writing in college.

Focus and Angles

Being a writer is about using focus and angles. You keep your focus but you use up all the angles you can find.

For instance, take a topic like Christmas. How over done is that? Could you find something new to say about Christmas (a new angle) without forgetting who you are writing for and what you are writing about (your focus). Christmas would be a tough one but every year the magazines have flocks of articles for Christmas topics. Sure, many are the same old themes about not breaking your diet, coping with the stress of shopping, bills and family, etc. If you could come up with something new to pitch to the women’s magazines your chances of making a sale increase if you have a new angle and have not lost focus on your market.

I don’t seem to have trouble with angles. I enjoy being contrary, turning tables and looking at things in a new way. Focus, is where my trouble starts. I get looking at angles, some of them are way out there, and focus just gets lost in the brainstorm.

I like to think there are other writers out there with the opposite problem. They have all the focus keeping them grounded but they just can’t think of all the angles. While they are still working on angles I might have a chance to slip my angle in first and see my name on another cheque. My name looks so wonderful on cheques, I really should get more of them.

The Stashing of Ideas

Do you wake up in the morning with the plot for the world’s greatest novel formulating in your brain? Not every morning, but about once a week I do. Often when I’m in the middle of something else: driving, showering, putting away groceries, watching TV, talking on the phone, making dinner, plotting my greatest ever Canadian World Domination… I get the best ideas but have no paper handy to jot them down. I forget a lot of great ideas before I can write them down.

Sometimes I can rip something out of a magazine or the newspaper or the back of the box, etc. That way I can remember what I was thinking at the time. I keep a notebook in my purse, it takes up more than it’s share of space but gives me a chance to keep some of my ideas. Not so handy while driving but, like using a cell phone, I can usually find a place to pull over to use it.

A lot of ideas are stashed in folders inside a file cabinet under my desk. They aren’t well organized but they are there and I have some hope of tracking them down. It’s great to know I have some kind of backup.

I write non-fiction so articles along my topic area are great as sources of quotes, research and people to contact. I’d like to write mysteries, maybe horror but it wouldn’t be icky stuff. I thought about writing romances because they would be easy, they seem to be a formula more than a story. Put it on the list for someday. Everything I find to inspire me in those genres has a folder too.

For now I’m working with non-fiction and I do love it. For me its a combination of teaching the world and learning more myself. Each time I research one idea I find another dozen from there. Life is great.

Publishable and Practical

You’ve got the greatest idea! It’s sure to be a billion dollar blockbuster, rivaling Stephen King and that other writer whose name you can’t quite remember though it’s on the tip of your tongue.

But, is your idea a good one, really? Some of our ideas seem really super charged at the time, when we have that first burst of passion as the idea evolves. But, not every idea is going to be publishable and practical.

Here are guidelines from Cheryl Sloan Wray and her book ‘Writing for Magazines’. (Paraphrased by me).

1. Are you really passionate/ interested enough to spend the necessary time developing, researching and writing this idea?

2. Can you narrow the focus? Some ideas need to be broken into smaller chunks to suit the market/ publisher you are aiming for.

3. If your idea is already narrow, or would appeal to a small, exclusive percentage of the reading public, can you bulk it up? Can you add more points, bring in another slant or find more sources?

4. Can you market this idea to several publications? You want to have a selection of publishers to choose from so you aren’t twiddling your thumbs if the first of them aren’t keen on it.

5. Imagine yourself as the reader of the publications you have chosen. Are you sure their readers will be interested in your idea? If not find other publications to appeal to, or slant your idea in a different, more appealing direction.

6. Describe your idea in 15 words or less. Then, in another 15 words, tell why readers will be interested in your idea/ topic.

7. Will this idea be expensive to research or take up a lot of time to develop? Is it going to cost you more than it will bring in for you? You can’t forget your bottom line after all.

The last point is the best I think. How many of you keep track of your expenses? Do you know if you actually clear more than you spent on each article/ manuscript? Don’t skip your time either. Time is money and that includes you!

Hope this helps bring you some clarity, focus and profit from your greatest ideas. Keep them churning!

Query Letters

We’re writers, we know the words, so why is it so tough to write a query letter? Why do we second guess every word on that page? Why do we agonize over the punctuation, the grammar and the spelling? Why do we “just die” when we realize a typo was missed in our proofreading of that all important query letter?

Because we are bundles of self conflicted maniacs. Geez… I thought you had that figured out by now. Anyway, I thought it was time I wrote something about query letters. We know how important they are, giving prospective editors and publishers (clients) that vital first impression. Plus, of course, the actual idea you’re pitching them.

A query letter is a proposal, describing an article or book you would like to write for a particular publication or publisher. Queries should be kept short, a readable length, one page. A couple of paragraphs to sell the story, a line or two to actually ask for the sale and another paragraph to describe your qualifications.

If you get no reply after a month send a follow up letter. Of course, you kindly ask if they read your first query and remind them of the particulars. You know yourself how hard it is to catch up with an idea you brushed against a month ago. Keep that in mind as you write your follow up. Make a copy (or keep a copy) of your letter. You’ll sound foolish if you finally hear from the editor only you don’t remember what you queried about, exactly.

The basic elements of a query letter:

Start with something to catch their interest and make them read on. An anecdote, statistic or something you can enclose in the envelope along with the letter. Chances are you won’t have anything to send other than your words but if you can come up with something more go for it.

In a paragraph or two explain your idea, why you want to write about it, why their publication would be interested in publishing your article. Gear your idea to the market you have chosen. Of course, you have already spent time picking out your target market. Make sure you also get the editor’s name right (and spelling counts!) and the name of the publication. This would also be an important part of researching your market.

Draw them in with your special angle, slant or hook on the topic. It’s likely true that everything has already been written about at least once. So you need something new to say about it or say the old stuff in a new way. Show them how your slant is new and interesting. Let them know if you can include photographs or other illustrations to go along with your article.

If you have clips (copies of previously published articles) offer to send them. Remember, you’re selling yourself too. Add any other credentials that would help. Are you an expert in the field or have some related experience?

How many words will your planned article be? The editor will know how much space they can offer and you’ll have to work with that. But, start by giving them an idea of what you plan, how much content you can provide. Tell the editor what format you will be using- plain text email, Word document, double spaced, etc. Maybe these seem trivial things at the beginning but to someone working on filling space and keeping a layout they matter and make life easier.

If your query isn’t being emailed or faxed you need to send a SASE (self addressed, stamped envelope) for return mail. This is part courtesy and part hoping making a reply easier will make it happen sooner. We always have our wishful thinking, they can’t take that away from us. Also, make sure the editor accepts email queries, some people still don’t like or use email. Email queries should also have an email signature which sticks to the rules of email etiquette: not more than 4 lines or approximately 60 spaces wide. Please, don’t send an email where your return address shows up as “CutsiePie69”. Unless you’re writing about online chat or some such thing you want to project a professional image. That means no smilies too.

In the end sell yourself and don’t be too modest. What makes you the right writer for this job? How can you (especially) bring this story to life for their readers. Enclose your writer’s resume if you have one and it seems relevant enough.

Don’t forget the letter writing basics. Add your return address and the date to your letter. Start and finish your letter with salutations, something suitable, not too personal. Don’t forget to proofread and proofread without using spellcheck on your computer. Be meticulous, even down right nitpicky, check your spelling, punctuation, grammar and the typo factor. Don’t ever send a query letter you haven’t checked more than a few times and don’t ever write one when you’re too tired (or just not in the mood) to check it as well as you know you need to.