How Do You Spell "Critique"?

[This is a guest post by Sandpoint writer Anita Aurit.]

I love my critique group. They are instrumental in my growth as a writer and I wouldn't write on a regular basis if they didn't inspire me to do so. If you're not as enthusiastic about your group, may I suggest you consider using our spelling of critique?

C - Contribute pieces for critique. A successful critique group contains people who write on a regular basis (letters to the editor, newsletters, or novels, it doesn't matter; it is the act of writing that is important).

R - Read! A writer who does not read is like a chef who refuses to eat or taste his food.

I - Invest the time. Read each piece before the meeting and get your piece to the group at least a few days prior to the meeting.

T - Table the urge to ghost-write. Critiquing is suggesting.

I - Illuminate. Explain your comments. "It doesn't work for me" is not a valid critique.

Q - Quell the urge to defend your writing. Listen and ask questions. If you are busy defending your plot point or use of commas, you will miss valuable suggestions.

U - Understand that writers are emotionally attached to their work. Handing over a piece for critique is like handing over your baby. Be gentle and gracious. Don't coo over the baby and say how sweet it is. Don't mete out harsh correction either. Be gracious and gentle when offering guidance and suggestions and you will raise writers of excellence.

E - Enjoy the process. Listen, learn, and use what you determine to be the best advice.

This is how my group spells critique. However, spelling is not an exact science. You may have a slightly different view of the spelling of critique and I encourage you to use the one that fits you best. Writers can differ about spelling, just as Artemus Ward and Chaucer did. Ward said, "It is a pity that Chawcer, who had geneyus, was so unedicated. He's the wuss speller I know of."
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Anita Aurit's interests are diverse and so is her writing repertoire. She has published short humor in the Saturday Evening Post, an article on fantasy football for women in an online sports magazine, and travel articles. Her devotionals have been published in The One Year Life Verse Devotional and in the Judson Press publication, The Secret Place. She has written an award-winning children's play, The Care and Feeding of Caterpillars, as well as several short, made-for-video productions. She is currently working on two nonfiction books and is toying with the idea of making the next book a novel.

Anita's day job is as a business consultant and mediator. She and her husband, Mark, an Internet software engineer, share their northern Idaho home with three "fur children," all of the Siamese purr-suasion.

Deep snow and deep thoughts

Did you know that shoveling snow can increase your creativity? Physical exercise--especially a repetitive activity that requires more muscle than thought (like shoveling)--increases blood flow to the brain and frees your mind to wander and roam.

So instead of resenting the snow piling up on your sidewalk, look at it as an opportunity for some creative idea incubation. Dig, lift, grunt, toss. Dig, lift, grunt, toss. As your muscles work, give your brain an idea to chew on and see what happens. (But be careful out there! Don't let your mind wander so far from what you're doing that you create a hazard for yourself or anybody else.)

One such "shoveling meditation" you might want to ponder as the year draws to a close is the state of your writing life. How did your writing go in 2010? Was this the year that you made that initial leap from non-writer to writer? Did you achieve any specific writing goals that you'd set for yourself? Did other priorities take precedence over your writing? What would you like to do differently in 2011? What would you like to keep the same?

Did you attend any conferences, classes, or workshops or join any writing groups in 2010? Did you enjoy it and/or learn from it? Will you attend the same event again, or maybe choose something else in the future?

How is your craft coming along? What genre(s) did you write in? Would you like to stay there, or switch genres, or both? Maybe you improved your vocabulary and syntax, and now you'd like to work on plotting or character development or research skills.

Did you market any of your work in 2010? How did that go? Are there new markets you'd like to pursue? Did you enter any writing contests?

Give some thought to your personal writing practices. As you look back over 2010, do you see any patterns? Do you tend to do your best writing in the morning, afternoon, evening, or in the middle of the night? Did you write very little in the summertime but start churning out stories in the fall? Why do you think that is, and how can you take advantage of that pattern in 2011?

Soon your muscles will be tired and your brain will be full. Set down your shovel, come inside for a hot drink, and congratulate yourself on a clean sidewalk and some clear ideas on where you'll take your writing next--or where it will take you.

TGIF: The Write Gift

Today is the perfect day to let Santa know what you want for Christmas.

Technology keeps changing the game for us writers. Although nothing has yet been invented that can fill that first blank page or give you more hours until deadline; there are many items, both new and traditional, that will aid in your task.

Gone is the gobbledy-gook of the old text-to-speech software. New Speech Recognition software promises up to 99-percent accuracy, and upgraded versions enable you to use voice commands to control your computer. What a great holiday gift - create, dictate (documents and email) and edit THREE times faster than typing!

Dragon from Nuance Communications seems to be a good choice, with prices ranging from $75-$200. SpeechMagic, Tazti, Sonic Extractor, and e-speaking are others you might check out. And just so you know, Windows 7 and Windows Vista come with a built-in speech recognition system. Wow!

Here are a few more ideas in case you're still not quite sure what to ask Santa for Christmas. My thanks to fellow blogger Jennifer Rova for starting this list. If you have other ideas, be sure to add them!

Technology
New computer
Upgrades for computer - wireless adapter, external hard drive, etc.
Kindle or Nook
Voice Recorder (A voice recorder pen is the latest thing!)
Padded laptop carrying case
USB Flash Drive
Flash Memory Card

Essential Tools
Waterman pen
Business Cards
Bed desk
Portable lap desk
Colored file folders
Colored recipe cards (for those plot points)
Ream of computer paper
Book holder

Extended Learning
Certificate for online writing class
Gift Certificate for Barnes & Noble, Hastings, etc.
Gift subscriptions to a literary or writing magazine
2011 Writer's Digest or Children's Digest
Books- The Think's Thesaurus, Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words

Relax & Get Those Creative Juices Flowing
Gift Certificate for a massage
Electric coffee cup warmer
Single coffee cup machine or espresso machine
Gift Certificate to coffee shop

Just for Fun
Magnetic Poetry
Art glass paperweight
Sterling pencil charm
Tray or holder for reading glasses
Customized mouse pad
Custom door hanger (Writer at work!)
Book ends
Magnifying glass

Custom Writer's T-shirts
WRITER
I'm not day dreaming, I'm planning my new novel
Shhh...writer at work
I collect rejection letters
In my write mind
Careful or you'll end up in my novel
Some of my best friends are fictional
Bookworm
Writer's block is a figment of your...uh...
BUY MY BOOK

Writer's Basket
Chocolate
Pens/Pencils/Highlighters
Calendar
Notepads/Stickies
Coffee/Coffee mug
Book

You'll find hundreds of online gift resources, and many stores carry these items. Merry Shopping!

http://www.levenger.com/ - Tools for serious readers, good quality gifts including lap desks, book holders, bookends, and more.

http://www.zazzle.com/ - Shirts, office supplies, customized items, business cards, coffee mugs, calendars, letterhead, tablets, etc.

http://www.shakespearesden.com/ - Fun writing gifts with a Victorian flair like a quill and pen.

http://www.fishseddy.com/ - Quirky little trays for glasses and writing tidbits.

Internet Welcomes Poets

He who draws noble delights from sentiments of poetry, is a poet though he has never written a line in all his life. - George Sand

I consider myself to be a connoisseur of poetry. I love its rhythm and rhyme; and I enjoy the pre-meditated structure, meticulous phrasing, and scattering of deliberate words designed to touch my emotions.

Poetry is an echo asking a shadow to dance. - Carl Sandburg

During the holidays, I often spend hours finding poems, or excerpts from poems, for each of my guests to read before our meal. Through the years I've collected a small library of poetry books that I can choose from, but more commonly, I would traipse off to the library and spend many hours glancing through dozens of books in search of the perfect poems.

Boy have things changed. The Internet is a goldmine of all things that wax poetic. Just type in the word and you'll hit the mother lode.

While searching for Christmas poetry recently I discovered the work of dozens of poets I've never read (or even heard of) by searching the Internet. Thousands of poems at the click of a mouse - what fun! If you enjoy poetry, are researching a specific poet, looking for how-to information on writing poetry, searching for inspiration, or seeking a place to post your own musings, give it a try.

You'll discover many free poetry websites offer news and feature articles on the art of poetry. They list poetry blogs, books, videos, audio, podcasts, programs, and contests. Most include biographies of famous poets, lists of well-known poems, and the history of poetry. You'll also find information on how to publish a book of your own poetry; and valuable resources including poetry terminology, poetry tips, and how-to articles. Check out these websites:
http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/

http://www.poetryfoundation.com/
http://www.poetry.com/

Many poetry websites allow visitors to post their original poems. Be sure to take a look at Poetry Soup. Post your poems and then take at look at their latest Soup news, notes, blogs, events, and articles.
http://www.poetrysoup.com/

I hope you'll enjoy the following poem I discovered when looking for Christmas poems.

Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment. - Carl Sandburg

A Christmas Poem* - Jane Merchant

My grandmother sat
On Christmas morning
Mending overalls.
A tall tree glittered,
A hen was roasting,
And the room was merry
With dolls and balls,
So why was she mending
Overalls?
The air is magic
On Christmas morning
And it isn't a time
For doing chores.
We had given her
A brooch that glittered
After anxious searchings
Of ten-cent stores
So why was she working
At everyday chores?
I didn't know then
But I learned much later
That Christmas magic
Goes through and through
The fabric of living
Love, threading her needle,
Made mending
The Christmas-thing to do.

*Printed by permission from http://www.holidayspot.com/

Slash Your Way to Success

Learning to write concisely is an art. It takes a keen eye, an open mind, and a sharp knife. But once you trim the excess, the clear-cut message you pen will evolve into the concise, easy-to-read style of writing appreciated by both publishers and readers.

I learned the importance of making every word count while writing articles for a newspaper. The message from my editor echoed loud and clear, "You cut the words or I will."

At first, it was difficult to slash my way through my carefully constructed words, but as I progressed, I became skilled at eliminating them with the ease of a hired assassin.

Just last week, those editing skills came to my aid when I entered the Folgers Coffee essay contest. The assignment: write a 200-word essay on what is the best part of wakin' up at home for the holidays with Folgers Coffee.

Words flowed as my idea took shape. Then I hit Word Count. Oops! I geared down. My second draft hit the mark - 212 words. That's when I really went to work.

It took several hours, and many rewrites to perfect my entry. Conveying a compelling story in 200 words is not an easy task. But, finally it was done. I had 200 words on the nose.

Then disaster! After I copy-pasted my entry onto the Folgers Coffee entry blank, I gave it a final read and noticed my last two words had disappeared. After several tries, with no success, I realized their computerized entry form counted my essay differently. According to them I had 202 words.

Now, the cuts bled as I hacked away at the meat of my story. Dispirited, I quit working on it for the day. The break helped, and first thing the next morning I noticed a simple phrase I could change. The magic number 198 finally appeared when I hit Word Count.

I hit SEND. Then I completed two more entries - each with 198 words.

Most writing books have a chapter on the importance of writing concisely, and there are dozens of Internet articles on the subject. Each offers constructive advice on ways you can strengthen your writing, eliminate redundancies, and deliver compact, interesting material.

I recommend following their advice, but meanwhile, don't forget one of the simplest tools for learning to write concisely is to write under the restriction of a word-count. Hone your knife and give it a try.

TGIF: Good Reads for Winter and Gifts

With the arrival of several inches of snow as we move into December, North Idaho has turned the corner into winter. But the roads have been plowed and there are plenty of upcoming writing-related events to consider attending. Support our area authors and take advantage of these great opportunities to stock up on books as Christmas gifts for friends and family.

Dust of Snow

by Robert Frost

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

Here is an overview of upcoming events:

At Aunties Bookstore this weekend Joan Kopcyzinski discusses her memoir, Lies, Spies and Psychosis, and Cheryl-Anne Millsap autographs copies of her essay collection titled Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons. Also this weekend, you can meet the children featured in the Faces of Hope 2011 Calendar, which benefits children with autism through the Issac Foundation.

Next week (December 8) poet Robert Wrigley will talk about and read from his latest collection of poems, Beautiful Country. Then on December 10, David Michaelson will sign copies of his award-winning cookbook, The Burntwater Cook’s Kitchen Guide, followed that evening by author Michael Marsden presenting his new novel, Sam d’Bear.

Also coming this month are signings by Seattle journalist Candace Dempsey, children's author Aunt Kimmie Bebo, historian Buddy Levy, and bestselling humorist Patrick McManus.

Check the times, locations, and details of these and other upcoming events on the Events page of this blog.

Beyond This Blog: Your Ideal Reader

Following is an article excerpted (with permission) from Randy Ingermanson’s popular newsletter, Advanced Fiction Writing, which provides an abundance of useful information for writers. Enjoy.
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Your Ideal Reader

When a publishing house considers your novel, one of the first things they ask themselves is, "Who's going to buy this book?"

One answer they won't even consider is, "Everybody."

Every book has a natural audience. When a publisher tries to market your book, they're going to target that natural audience.

This is true, even when a story has extraordinarily broad appeal. The Harry Potter series was massively popular, but even so, plenty of people didn't read it.

I know lots of readers who heard about it and just shrugged and said, "So what?" I know others who read the first chapter and didn't get it and stopped. I know others who read the first book and then quit.

I'm going to bet that very few of them were 11-year-old boys. The ideal reader for the first Harry Potter book was an 11-year-old boy.

True, lots of other people liked the book. Zillions of adults. Zillions of females. But we're talking here about which group loved it best. That group was the set of boys Harry's age.

Why think about these "ideal readers" when they obviously aren't the only readers for a book?

Simple. Every publisher has a limited marketing budget. Their game plan is to market your book to the people most likely to love it. Then those early adopters will market it to everyone else via word of mouth.

Word of mouth is the best thing going in marketing fiction. The smart marketer tries to get word of mouth going by starting a "brush fire" -- igniting interest in those people most likely to love the book.

If you're writing a novel, then one of the things you must do to get it published is to identify your target audience. Publishers will insist on knowing this information. The better able you are to tell them, the more likely they are to buy your novel.

How do you identify your target audience?

Start by imagining your ideal reader -- one person -- who is "most likely" to love your book. This doesn't mean that other people won't like it, but we're going with the probabilities here. Think of the one person in the world who will love your book most. Now answer these questions:

* Is this reader male or female?
* What age is this reader?
* What ethnic group does this reader belong to?
* How much education does this reader have?
* What does this reader do for a living?
* Where does this reader live? Which country? Which state?
* What is this reader's goal in reading a novel?
* What is this reader's deepest yearning in life?
* What does this reader fear most?
* What is this reader's most dangerous secret?
* Who does this reader admire most?
* Who does this reader hate the most?
* What matters most to this reader -- sports, clothes, politics, religion, love, fun, cars, career, drugs, money, or something else?

You may find it helpful to give your ideal reader a name and hometown. (My ideal reader is named Bob and he lives in San Diego.)

Now take your answers to the above questions and write up a one-page document named "My Ideal Reader." Pretend he's a character in your novel and write up his backstory and describe his life, focusing on his hopes and fears, his loves and his hates, and the reasons he likes your kind of fiction.

That's all. You might find it helpful to print out your document and tape it on the wall and read it every day before you start writing. It'll keep you focused on the reason you write.

Remember this. No matter how narrowly you define your ideal reader, there are thousands of people in the world who are a lot like him. There are millions of people who are fairly similar to him.

If you can define your ideal reader, you can write a novel he'll love, and your publisher can find a way to market to him.
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Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 23,000 readers, every month. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.