Events and Trivia: Author J. A. Jance and Paper Clips

There are some great author events coming up this weekend and over the next few weeks at Aunties Bookstore in Spokane.

Saturday afternoon, Author K. T. Kelly will be signing copies of her illustrated children’s books, Starfriends I & II and Starfriends III & IV. Also, The Pixie Chicks, a group of Idaho writers, will present their anthology An Eclectic Collage.

Later this month Therese Marszalek will share highlights from her book 40 Days: Inspiration and Encouragement to Get You Through Tough Times, David Matheson will share his book Red Thunder, and Donald Gardern Stacy will discuss his books, After Nightfall & Other Stories and Cliffside Drive.

Then, on August 4, New York Times bestselling author J A. Jance will talk about her life and times and  her  eagerly anticipated book, Betrayal of Trust: A J.P. Beaumont Novel. Jance is the popular author of three series of novels centering on retired Seattle Police Department officer J.P. Beaumont, Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady, and Ali Reynolds.

For more details on these and other writing-related events, check the Events page of this blog.

Meanwhile, here’s a fun topic to think about: Paper Clips

When I recently went through some old files and paperwork, I tossed some papers into the waste basket and shredded others while pulling off and setting aside the paper clips—those valuable tiny tools that come in so handy in writing and business; that attach our business cards to query letters, cover letters to book proposals and manuscripts; that my son bends into odd shapes, that my schoolmates used as ammunition with rubber bands, that I have used to open a locked door, or to clean dirt from a crack. For fun, here’s a very brief history of the paper clip:

Have a great weekend!

My Bird-Brained Solution: Books for Writers

After completing the ebook versions of my print books several months ago, I struggled to keep my focus on a single writing project. Instead, my thoughts zigzagged from project to project—a photo-essay book I want to do with my brother, ideas for two memoirs, an ebook I’ve started that requires a substantial amount of research, book marketing activities, and a real estate-related ebook for my husband’s business. As a result, I felt I had accomplished little.

This dilemma of disorganization eventually led me straight back to thoughts of Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, in which she wrote:

Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.

With that inspirational reminder, I forced myself to lay all but one project aside, to close the irrelevant files on my computer desktop, and to decide that I would not go back to the others until I had the current project under control and complete. Even though I still itched to get back into the other projects, I persisted and made good progress.

Although other writing-related books may cover the same topic of setting priorities and working through projects, Lamott worded it in such a way that it stuck with me and draws me back again when the need arises. And reaching back for Lamott’s assistance got me to thinking: What other books have influenced me in the same way—meaning that the book contained a single passage, metaphor, anecdote or idea that has stayed with me and influenced my writing in a way that others did not?

Here are a few that come to mind:

Writing for Story by Jon Franklin
I always think about two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Franklin’s book when I think about story structure. Franklin gave a clear, memorable formula for structuring dramatic nonfiction, which I apply to my own work.

Writing Creative Nonfiction by Theodore Cheney
Even though I had read about passive writing in other books, it was Cheney’s words that stuck with me and influenced my writing.

Revision by David Michael Kaplan
Kaplan made me realize the importance of revision. Now, revising my writing has become the most important, fulfilling, and enjoyable part of writing. Revision is where craft really comes into play.

Writing Content by Roger Nielsen
What has stayed with me from Nielsen’s book was that I could not only write what I know (as all writers are instructed), but through research and learning, I could also write what I would like to know. That realization opened an enjoyable range of possibilities.

We can all read and hear the same topic over and over again in books and at writing conferences, but it sometimes takes the right person to write or say it in a certain way that sparks a "lightbulb moment" and causes us to finally take notice. Or maybe our brain just happened to be more receptive at that moment. Whichever the case, the knowledge sticks with us and we usually remember the book we read it in, or the person who shared it with us.

Which books do you return to for inspiration?

The P-Word: A Marketing Essential for Authors

I recently watched a movie (Starting Out in the Evening) about a once-successful, aging, literary fiction author whose remaining goal in life is to make a comeback by finishing what he knows will be his final novel. At a literary event he encounters the editor from the publisher of his earlier books. The editor asks the author if he is still writing.

"Well yes, yes, of course. As a matter of fact I'm just putting the finishing touches on my new novel. And I'd really be happy to send it over to you as soon as it's finished."

The editor looks down then at the author and says, "Look, Leonard, I respect you too much to blow smoke. This business has turned into the film industry. It's all about the name. And to tell you the truth, most of the business we do now is celebrity confessions and self-help books.”

The dejected author replies, “I understand.”

What the editor told Leonard rings true today in a market that has been referred to as the "Hollywoodization" of publishing. With many agents and publishers, it is now often less about the writing and more about the name…or to be more precise…about the worrisome p-word: PLATFORM, or AUTHOR PLATFORM.

What is an author’s platform? It is what the author “brings to the table” to sell books; the author's built-in book-selling potential; the built-in audience. It’s about the author's influence, passion, and the author's goal as a writer. It's about how well the author is situated to sell books.

Celebrities and other famous people have thousands and millions of fans who will buy their books. TV anchors and similar talking heads have a huge television audience who will buy their books. Others who possess a ready-made market include high-profile speakers who can draw large listening audiences, people who have been part of a significant newsworthy event, and owners of successful businesses who have a large client base. These high-profile people represent less financial risk to publishers because publishers know their platform alone will sell many books.

But if you are not a famous person or someone with a ready-made reading audience, you can create your own platform if you’re willing to do the work. You may never reach the audience potential of a celebrity, but you might be able to build a platform large enough to interest an agent or publisher, or create a nice audience for your already-published books.

Today, the easiest and quickest way to build your platform is by using the internet to establish a strong online presence. Here are some steps you can take to begin creating your author platform:

Website
Create a great-looking website to showcase your work and personality. Include a detailed bio, cover images and details about your book, a schedule of your planned book events, and reviews/endorsements of your book. Occasionally update the site so that it doesn’t become stagnant. Include links to your social media accounts on your Home page.

Blog
Blogging is a quick, dynamic way to grow your online presence by sharing your ideas and knowledge with others. Create your own blog and post on a regular basis, or become a blogger on a multi-author blog (such as this one). Comment on other blogs using the name of your book alongside your signature. You can also contact other blog authors and offer to be a guest on their blog.

Social Media
Join and participate in popular social media groups such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.. Always include links to your website and blog. Try to connect and participate regularly.

Email List
Grow your email list from your website or blog by offering a newsletter, giveaway, or inviting people to contact you via a contact form. You can use this list on occasion to announce new books, editions, or special sales. But use the list sparingly so your recipients don't feel spammed.

Audio and Video
Learn to make your own book trailer to post on You-Tube, your website, and/or blog. You can also make an audio of yourself reading an intriguing passage from your book. With a little research and basic software, you can create these products yourself.

Articles
Use your writing skills to write helpful online articles, such as tips on writing, book reviews, etc., on places like Associated Content and other online article venues.

Target
All books are not for all people. Whether you are connecting with individuals, groups, or organizations, guide your marketing efforts toward the audiences and niche markets who are the most likely readership for your book.

Because some of these marketing methods can be time-consuming, pick and choose the ones that most appeal to you and do those first. Don't let the amount of work involved in building your platform intimidate you. Make a plan to do one small thing each day, or two or three things each week. As you grow your online presence, your author name and book title will appear more and more frequently in web topic searches, and those interested will eventually have information about you and your book at their fingertips.

In addition to your online presence, here are some ways to enhance your platform offline:

Public Speaking
Promote yourself and your writing expertise by speaking at conferences, schools, libraries, and other relevant venues in your area.

Teach
Check in your community to see if there are extension programs, community centers, or other places where you can use your writing experience to teach other writers.

Professional Organizations
Join professional groups where you can get known and can interact with others in your field.

Media Interviews
Try to setup interviews with radio, television and newspapers. If you are traveling on a book tour, try to schedule interviews with the local media well ahead of time. In smaller communities, the media are often happy to interview authors for local events.

Articles
Consider submitting articles in your topic area to newspapers and magazines in your area.

Building a platform is about marketing yourself and building a readership. Some say an author should begin building their platform up to three years prior to publication of their book. But even if your book is already published, continuing to build your platform will help get it into the hands of new readers.

According to Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest: "Audience development doesn't happen overnight (or even in six months or a year); it's a process that continues for as long as you want to have a readership. It shouldn't be delayed, postponed, or discounted for one minute."

In the end, however, getting maximum benefit out of the platform you build goes hand-in-hand with writing the very best book you can write.

With the exception of teaching, I've used all of the above marketing techniques, in varying degrees, to build a platform. Over the past year or so, however, I've focused exclusively on the online activities. Not only has online marketing helped boost book sales and my visibility as a writer, but I love that I can work on my platform while wearing my fuzzy slippers.

"Soar with your Strengths"

Marcus Buckingham, in the auspices of working for Gallop, devised an ingenious method of discerning how we process information. According to his research, information comes through a filtering system in our brains, and gets instantly stored and sorted for further use. Developed as a management tool, it became quite popular with the corporate world, as communication can often be difficult.

I well remember the day when I worked in a call center where we were taken off the 'phones, a holiday in and of itself, and sent into the training labs to hear about this program. Next, we were given a series of test questions and told that we would have our answers in two weeks time.

We were all fairly curious to see the results of the Gallop program, but nothing could have prepared us for the impact. It was not that we discussed it for the next week; it went in to the following months and then years. We were given a small plaque to put beside our computer terminals in our lowly cubicles. Anyone coming to talk to us, about any given matter, could glance at the list of strengths and then ideally, would formulate a plan to address the situation, based on how we like to receive information.

The categories were separated into four themes: Impacting, relating, thinking and striving. When the test results were handed out I was told that in the group of over four hundred people, only two had all five top strengths in the thinking department. Everyone in the room looked at me and I quipped that I must be a brain in a jar.

My list came out as follows: Intellection, Arranger, Connectedness, Learner, Context. Briefly, the first title is described as someone who likes to think things through, endlessly. The arranger is depicted as a juggler who can toss it all in the air and then find a quick way through the morass to a solution and a way forward. Connectedness has to do with always having the bigger picture, that being the universal oneness of being, in mind. Learner is rather self explanatory in that those with this particular strength have an endless fascination with that which they do not know. Context pertains to the history of any given situation. First of all, how did we get here.

Back at my desk with this new information about myself, I suddenly realized that I could not have had a better grouping for writing. At this point in my life, my novel had been rejected, I was feeling rather hopeless in regards to my great dream, and was literally punching a time clock and doggedly putting one foot in front of the other. Suddenly, I wondered if I had underestimated myself, taken rejection too personally and asked everyone around me if I should not have another crack at the old manuscript.

This kind of reaction rippled through the whole company. Relationships ended and many people moved on to other jobs. As Marcus Buckingham once said, “when a child brings home a report card with three A's, two B's and a D which grade becomes the center of our dialog?”

This program, can be useful as we look at characters we have created. It may be a method of sticking to a consistent theme which is evident in a person's life. Are they a driven individual, always, trying to affect change? Are they passive, always trying to understand what is about to hit them next? Do they need to win over others, or are they confident in themselves, no matter how odd they may appear to to others?

As companies learned to stop focusing continually on what an employee was doing wrong, and were trained to shift their thinking towards a more positive outlook, we can apply the same tool to writing. We are all flawed, and we make mistakes, but we do learn from them, and have great strengths at the same time. Nothing is more flat then a one dimensional character. We are complex creatures after all, full of quirks and foibles. Many great stories involve a character, under duress, finding strengths they did not know they possessed.

At Least I Tried

Since the Ironman Competition first came to Coeur d' Alene, we have seen our town transformed into a training ground and then a race course for outstanding athletes. This year we saw 2,300 triathletes enter the cool waters of Lake Coeur d' Alene. It turned out to be a day for the record books. Craig Alexander of Australia did the course in 8 hours, 19 minutes and 48 seconds. Julie Dibens of Great Britain came in at 9 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds. People were still on the course when I went to sleep at ten p.m. My thoughts and prayers with them knowing they still had miles to go.

The morning after race day, we woke up to a power outage which put me on the hunt for a cup of coffee. Realizing that the Coeur d' Alene Resort has a back up generator, I set off to accomplish my mission. In the lobby, not only did I get my latte, I got to see and overhear conversations regarding the race.

“Don't be so hard on yourself,” one wife said. “You gave it your all.”

“Well at least I tried,” the man replied as he limped off in the direction of the dock.

During the past few years, as I beaver away at my memoir, much thought has been taken up with the theme of competition. Being that our family business had to do with professional sports, namely hockey, the topic of winning and losing was on our lips at all times. The city of my youth grew to be passionately attached to the Toronto Maple Leafs and they expected them to win the much coveted Stanley Cup. We did not fail. In the summer, we were in the “off” season, out of the city, up at the lake and life was much slower and a great deal more relaxing.

Against my will one summer, I was entered in a diving contest at a regatta hosted by our island dwelling neighbors. Swimming races and events for all ages were set up throughout the day. When I failed to win the swim, I was entered into the diving contest. My sister won her age group, hands down. While I insisted that I did not know one of the compulsory dives, all my protests were silenced. So, not knowing what else to do, I invented something. Jump up, land on board in a seated position and then sort of plop, head first into the lake. The crowd roared, not with the thrill of brilliant competition, but with laughter and my father was furious. Thoroughly dressed down and called a disgrace when we returned, I decided that I hated competition altogether. In my adult life, I have shied away from everything. Writing contests are no exception. While I consider this a personal failing which I plan to conquer someday, a game of 'go fish' with a young child is about all I can muster.

Today I looked up quotes pertaining to winning and losing and I found something that could well change my life.

“I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying.” Michael Jordan.

I was at the finish line for the Ironman race when the winner came down the main street of our town with no one on his heels. I cheered, and threw my hands in the air. To the strangers on either side of me, I cried, “Can you imagine what it takes to win this race?”

When you walk in any book store and see the array of volumes, it is easy to think, how on earth can I hope to compete with all of this? Currently, I am rereading Les Miserables. Who am I compared to Victor Hugo? All these thoughts plague any writer and fear can be overpowering. Yet, I could never accept not trying to write novels, or not trying to be an author. I can accept not finding an agent, or getting turned down by publishers, but I could never accept the flow of words drying up altogether.

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased. “Ralph Waldo Emmerson”

Red Letter Day

Thoughts go flying through our minds all day long. We hear bits of news; Facebook gives us information on friends far and wide. Yet, sometimes one will stick with us. It will circle back into our thoughts over and over until we are forced to stop and think. Why is this still with me? What am I supposed to learn from this?

This week my nephew in Toronto went on a journey, parting the mists of time. Reading a book about Toronto, he found a whole page devoted to the contribution made by my great grandfather, the poet and Theosophist, Albert Ernest Stafford Smythe. Described as a gentle man, the tale of his first marriage is characterized as mismatched. My great grand parents met on the ship coming over sometime in the 1890's. They had two children, but at the age of twelve, their little daughter died. He wrote a poem asking, “If I were to follow through the spheres, would I be worthy of thy love and tears?”

His wife is said to have died five years later at the age of thirty eight. We knew she died from drinking.

My nephew read that the two women were buried in a church yard not far from his house. He decided to see if he could find their graves, not expecting to have much in the way of results as it is now one of the larger cemeteries in the city. A new church and parking lot are what you see from the street, but after further examination, he saw an old, very simple church back from the road. Thinking his best bet would have been there, he set off. The first grave he found bore the name Smythe, with another beside it. He said it was as if he walked right to it. As my nephew works nights, the sun came up over the roof of the old church. A bright ray from a new dawn came right to him. Hard pressed to describe what he felt, he narrowed the powerful emotion down to one of gratitude.

Earlier in the week, a cousin had written to ask for insight regarding family history, troubles and pain. Her life is now on the cusp of great change and she is casting about for answers. How many immigrant tales from how many countries have those who sailed with high hopes, but failed to close the gap upon landing? From personal experience, I can say it takes great strength to be the one that sets out on adventures and blithely leave it all behind: friends, family, community and a base of support. What failed my great grandmother? Was it a sorrow she sought to escape when she left England, or was she undone by grief? My grandfather, the remaining child of their union, went on to fame and fortune. Last summer, when the Queen visited Canada, the Prime Minister presented her with a famous picture of a visit to Toronto in 1956 where she is the guest of my grandfather. He is pictured sitting beside her as her host. If only the two poor souls in that churchyard had lived to see a better day. Perhaps they were the guiding light behind the success of a man who always considered himself lucky.

Then the great wheel of history turned again. The newly married Prince William traveled to Canada with his bride on their first official tour. The fashion world waited with baited breath to see what H.R.H. the Duchess of Cambridge would wear. The first choice for the tour, dawned as they boarded the plane to Canada, a smart navy jacket bearing the label Smythe, put us all into a state of unbridled joy. My niece Christie Smythe by name, the great great granddaughter is now in the happy position of receiving the best of all possible endorsements.

Thinking of how many books I have read in my life that chronicle family sagas, it simply boggles my mind to try to come up with a number. Great change brings casualties, triumphs and tragedies. Sometimes our most cherished stories and inspirations come from an early morning walk behind a sweet old church. Or they come when we see decades of adversity wiped away in one shining moment of stellar success.

"We are herd animals," my teacher said. "We look for stories of that breakthrough, of that fleeting moment where one distinguishes themselves above all others. Those are the stories worth writing. "

American Authors, The Flag & Freedom

Hooray for the red, white and blue

for the stars n’ stripes that

wave so proudly from

pillar and post, from

 roof top and Cemetery grave,

From city park and baseball

field, and to the

Republic for which it stands;

For the parade of citizens

of every nationality, language

and color of skin

We the people. Not the politician,

pundit, or demagogue.

We the people—our voices heard

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Religion

Freedom from Want

Freedom from Fear

Democracy.

Orators and statesmen,  proclaim

It loud, proclaim it clear

“One nation under God, indivisible,

With liberty and justice for all”

Our pledge of allegiance  - cherish the

words, hold it dear.

Since Monday is 4th of July, and we observe and celebrate the day with barbecue, picnics, and fireworks; Salute the flag and everything USA, and because WNI is a blog dedicated to writers and writing,  I thought I would mention a few favorite authors whose prose and style are uniquely American.  Whittier, Whitman, Dickinson, Twain, Crane, Sandburg and  Poe;  Robert Frost, and  the poem he wrote for Kennedy’s inauguration :

To break with followers when in the wrong,

A healthy independence of the throng,

A democratic form of right divine

To rule first answerable to high design

And in The Gift Outright ,  Frost prophetically   writes,

To the land vaguely realizing westward,

But still unstoried, artless, unenhanced,

Such as she was, such as she would become.

Since the birth of our nation, there have been  many writers we acclaim, and hold in high esteem—Franklin, Jefferson and Paine, who wrote of liberty and lofty goals.  James Fenimore Cooper, Melville and Hawthorne—bringing to life The Last of the Mohicans , a menacing whale, and witch trials. Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway;  Willa Cather, and Little Women’s , Louisa May  Alcott. 

Each one presents, and helps preserve a slice of Americana through the  stories they write. They tell us about the lay of the land during  certain time and space,  of people and places , prejudice 
and  great generosity -  the challenges of life, choosing good over evil. Always, a call to freedom of spirit prevails. 

So, this  4th of July, along with cheering  fireworks bursting bright,  I encourage you to read a book by an American author, who also  sheds a light— a light of knowledge and  imagination about our America; Who we were, who we are—  

To all of you, Happy 4th of July ! Let Freedom Ring.

For a short bio and  list of American authors visit:

Public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/aufram.html

or
www.americanpoems.com