Lady Luck is in the networking

By Monty Wheeler 

He walked with Lady Luck awhile, which is how they might say Monty Wheeler came to sign a publishing contract for his formal verse. He’d suffered the pains of rejection until deciding he’d had enough. Writing would be pure pleasure and hobby. Firm in the mindset that he’d never submit works again, he set out to enjoy life.

Life—like the world—changes. Never fear changing with the world. Networking is by far not a new concept, but as the world shrinks and the information highway is playground to faster and faster cars, social networking and interactive marketing become more common place. Through one avenue of social networking, and interacting with others across the Twitterverse, Wheeler met and interacted with other poets and writers, not realizing the scope of those reaches and how others’ lives might change as well, opening doors one might never expect.

When one whom Wheeler had befriended and interacted with on a social program known as Twitter offered guidance should he ever decide to submit a full collection of formal verse for publishing consideration, Wheeler’s vow to himself that submissions were things of his past faded, and he considered. . . Little did he know at that time, his fellow poet friend had ties to a publisher who favored new writers and poets. The walk with Lady Luck? Or direct results of this new social networking avenue?

As the release date nears for Wheeler’s debut collection of dark verse in meter and rhyme, he must remember, a contract does not mean success; there’s much to be done in the way of promotional work. The information highway and social interaction along such paths as Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc. . .play important roles in marketing and self-promotion as a writer and poet.

So whether by blind fool’s luck or an unguided trip through this new world of social networking, Wheeler will publish his first collection of poetry. He encourages those who’d seek to write and publish— or just to write—to change with it as the world changes and look to new ways of selling one’s self and one’s works.


Monty Wheeler, author of "The Many Shades of Dark", his debut collection of formal verse that comes to the shelves via Winter Goose Publishing in March of 2013, considers himself naught but a little old feller living out his days in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. With his work in meter and rhyme, he strives to keep the art of formal verse alive. His days, when not at the job that pays the bills, are spent in writing, fishing, hunting, and his newly-acquired want of gardening. You can find him on Twitter as @bumfuzzled2004, Facebook as Monty Wheeler and at GoodReads

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Private Critique Groups

Since 2005 Authors by Design (AbD) offers to its members the option to join or create their own private critique groups for free. That means no paid memberships, the only requirement to join an AbD critique group is to be an active AbD member.

What are private critique groups?

Private Critique Groups, unlike public groups, can only be viewed by the members you chose to be in your group. No more worries about who's reading your work or if your work is now considered 'published'.

How does it work?

Each group decides its own rules and chooses its own moderator. Usually the moderator is the person who formed the group unless otherwise stated. If you were never a moderator before then one of the Administrators will explain how all the tools work. Its very easy.

Each group has a general discussion area and each member of the group has his/her own area to post their work in.

Example:

Private Group General Forum

Member 1 Forum

Member 2 Forum

Member 3 Forum

This helps members keep track of their own posts as well as their critiques without having to sift through everyone's post to find the one they need.

Authors by Design also offers a chat room and conference room. Groups can use these to meet and discuss their group's needs, offer on the spot feedback to their members, or even engage in some character role playing. Some of our groups have a rotation chat, where they meet once a week and focus on one member's story to offer suggestions, support and brainstorming.

How many members does a group need to have?

As many or as few as you like. The requirement to form your own private group is two members, after that you can add as many new members as you want.

What genre should the group be?

That is up to you. AbD is open to all genres therefore we will host groups of any genres. Usually its a good idea to form a group with members writing inside the same genre, but we've had mix-genre groups that have worked very well together.

Are there any requirements/rules for private group members?

Yes. Membership is free but there's a posting requirement for private groups. Members inside a private group have a mandatory posting requirement of one (1) post per week in the public areas of the AbD forum. This can be a reply to a topic posted by another member or you can start your own topic.

If you have further questions feel free to join us and contact one of our Administrators.

Happy writing!

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Interesting Facts About Famous Authors #2

“Vertical Authors”

The habit of standing to write is not as rare as you would think. Here are five famous authors that did their best work on their feet.

Ernest Hemingway 1899-1961: Hemingway stood in a pair of oversized loafers on the worn skin of a lesser kudu when he wrote. Standing to write was a habit he had from the beginning. He used pencil on onionskin typewriter paper, with a “boyish” handwriting which consisted of large letters, a lack of punctuation, and very few capitals. He only used his typewriter when he considered writing to be fast and simple, for example, dialogue. 

Author of For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea, Indian Camp, The Sun Also Rises, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

Thomas Wolfe 1900-1938: North Carolina's most famous writer. A very tall man, he reportedly wrote standing up beside a refrigerator, using the top of the refrigerator as a desk. Though Wolfe owned a typewriter he never used it, preferring to use pencils and writing only in longhand. 

Author of Look Homeward, Angel, Of Time and the River, From Death to Morning,and The Story of a Novel, which are the only works published during his lifetime. Most of Wolfe’s works were published posthumously. 

Lewis Carroll 1832-1898: His poor health, suffering from a chronically weak chest and a knee injury sustained in middle age, which left him stiff and awkward, did not stop Lewis from being one of the writers that stood to write. 

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
― Lewis Carroll 

Author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

Vladimir Nabokov 1899-1977: Nabokov did a lot his writing standing up and on the move. He used a pencil and index cards so he could take them with him everywhere (much like we use laptops today) and because they allowed him to write scenes non-sequentially and reshuffle them as he wished.

His Novel Ada wound up taking over 2000 cards.

Author of Lolita, Pale Fire and Ada.

Philip Roth: Roth thinks on his feet. He writes while standing up and paces around his work area while he thinks. Not wanting to mix work with personal life, Roth has a studio away from his house where he can work without any interruption, he even avoids facing the window at his studio so the view won’t offer any distractions from his writing.

Author of novels such as Goodbye, Columbus, My Life As A Man, The Ghost Writer, and many more.

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Character Role Playing for Authors

Authors by Design has recently added role playing to the activities you can participate in on our forum. Long time role player JadedSidhe aka Lynn explains how role playing works, the Griffin Inn, and why this can be helpful to authors.

I've been writing for fun since high school, but I've never tried to publish anything. I'm currently writing a science fiction story that I plan to try to get published. I don't have a lot of hobbies, role playing, reading, writing, playing Sims and Create A World. I have been known to dabble with graphics and making websites.

-Lynn 

What is Character Role Playing?

Character role playing is taking on the persona of your character and interacting with others who are doing the same. The point is to stay true to your character. Act, react and interact as your character would.

The How and Why Character Role Play Helps Authors

Character role play helps in more ways than just character development. It helps with world building and it can even help break through writer's block.

From the character development angle, it helps you make more well-rounded and three dimensional characters. It’s particularly useful for characters that you haven't quite figured out. The rest of the characters are controlled by other players their actions and reactions will be unfamiliar or even surprising to you. Your characters will be asked questions. Some of these questions are the standard fare: What's your name, your occupation, where do you come from, etc. But there will be other questions that you may not have ever considered. This can make you rethink or think about how your character would react, therefore digging deeper into whom your character really is and the world and society he or she comes from.

An example of how character role play can help with world building. One of my characters was asked about the political situation on her world and was there any dissent among the populace. It was something I hadn't even considered. After I'd given it some thought and added a few notes to my character's society, I realized that it, the dissent, added to my antagonist's motives.

In the case of writer's block, character role play is an exercise in creativity. If you bring in even a basic character into a role play game and start interacting with other characters, your character will develop and so will his or her world, that can lead to other characters and their motivations and even a storyline.

In all, character role play is a multi-faceted tool that is a fun way to learn about your characters and the world they come from.

Are There Rules for Character Role Play?

It really depends on the group and how the role play is set up. The rules for the role play here are fairly simple. Because we can have characters from any time or place, things that are unfamiliar still seem to make sense to the various characters. Wariness is fine, hysteria is not. Someone from a prehistoric time won't need to be asking what a table is. Language is magically translated. Everyone speaks their own language, but everyone else hears their native language. The same goes for books and reading.

When Characters Take Action Against Other Characters

All characters may not get along. There may be disagreements, arguments and even fighting.
The rules of thumb are: Remember Fair Play and Use Common Sense.

If characters have magic or psychic abilities, that's all fine and good, but common sense needs to be used. No warping the inn and turning your role play partners into frogs. If it limits your role play partners' abilities to interact and communicate, that defeats the purpose of the role play.

The players have to keep 'fair play' in mind when something like this happens. Storm and Zephyr for example. They could easily use their abilities to call a bolt of lightning against an antagonist. The thing is, they aren't naturally inclined to do something like that unless it’s a life and death situation. From a role play stance, it would certainly be an unfair advantage to do so against someone who doesn't have that sort of power. That doesn't mean they're not above zapping someone with a little shock (think the level of static shock).

There is nothing wrong with acting as your character would act/react to a situation, but, there comes a point when actions/arguments/fights defeat the purpose of the role play. That is the point you as the player have the responsibility to decide how to work things out while still being as true to your character as possible.
Don't kill each other's characters. It defeats the purpose. If they want a good-natured fight, or to settle an insult sure, do it outside the inn (Otherwise, they'll find themselves plunged into the nearby ocean courtesy of Jake the Innkeeper). If a fight does happen, the players will have to decide among themselves who wins and how.

Cursing and Sexual Situations

Cursing follows the Forum rules and overt sexual situations are no-nos. It’s not that *ahem* mutual attraction is banned, it just it isn't necessary to play that out. A simple 'they retire to a room upstairs' and is left at that.

How Do Non-Player Characters (NPCs) Work?

NPC's work differently in different games. Sometimes they are solely used by the person running the role play, sometimes they aren't. It’s best to check with the person or people running the game if you're not sure.

Jake Griffin is an example of an NPC. Not that any of the characters knows this, but, he is a very powerful mage. He created The Griffin Inn in what could be called a 'pocket world'. Jake appears to greet people and serve food, clean up, do a little interacting and keep the role play going.

I normally play him, but that doesn't need to stop someone from using him if he's needed. Anyone is welcome to use (not abuse) Jake. If he's needed to bring food or tea or even turn on music, sure, go ahead, use him. He can even be commandeered to greet someone, but, it wouldn't be proper etiquette to use Jake to tell new arrivals that he's a mage showing off his magical abilities without checking with me first, as Jake doesn't flaunt his mage abilities and he's not prone to announcing things like that.

Tips and Tricks

If you are running more than one character or there is action going on in two different places, you denote this by first stating where the action is happening. If your character(s) are just speaking and not performing some action, use their name and a single bracket.

Examples:
Inside: 
Zephyr refills Storm's tea cup
Storm> Thank you

Outside:
Jake> Welcome to the Inn

There are things we call OOC (Out of Character) comments, information and knowledge. We use brackets, ( < >, << >>, (( )) ), to notate OOC usage. You, as a player, can ask a question or ask for or make clarifications or statements. Using the brackets lets others know it isn't a part of the role play.

It should be noted that your characters don't know what is happening in other parts of the inn. Characters upstairs won't know what's going on downstairs (unless shouting is involved). Using information you don't know is a no-no.

An example of an OOC clarification is the earlier use of the twins' elemental power. 

If they zapped someone I could say something like:
Storm glares at Ariel. He calls his element. There is a small bright flash and a pop. ((She'd feel a small shock like you'd get after dragging your feet over the carpet and touching a doorknob))

Another example is when Isobael introduced Amari. 

I didn't know if she was reading Jake's aura or using some other ability on him:

Isobael:

Outside:
Amari frowns as she glances around. She then looks back at Jake, studying him. "Who else is inside?"

As her eyes focus on him, her pupils dilate, the black overcoming, engulfing the silver until only a grey ring borders the black.

Blinking once, her eyes return to normal and she tilts her head to the side a bit.

JadedSidhe:

Outside:

Jake> Only the boy and the twins are inside.

An example of clarifying a character's action. 

Zephyr would have reacted differently if Arel looked younger than 15 than she would if he looked 15 or older. I didn't know how old Arel looked. You'll also notice I used two different types of brackets. The type of bracket used doesn't matter, it’s still OOC information.
Zephyr puts her gloved left hand on her sword (she wears the sword on the left so it is a non-threatening manner) as she stands to her 6'0 height and turns to the newcomer.

Zephyr looks Amari from head to foot and back up to her face, assessing her for a potential threat. "Good evening."


Proper Grammar and Prose

Role play doesn't require you to use perfect sentence structure and the like. We kick back and have fun while we learn about our characters.

However, text abbreviations such as: 4ever, R U going, etc is frowned upon.

The most important rule of Character Role Play is to relax and have fun while you learn your characters and help others learn theirs.

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Interesting Facts About Famous Authors

Roald Dahl author of James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits, George's Marvellous Medicine and The BFG.

Roald Dahl would retreat to a small shed in his garden to write. It was the only place he could concentrate away from any interruptions or loud noises.

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Something for the Muse #2

Our monthly Fun Facts and Inspirations by Hathor (aka Kellee Kranendonk).

Ride the wind, never coming back until I touched the midnight sun - Ride the Wind - Poison
If you were free to go wherever you wanted, where would you go? What about your characters? Where do they want to go? Where can they go?

Fun Fact: Did you know? Brett Michaels of Poison wrote the song Unskinny Bop after finding CC DeVille in the closet with some girl.

Poison was fromed in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. Originally they were known as Paris. After changing their name and recording some demos, they were signed to Capitol Records. After the release of this big hair band's first album, people thought they were an all-girl group. Sales soared. When the truth became known, sales dropped, but the band was still successful. If you've ever seen the cover of that first album, you'll understand the mix-up. Whether on purpose or not, these guys made a name for themselves.

As a writer, what are you willing to do to make yourself known? Writing isn't all just having fun making up stories. First of all, things have to make sense. Even in a fantasy or sci-fi. Things need to happen logically. Are you willing to follow the rules? Listen to an editor? If so, and a publisher snaps up your book, then what about promotions? We no longer live in a world where someone promotes you. You'll have to do that yourself, at least partially. There are many ways of doing so, and you won't need to dress like an 80s hair band to do it.

Monthly quote: Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
- Oscar Wilde


Hathor (aka Kellee Kranendonk among other things) is a columnist for Silver Blade Magazine. [http://www.silverblade.net/] She takes care of her home and family in New Brunswick, Canada as well as various pets and farm animals. In her "spare" time she likes to read and write fantasy. Kellee also writes children's stories and articles. Some of her writing appears online:

* The Troll - children's poem
* The Test - Adutl story
* The Cat's Out of the Bag - children's article
* Everybody Wants Something - Critique article

Her personal website, with a list of her accomplishments and links to other author pages, can be found at: KELLEE KRANENDONK - CANADIAN WRITER

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Something for the Muse #1

Our monthly Fun Facts and Inspirations by Hathor (aka Kellee Kranendonk).
This will be our first post of “Fun Facts and Inspirations” offered by our very own member at AbD, Hathor. We hope these monthly posts will inspire, spark a story idea, article or just give you something fun and interesting to read. Happy writing!


If I could stand beside myself would I see me or maybe someone else?) - I'm Okay – Styx
If your character could stand beside him or herself what would happen?

Fun Fact: Did you know? Igor Shamraychuk is the only team member to be on every single episode of Restaurant Makeover.

Restaurant Makeover star, Igor Shamraychuk came to Canada in 1999. Born in the Ukraine, he eventually became a microchip engineer and got a university degree. Wanting to make life better for himself and his family, he immigrated. Difficulties with the English language caused problems, so Igor struggled to find a job in his field. He got a construction job and, after working on a project for a magazine, was discovered by the Restaurant Makeover team. Knowledge, experience and dedication got him promoted to construction crew foreman.

Igor Shamraychuk worked hard to provide a good life for his family. How does he compare to the characters in your story? Would your character leave his homeland? Would she work in a job not her field? If yes, how far are they willing to go? If not, why not? These are just a few things that make your character who he/she is. Answering these questions will help you develop your character.

Monthly quote:
Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff.
Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)


Hathor (aka Kellee Kranendonk among other things) is a columnist for Silver Blade Magazine. [http://www.silverblade.net/] She takes care of her home and family in New Brunswick, Canada as well as various pets and farm animals. In her "spare" time she likes to read and write fantasy. Kellee also writes children's stories and articles. Some of her writing appears online:

• The Troll - children's poem
• The Test - Adutl story
• The Cat's Out of the Bag - children's article
• Everybody Wants Something - Critique article

Her personal website, with a list of her accomplishments and links to other author pages, can be found at: KELLEE KRANENDONK - CANADIAN WRITER

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Jane Lindskold Interview

Jane Lindskold is the bestselling author of the Wolf series, as well as many other fantasy novels.


Photo by Patricia Nagle

I would like to begin this interview with a journey down memory lane. What can you tell us about the day you found out your first novel was accepted for publication? How did you find out and what were your reactions?

My first published novel was Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls.
I learned it had sold when my agent called me. I was at home in my house in Virginia. She was very business-like, discussing advances and terms for royalties. I listened. I probably asked a few questions (I usually do), but what I remember was being stunned.
Here’s a perspective note. I just pulled the contract from my files. It’s dated March 26, 1993. Contracts often take months to be issued, so that phone call would have been months earlier. The book itself would not come out until December 1994.
This is not a business to get into if you want rapid gratification.

What can you tell us about the first letter you have received from a fan? Did it have the same impact as actually getting published?

My first fan mail came via e-mail. I was very excited. I think until that point, despite sales figures and all, I really didn’t believe anyone but my immediate friends and family read my books.
However, the book coming out had a bigger impact.

What would you advise aspiring writers to do and not to do when submitting a manuscript?

Follow guidelines from the publisher. If the guidelines ask for a summary and three chapters, don’t send them the whole manuscript. I’ve talked to lots of people who read “slush” and they say that one way they do a fast triage is based on whether or not people read directions and follow them. After all, who wants to work with someone who can’t bother to follow directions?
Also, try to target your submission to the market. If it’s a magazine, read a few issues first. If it’s a book publisher, read some of their books. A publishing house like Baen Books has a distinct “flavor.” Even a bigger publisher like Tor has many editors. These have their own tastes. See what they are buying. Often, you get only one chance, so don’t blow it by failing to prepare.

Do you plan a novel before writing it? If yes, how much do those plans change, if at all?

No. I’m a very intuitive writer. I think about ideas, then I see where they take me. I often do research not only before I start writing, but as I am writing, and when I am done. I don’t recommend this for everyone, but I it works for me, partly because I am ruthless about throwing away things that didn’t work out.

How did you handle the submission of your first book? Was it a difficult market to break into?

I didn’t handle my submission, my agent did. The market was tough. It’s always tough. It’s even tougher for your second book, because the shine of “new discovery” is off.

What are the most effective methods you’ve developed in marketing your novels? How much marketing assistance does your publisher provide now as compared to when your first novel was published?

I’m a writer. That means I thrive on being left alone to make up imaginary worlds and people. I don’t mind book signings or interviews, but that’s about my limit. Oh, and I have a website.
I think that publishers should provide more marketing assistance than they do. Asking me to go out and be a salesperson is not a good use of my aptitudes. Ask me to write a book or story. I’m good at that.
I can’t really compare the situation between my first novel and my current novel. One reason is that fourteen or so years have gone by. In 1994, most people hadn’t heard of the Internet or e-mail. An interview like this one wouldn’t have happened.

Do you work directly with your editor and/or are there times where you work through your agent with the editorial staff at Tor?

I work with my editor. I’ve always worked directly with an editor. Happily, I’ve usually liked my editor, and usually taken away something valuable from the relationship. That goes for both my Tor editors, Teresa Nielsen Hayden and Melissa Singer. I am still friends with my first editor, John R. Douglas.

What can you tell us about your new series Breaking the Wall? What inspired you to begin this series and what have been the reactions of your fans thus far?

The “Breaking the Wall” series was inspired by on odd conjunction of my interest in mythology in general and a game of mah-jong played one Christmas Eve.
A good number of years intervened between that Christmas Eve and actually starting the books, but once the idea was there I began reading more intensively about Chinese mythology and culture, preparing to give those vague impulses shape.
If you’re interested in reading more about this, I did a series of blogs for Tor.com about how my research shaped the eventual books.
Reader reactions so far have been positive and interested. Brenda seems to cause the most debate, and I expect that this is because she’s so unlike Firekeeper.

Thank you Dr. Lindskold, we are looking forward to more of your work in the future.

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