Christmas Tips from the Playfriends

We all know how hectic the holidays can get.  That’s why this year the playfriends are offering our best Christmas tips and recipes to help make this time less stressful for everyone.  We hope you enjoy!

Christmas Tip from the Playground Monitor

When my older son was a toddler, he was fascinated by the Christmas tree to the point of un-decorating and re-decorating it.  Naturally I was concerned that he might break something and cut himself, or worse yet, pull the tree over on himself.

I’d fussed at him, shook my finger at him and paddled his behind to no avail.  Then one day while we were out shopping I found a small artificial tree about two feet tall and the light bulb went on.  If he wanted to decorate a tree, then why not give him his own little tree with unbreakable ornaments?

I bought the tree along with a small package of wooden ornaments and we put it on the dresser in his bedroom.  It was his to decorate as he pleased.  I explained this was his tree and Mommy had her tree, and if he’d leave my tree alone, I’d leave his alone.

It worked!  And when #2 son came along a few years later, I purchased a second tree for his room.  Through the years they added ornaments they made at school or church and Mommy’s tree and ornaments remained in one piece.

Playground Monitor’s Favorite Christmas Treats

Chocolate Bark Candy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Put down a layer of graham crackers.

Cook 2 sticks of margarine and ½ cup sugar for 2 minutes.  Pour over the graham crackers.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with 6 ounces of chocolate chips.  Smooth with a spatula when melted.  Put pan in the freezer until chocolate is set.  Break into pieces and enjoy!

Haystacks

2 cups sugar                    ¼ tsp. Salt
½ cup milk                1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 stick margarine           ½ cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons cocoa            3 cups oatmeal

Combine sugar, milk, butter and cocoa.  Bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Add salt and vanilla.  Stir in peanut butter and oatmeal.  Mix well and drop by a teaspoon on waxed paper.  Let stand for 15 minutes until firm.

Smarty Pants’ Christmas Tip

This tip is really a recipe of sorts as well, but a handy gift idea. The holidays are expensive enough, but I find there’s usually a slew of people I’d like to give something to, but can’t spend a lot of money on. Homemade gifts are a good answer for neighbors, teachers, mailmen, and co-workers. I usually try to spend a day making candy and cookies to put into tins and give away, but sometimes the time and the motivation is just not there. A simpler option is this mix for hot cocoa powder. Pick up a set of mason jars at the store and fill the jar with the mix below. You can fill the jar ¾ of the way and add marshmallows on the top or layer the marshmallows or chocolate chips with the cocoa mix to make it look pretty. That’s up to you. A little square of decorative fabric fits over the lid cap and under the lid ring to secure it. You can tie it with ribbon or raffia...again, up to you. Last thing is to add a little card tied to the ribbon with the directions for them to make cocoa from the mix.

If the whole jar thing is too crafty for you, buy cute mugs and some cellophane bags. I just picked up a bunch of mugs for $1 each at Big Lots. Fill the bags with cocoa and marshmallows, tie it with a ribbon and put it down into the mug. All done!

This recipe makes a large batch – about 15 cups to divide into the jars or bags. You’ll need a big bowl to mix everything together.

Ingredients:
10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine milk powder, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and creamer. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store cocoa mixture in an airtight container until you’re ready to divide into the jars. Makes enough for about 45 servings.

For the jar tag:
For 1 serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mixture in a coffee cup or mug, and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Top with dollop of whipped cream or a few marshmallows, if desired.

Variations:
Flavored cocoa is fun too. Adding some cinnamon or crushed candy canes to the mix gives it a unique flavor. Use your imagination!

Smarty Pants’ Christmas Recipe

This is a great recipe for breakfast Christmas morning because you make it the night before and just pop it in the oven to bake while you’re opening presents. It’s all the goodness of French Toast without individually grilling up each piece. This recipe came from Paula Deen, the southern goddess of the kitchen, so know that it will be awesome. Fattening, but awesome. :)

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.

Instigator’s Christmas Tip

I’m not really sure I have a Christmas tip.  But I love hearing of other people’s holiday traditions because I’m always looking for something new to add to ours.  There are several important ones from my childhood, like going with my entire family to the Christmas tree farm to cut down our very own tree – try getting six people to agree on which one is perfect.  Not easy.  Or counting the days until it was my turn to open the box on the advent calendar.  Lighting our advent wreath each night at dinner... All of these are important in their own way, and most are traditions we now share with our girls.  But there’s one that I absolutely could not do without. 

Each year growing up, my parents would let us open one present on Christmas Eve night.  We’d get back from Mass and race to get those pinchy shoes and scratchy clothes off.  Once we were in our warmest, fuzziest, most comfortable pajamas we’d all gather around the Christmas tree, and a fire when we lived in Michigan.  Then we’d argue about which present we were going to open. 

There most certainly was strategy involved.  Inevitably, the presents we got to choose from were the ones that had been arriving from out of town relatives for weeks.  Those perfectly wrapped packages we’d shook, peaked at, and tried to wiggle the tape loose in an effort to find out what was inside.  My sister and brothers and I would discuss...who was going to open the one from Grandma?  The present from Uncle Mike and Aunt Loraine?  It made a difference, because if we figured out the perfect way, we could pretty much know what was in the packages we hadn’t opened yet.  That way, in the morning, we could concentrate on what had come from Santa. 

As we grew up, the Christmas Children’s Mass changed to Midnight Mass and eventually we moved from opening our present at 7 or 8 o’clock at night to opening those presents at 1 or 2 in the morning.  But the excitement never changed.  Now, instead of opening my own present I get to watch my girls open theirs. 

Instigator’s Recipe

Every Christmas morning my family gets up, opens presents, and then sits down to share this casserole (We do it on Easter morning too...)  You prepare it the day before, leave it in the frig, and then pop it in the oven before presents. By the time everything’s opened breakfast is ready.

12 slices bread (buttered on both sides)
8 oz. sliced ham
8 oz. swiss or other cheese
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
Dash tobasco (I leave this out)

Grease 9X13 pan.  Remove crusts (I don’t do this) and butter both sides.  Place 6 slices in the bottom of prepared pan.  Alternate ham and cheese slices on bread.  Cover with remaining slices of bread.  Buttered side out.  Mix and beat well, milk, eggs, and seasonings.  Pour over sandwiches.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Angel’s Christmas Tip

My first holiday tip is to do something YOU enjoy to celebrate the Christmas season. Many times we rush to fit everyone else's expectations into our busy schedules, but don't do the same for ourselves, and resulting in a let-down feeling after all the presents are unwrapped. For myself, I love Christmas lights. So every year we drive around the neighborhood and look at what the neighbors have put up. I also make it a point of going to the local botanical gardens, which has an award-winning display, even if I have to swing by on my own.

I hit the stores on December 26th. Well, it's not what you think. When the after-Christmas sales roll around, I stock up on holiday-themed items to give as gifts the next year. Snowman towels and star candles make great teachers gifts or basket filler. All those bath sets that can be had for $5 or $6 dollars after Christmas become handy, inexpensive birthday presents for that aunt or cousin who has everything.

Angel’s Christmas Recipes

Here's a quick, easy Chili Cheese Dip for those unexpected guests:

2 cans canned chili (your brand/type of choice)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 package shredded cheddar cheese

In a microwave safe container, place cream cheese. Soften in microwave. Stir in canned chili and heat through. Stir in cheese and heat until completely melted.

Serve with crackers of choice or corn chips. You could also pour the dip over Scoop corn chips and serve as a chili-cheese pie.

My favorite Christmas cake is my Mother's Red Velvet Cake. I don't care for pecans in my frosting, so I leave them out. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do:

2 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1oz. bottles red food coloring
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp. cocoa
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 large eggs

Frosting:
1 1/3 stick butter
10 oz. cream cheese (full fat, don't skimp!)
1-1 pound box confectioners sugar
1 ½ cups pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all cake ingredients with a mixer. Grease 3-9 inch round pans and pour in batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool before frosting.
Mix all frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake.

Problem Child’s Christmas Tip

I’m not crafty-enough to do very many homemade gifts.  I’m not organized enough for my Christmas not to be a three-ring fire drill. My holiday hint? Fix a large cup of hot chocolate, lace liberally with peppermint schnapps (or Bailey’s Irish Cream), and wrap up in a nice warm blankie for 30 minutes each evening.  (You can watch Christmas tree lights and listen to Christmas music if you like, but it’s not necessary.)  Your sanity is important enough to be carefully cared for over the holiday season.

My other holiday tip?  Shop on-line. The UPS guy delivers it right to your door and you never have to face the crowds at the Mall.

Problem Child’s Christmas Recipe

Peanut butter is one of my favorite things, and peanut butter fudge makes a nice change from all the chocolate going around at this time of year.  So here’s my Mamaw’s recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge:

Grease a large baking dish. 
In a heat-proof bowl, mix:
     1-7oz jar of marshmallow cream
     1-18oz jar of peanut butter

In a large pot, combine:
     5 cups of sugar
     1 can of evaporated milk
Bring to a boil and boil for 7 minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour hot mixture into bowl and mix well.  Pour into buttered dish.  Refrigerate until firm then cut into squares. Store in air-tight container in the fridge.

One day, I’m going to make a batch of peanut butter fudge and layer it between a batch of my Aunt Bess’s chocolate fudge. <thighs enlarge at the mere thought>

Back to School

Battling the Grammar Gremlins, Part 5: Modifiers, Parallelism, and Mixed Constructions - by Kimberly Lang

First, a quick note of apology: It seems I got my numbering mixed up on these articles.  (Here I am proofing my punctuation so carefully while the titles get all mixed up. Sigh.) This is the fifth article in the Grammar Gremlins series.  There’s an introduction and three comma lessons before this one.

Let’s move away from punctuation for a while.  (Insert sound of collective sigh of relief.)

When people talk about grammar, we seem to focus on punctuation rules and subject-verb agreement issues.  We forget (or don’t realize) that grammar is actually the structures that govern the whole language, not just comma usage rules. Grammar covers how you construct your sentences, making sure that your ideas are presented clearly and without confusion.

Grammar is the logic of our language.  It’s what allows us to understand what’s being said.  For instance, you can’t arbitrarily decide you don’t like the good old English structure of Subject-Verb-Object.  The boy bit the dog is a very different sentence from The dog bit the boy.  Your innate understanding of English grammar, including the Subject-Verb-Object pattern, tells you who got bitten in this sentence. English grammar has rules of construction that simply cannot be messed with—ever. (Bit the boy the dog just doesn’t make sense.) Without grammar, language is nothing but random vocabulary words, and random words don’t carry meaning effectively.

If English is your first language, you have an innate knowledge of what sounds right. You just know. That’s because you are accustomed to English’s patterns and constructions.  When a sentence falls outside of those normal and expected constructions, you get confused reading it. That’s why problems with modifiers, parallelism, and mixed constructions have the unfortunate effect of forcing readers to wonder what, exactly, you were trying to say, and asking themselves if you really meant it to come out like that. 

So let’s get them under control.

Modifiers:   

Newspaper headlines are rife with modifier problems:  WOMAN KILLED BY BULLET KNOWN FOR KINDNESS. SNAKE FOUND BY CHILD WITH TWO HEADS.

Bullets known for kindness? A two-headed child?  Both of these headlines have a misplaced modifier.  Modifiers can be single words, phrases, or clauses, but their purpose is to give us more information about something else in the sentence.  When the modifier is misplaced, we apply the information to the wrong part of the sentence.

Tacky and falling apart at the seams, Jenny took the couch home for the dog to sleep on.

Who or what is tacky and falling apart at the seams?  According to this sentence, it’s Jenny. We automatically attach this modifying (adjective) phrase to the first noun we hit in the sentence. The writer probably meant the couch, but the modifier is misplaced, and Jenny is insulted. There’s no easy fix; the sentence has to be rewritten. Keep your modifiers as close as possible to the words they modify so readers know what you’re referring to.

I have many books by writers I have met on my shelves. (Boy, my shelves are a popular place to be!) Based on our innate knowledge of English, we want the prepositional phrase that follows “met” to tell us where. One the shelves does tell us where, but it tells us where the books are—not where we met the writers. So you need to rewrite:  I have many books on my shelves by writers I have met.  

Misplaced modifiers often create absurd (and downright funny) sentences, but they can also create ambiguity:

The writing group I meet with occasionally helps each other solve plot problems.   Do you only meet with the group occasionally or do you only occasionally help each other with plot problems?  The sentence has to be re-written to clear up that ambiguity.

 I occasionally meet with a writing group who help each other solve plot problems.
Or,
The writing group I meet with helps each other solve plot problems occasionally.

The difference between a misplaced modifier and a dangling one is while the misplaced modifier modifies the wrong thing, a dangling modifier has nothing at all to modify.

Being a parent of small children, safety becomes the ultimate factor when selecting an efficient mode of transportation.

Nothing in that sentence has the ability to be a parent of a small child, so the modifier being the parent of small children has nothing to modify.  It dangles out there, alone, making no sense at all.

While folding laundry, the tornado sirens went off. (I wish the tornado sirens would come to my house and do the laundry.) Try: The tornado sirens went off while I was folding laundry or While I was folding laundry, the tornado sirens went off.

Because a dangling modifier has nothing in the sentence to modify, you cannot fix the problem by simply moving the modifier to a different place.  After all, The tornado sirens went off while folding laundry doesn’t make any more sense than the original. Someone needs to be folding that laundry—we need an “actor” for the action.

Remember, a sentence with a misplaced or dangling modifier will often make perfect sense to YOU because you know what you meant to say. Cold proofreads or another set of eyes are often the only way to catch these gremlins.

Parallelism is a very hard word for me to say, but it is a very important idea in grammar.
Items in a sentence of equal grammatical weight or value should have the same grammatical structure. Take Dorothy Parker’s famous quote:

This novel is not to be tossed lightly aside, but to be hurled with great force.

Notice how the actions themselves are parallel in importance?  Therefore the structure (to be tossed…to be hurled) is also parallel.

Here’s another example:  We went hunting, fishing, and camped in the woods.  All three actions are equal, but we have two –ing verbs followed by an –ed verb.  This structure is not parallel.  The correct structure would be We went hunting, fishing, and camping in the woods or We hunted, fished, and camped in the woods.

Items in a series should be parallel.  If you start with nouns, keep all the items in a series as nouns (Symptoms of drug use include sleeplessness, anxiety, and paranoia.). If you start with –ed verbs, stick with –ed verbs.

 Ideas linked with coordinating conjunctions (Penalties for plagiarism include suspension and expulsion from school) should be kept parallel, as should any ideas presented in pairs.  This includes comparisons using like or as, and ideas using correlative conjunctions (either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, both…and).  

[Coordinating conjunctions and items in a series are discussed in the Gremlin article “Commas, Part 1.”]

Mixed Constructions occur when your sentence elements defy the laws of grammar and/or logic.
 
Try this sentence: For most drivers who have a blood alcohol level of .05 percent double their risk of causing an accident. (This sentence is borrowed in its entirety from Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference, p113, for the purpose of illustration.)

Huh?  We start with a prepositional phrase that really should have been a modifier, but then tries to act as the subject of the sentence.  This is a case of the writer changing his/her mind midway through the sentence and forgetting to go back and revise. 

Or this one: Terriers, on the other hand, are very small dogs that are also short-haired, but they are used in hunting by driving game from burrows and then being killed.

I’m forever grateful to the student who turned this sentence in to me. It’s the perfect example of getting to the end of a sentence without paying attention to how you got there.

Faulty predication is a type of mixed construction where the subject and the predicate don’t make sense together.

We need new dummies to teach the CPR class.
 
Hmm, calling the teacher a dummy is not a good way to get a good grade.  And would you really want a dummy teaching something as important as CPR? We need to purchase new dummies for use in the CPR class.

Faulty apposition has an appositive not agreeing with its noun.

A software designer, a fast-growing career field, has a high entry-level salary.

A career field is a thing.  A software designer is a person.  Remember, an appositive renames the noun.  As such, it must do so properly.  Software design, a fast-growing career field…

[Appositives are discussed in the Gremlins article, “Commas, part 2.”]
 
The last type of mixed construction is both grammatically and logically incorrect:  the “is why” construction (and its cousins, the “is when” and “is where” constructions).

The rejection letter is why I’m so upset.  Rejection is when they break your heart. Rejection letters are where they break your spirit.

Rejection letters are not a reason or a place. Rejection is not a time. It’s illogical, and it’s wrong.

The sentence Cleveland is where I married my first husband is just as bad.  While I will listen to arguments that Cleveland is, indeed, a place, the sentence is the grammatical equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.  I married my first husband in Cleveland is so much nicer. Simple. Succinct. Logically and stylistically clear.  For my sanity’s sake, please rewrite all “is when,” “is why,” and “is where” constructions. 
 
Most all of the above problems occur simply because your brain is moving faster than you can write.  You know what you meant by that statement, but not everyone else will. Therefore, I want to stress—again—the importance of proofreading with fresh eyes. 

Revising for dangling and misplaced modifiers, parallelism, and mixed constructions will make your sentences tighter, stronger, and more meaningful.  Notice how revising these sentences would also cut some serious deadwood from your prose, making your writing flow smoothly.

All of which is very, very good.

This article may not be reproduced without permission of the author.

Back to School

A Little Taste of Hotlanta! By The Playfriends

RWA National Conference is a not-to-be-missed experience, but not everyone is physically able to attend. Since we were lucky enough to do so, we decided to bring a taste of the National workshops we attended to our readers this month. Come check out some of the little "pearls of wisdom" we picked up this past July.

Make It Last or Come Too Soon—How to Write Sexual Tension by Silhouette author Linda Conrad
Attended by Playground Monitor

“Sexual Tension is ‘thinking’ about having sex, but being conflicted about actually doing it.”

This definition was presented to the roomful of writers attending this wonderful workshop.  We all know that heightened sexual tension is a must in a romance novel, regardless of whether the act is consummated “in front of” the reader or behind closed doors.  It’s those pages leading up to that point that keep the reader vested in the relationship between the hero and heroine and keep them turning pages, sometimes wanting to grab the characters, lock them in a closet together and scream “Do it already!”

Ms. Conrad presented the ingredients of good sexual tension (dialogue, character actions and reactions, and internal POV) and then using written examples, she illustrated how to mix all the ingredients together to create both sensual and sexual tension that builds, peaks at the right moment in the story and results in a happy ever after ending. 

These are some story elements that will create sexual tension:  saying one thing and doing another, opposing goals, body language, showing and not telling, and effective use of all five senses in a scene.  Also important is an understanding of the “12 Steps of Intimacy”, from Desmond Morris’s Intimate Behavior, which has been adapted into a fascinating presentation by Linda Howard.

Create sizzle on the page that not only draws the hero and heroine to each other, but draws your reader right into the story and keeps them hooked until the last page.

The Care and Feeding of Big Black Moments by Debra Dixon
Attended by Smarty Pants

I got up far earlier than I had wanted to after a late night of pitch writing to grab a seat at Debra Dixon's workshop. For one, it wasn't going to be taped. Second, the mother of GMC is not to be passed up. The room was packed with people sitting on the floor and standing in the back to hear what she had to say. The message was simple - the big black moment (BBM) in your story has to be nurtured from the very beginning of the book. You simply cannot throw a pothole into the characters' paths. She recommended breaking the book into three sections: the beginning, middle and end, with each section addressing different facets of the BBM.

In the beginning, she recommends you must build your characters and what she calls their "weapons" - defense mechanisms, backstory, etc. These inherent traits determine how the character will need to grow to overcome their BBM. In the middle of the book, you have to start throwing obstacles at the characters to force them to face their issues and call on their weapons. At the end, you have to strip the character to their bare bones - the BBM cannot be a simple misunderstanding, but an unavoidable crisis where the character must choose either to rely on their weapons or to grow and change.

The overall emphasis comes back to GMC as a whole, which we all know is important. The characters must have clear and well-defined GMC for the BBM to pack the punch we as writers hope for.

Hook an Editor on the First Page By Editor Allison Lyons, Authors Dianna Love Snell and Annie Oortman
Attended by Angel

This was one of the best workshops I attended at Nationals, and not just because I won the door prize. These presenters demonstrated exactly how long I have to catch and editor's eye with my opening-and it wasn't very long! If you don't grab an editor on the first page, she probably won't read the second.
    
They started with the NOTS—openings should not be back story, mundane, elaborate setting, or an off-the-wall attention-getting device, among other things. Then we moved on to the SHOULDS—openings should be something that creates a question, a sneak peek into a major character's present or future, a cliffhanger, or immediate dialogue involving the conflict.

The most intriguing part of this informative hour was examples of how to boost a mediocre opening into a spectacular hook that draws the readers immediately into the story. One tool for this is starting the story right in the middle of the action. For suspense writers, this is pretty easy, but it can also be done for regular romance. Just open in the middle of the inciting scene. Another helpful tool is to open with a question, something that prompts readers to wonder what is coming next or how the character will get out of the situation. Then readers (and editors) will read on to find out.

“I Do, I Do?  Challenging Couples in Love” by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
Attended by Problem Child

I like books with a lot of internal (as opposed to external) conflicts between the hero and heroine.  After all, external forces can be tough, but fighting your own demons is always tougher. So hitting a workshop where the internal conflicts of couples was first and foremost struck me as a good idea for my own books. 

What I learned was that there are seven basic conflicts between couples (according, at least, to marriage counselors). These seven conflicts don’t have easy answers, and can cause a lot of trouble for a couple who wants to be together otherwise.  I think mixing these conflicts in to a story will add depth, especially if you can layer them with other conflicts.

The major conflicts are:
1) Gender (Really gender roles.  Everyone has expectations about responsibilities, but when these expectations are divided on gender lines, problems are bound to occur.)
2) Loyalties. (How do you rank your loyalties? Who comes first? If you both don’t see it the same way, well, misunderstandings and hurt feelings come after.)
3) Privacy. (Even the tightest of couples—the kind who are always together—need their own space.  The amount of emotional and physical privacy each partner needs varies, and if one partner doesn’t understand the other’s need for space—or is irritated with the constant clinging—fights will ensue.)
4) Money (we all knew this, right? Values of earning, spending and saving vary greatly)
5) Power/Control (Think Rhett and Scarlett.  Who gets to be in charge of what?)
6) Sex (Even the most amorous of couples are not always going to agree on when/where/how.  And since sex and intimacy go hand in hand…)
7) Children (It could be having them or not, or if one has a child already, or parenting issues.)

I know you can’t write a book with all internal conflict.  Something needs to be external.  But adding some of these basic core conflicts can add that much more to your couple’s struggle to live Happily Ever After. 

Writing the Bestseller, Six Magic Words By Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Attended by Instigator

I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Susan Elizabeth Phillips speak on several occasions.  Each year for nationals I scour the list of workshops to find when she’s speaking and mark that session in red.  Nothing keeps me from it.  Every time the woman opens her mouth I learn something new and useful. 
When SEP presented this workshop in Atlanta, I was all ready for that elusive key, that all important trick, to finally learn that last little thing I needed to jump from unpublished to published.  And I got it, but not in the form I’d expected (okay, not expected but hoped). 

Keep the reader in the story

That’s the magic.  The concept is surprisingly simple but the execution is amazingly difficult.  Susan did provide a few tips to help each of us achieve that elusive goal of holding a reader’s attention.

1) Your goal is to write a compelling book not a perfect book.  Readers don’t care if you’ve broken the golden rule of writing as long as they’re invested in the characters and plot.

2) Four things make a book a bestseller

• Plot is so riveting you keep reading
• You care so much about the characters you don’t want to be parted
• The author is showing you an unfamiliar world or subculture in a fresh way
• There’s something about the author’s voice

3) Work to master good craft

4) Create Dazzling characters – draw an emotional response from the reader

• Dig deeper for character flaws
• Keep characters realistic but larger than life – more beautiful, more flawed, more villainous, and WELL MOTIVATED!
• Give character’s strengths and weaknesses
• Check in on your characters – follow their emotional thread through the book to make sure every scene is grounded

5) Write fast moving plot

• Leave out the boring parts and make something bad happen
• End of chapter needs to be a cliffhanger or hook

6) Write to your strengths not the market because the market will change

So there you have it... a little taste of Hotlanta right here on the Playground. We hope you found a little "pearl of wisdom" to take your own writing to the next level.

Back to School

Building the Writing Playground, Part 6:  What We Didn’t Know Then

By:  Kimberly Lang, The Problem Child

The naiveté of youth.  Ignorance is bliss.  Beginner’s luck. High hopes. Blind enthusiasm. All of these statements were true when we started developing the Playground seven months ago.  But as the Writing Playground celebrates six months of existence, one phrase keeps echoing in my head.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Don’t get me wrong; for five people who didn’t have a clue about what was involved in a website—much less a successful one—we’ve done amazingly well.  I couldn’t be prouder of our site if I had given birth to it.  I couldn’t be more pleased with my choice of partners or satisfied with our work. As with any new situation, though, there’s a learning curve to be navigated.  Since we’ve done this series of articles to help others thinking about setting up their own sites, I wanted to share with you what we’ve learned through experience.

Updating:

We knew from the beginning we needed to update our site content frequently to keep it fresh.  We decided a couple of updates a month would be ideal.  But we never decided exactly when those updates would take place, and we didn’t plan what we’d put up each time.  Our first few updates were hectic, as we all scrambled to find or produce new content and get it ready for Smarty Pants to upload.  It only took one or two of those crazy updates before we made a schedule. We also further identified what our content would be.

Updating considerations:

• When will updates be done?  We decided twice a month, on the 1st and the 15th.
• What will be updated each time?  Go ahead and make a schedule for the next couple of months.  Decide what will be updated each time, and assign someone to do it.  We schedule interviews, articles, book recommendations, and other special events (like a new contest) for the next three months at each meeting. Each person knows what content she is expected to provide and when.  No rushing around at the last moment. While Smarty Pants doesn’t charge us for each update, if you hire a web designer to do your page for you, you may be charged for each update.  Having everything ready to go makes updating fast and easy (and if you’re paying for it, cheaper).
• How will you notify people that the site has been updated?  We collect email addresses and run a Yahoo-based email newsletter called The Playground News.  Once a month, we send out a newsletter with details of what’s to come that month, contest updates, and other important information. We also add new teasers to our sig lines wherever we post.

Collecting information from visitors:

We all want to know who’s visiting our page, right?  We also want to have their contact information so we can send them postcards announcing when our books go on sale.  Collecting data from your visitors serves several purposes—for aspiring writers, building a database of potential readers is one very good reason to collect data. Decide up front what you want to collect, how you want to collect it, and what it can and can’t be used for.

• How will you collect the information?  We add people to our database when they sign up for one of our contests. 
• Where will you keep it?  A database on your computer is ideal, but someone has to do data entry and keep the database current.  Which program will you use? Who will be responsible for the data entry and updates? 
• What can be done with it?  No one likes the thought of his or her personal information being sold or rented to someone else.  We make a solemn promise to our visitors that we won’t do anything with their addresses we wouldn’t want done with ours.  That means our database is off-limits to non-Playfriends.  We also agreed the information can only be used for promotion of the Playground and our books.  That means no commercials or solicitations of any sort— at least not until one of us sells a book.

Marketing:

Our first priority—and I strongly believe we were right in making it so—was getting the actual site up and running.  But we didn’t think ahead to how we would market our site once it was ready to go.  The Playground had been up for two full months before we ever sat down and made any plans about how we would get the word out.  Then we jumped in without a solid plan. While we had some extraordinary opportunities fall into our laps before then, it was February before we actually got serious about marketing the site effectively.

Some things to think about early on: 

• How much money can you spend on marketing?  Can you afford to print ink pens? Key chains?  Postcards? Remember, you want your marketing efforts to look professional, but your kids may want to go to college one day as well.  Promo items can get expensive, fast. Set a reasonable budget.
• How much time can you devote to this?  Designing logos and promotional materials takes time.  So does tracking down addresses of conferences and workshops around the country, preparing the promo items, packaging them up, and taking them to the post office.  Free promotion has the benefit of being free, but it still takes time to find sites that will link to yours or places where you can toot your own horn. Divide up the workload, and don’t let marketing your site eat into the time you should spend doing other things like, oh, writing.
• Where will your marketing efforts be focused? If your site is targeted at writers, you need to focus on reaching writers.  Your mom may be willing to tell her garden club all about your site (and a few may visit just to see), but you won’t get loyal readers that way.  Word-of-mouth promo to the garden club is free, but because of the audience, you don’t want to waste your marketing dollars there.
• Spread a wide net within your target audience.  Don’t concentrate all of your marketing in one geographic location or to one subgenre.  If you’ve sent promo to the last three conferences in northern California, you’ll probably hit many of the same folks at the fourth conference.  Send bookmarks to Kansas instead and get a whole new audience.   Don’t be afraid to mention your website to anyone who might be interested.  Your dentist might be secretly writing her own book.  Don’t limit yourself by genre either.  Good writing tips, advice, and support crosses genre boundaries.

{See Kira Sinclair’s article, “Building the Writing Playground, Part 5” for more information about our marketing efforts.}

Slugs and martyrs:

You may remember in the other “Building the Writing Playground” articles mentions of divisions of labor.  While I won’t claim our division of labor is perfect, we do try to divvy up work as evenly as possible and according to that Playfriend’s strengths.  We’re also very aware that we all have lives, children, jobs—you know, all those things that keep us from writing—and that our time is not limitless. I think I’m in an amazing group of women—not a slacker in the bunch.  Yet we had an email “discussion” not long ago about who was being the slug of the group.  Here’s the interesting part: no one was accusing anyone else of slacking off and being the slug; we were each trying to claim the title as our own.  (“You do this and this and this, and all I do is this.”)

That’s hardly the norm for most group projects.  Usually, there are folks who goof off and leave the actual work to others, yet they’re there to take the credit.  The martyrs get angry and bitter at the slugs.  Things get ugly from there.

Avoiding slugs and martyrs:

• Divide tasks as evenly as possible, but remember to play to each person’s strengths, and keep individual constraints in mind. For example, as the events coordinator for my local chapter, I was going to be very busy in April and early May because of our luncheon.  The Playfriends knew this ahead of time, and arranged for me not to have a lot of responsibilities at that time.
• Keep track of successes and what’s being done.  Appreciate what each member is doing, and if it seems like she’s not doing her share, ask her nicely to help pick up some work from one of the others. Maybe she doesn’t feel like she can help out with certain tasks—in that case, find something within her expertise for her to do.  DO NOT let resentment or grudges build up because you feel someone else is shirking her share of the responsibilities. (Not that this ever happened to us). And don’t forget to thank each other and compliment a job well done.

The worst they can do is say no:

While we are not exactly quiet and shy in our real lives, it’s amazing how cowed we were by the prospect of asking people for interviews or shout outs.  We are now the poster children for “The Worst They Can Do Is Say No” campaign.  We’ve approached writers, editors, and agents for interviews—some are even big names.  We’ve asked other writers and groups to link to our site from their own and asked for a quick plug every now and then. Sometimes people say “no,” but a lot of the time they say “yes.” We’re very proud of our website, and we are very careful to present the best professional face we can at all times.  As long as you approach people professionally and politely, they won’t hate you for your request—even if they ultimately decline that request.

How to ask:

• Be professional. No one wants to link her name or reputation to someone who might cause her professional embarrassment.  Show your own professionalism in your approach:  using good grammar, asking politely, and providing a link to the page so she can see what they’re getting involved with.
• Be respectful of her time.  For an interview, give her plenty of advance notice and let her know the date you need interview questions returned.  Then leave her alone—other than a reminder a week or so before the agreed-upon due date, you don’t need to be bombarding her with emails. If she doesn’t respond to your initial query within a week or two, you can contact her again, but if she doesn’t respond the second time, take the non-response as a “no” and move on.
• Reciprocate.  Be sure to offer a link from your site to hers.  Agree to review one of her books on your site.  Give a nice shout out in your blog.  Agree to be available in the future if she ever needs anything from you.
• Accept “no” gracefully.  If you are turned down in your request, for whatever reason, accept gracefully.  No bad-mouthing her anywhere for turning you down. You never know when you might need to contact this person again.  You have a better chance of getting a “yes” that time if you haven’t slandered her in cyberspace.
• Be professional.  I know, I said this already, but I can’t stress it enough.  Be professional in everything you do.  No excuses.  Act like the important professional you want to be someday.

The most important thing I’ve learned:

These last months have been a crash course in marketing, promotion, technology, and professionalism—all very important aspects of the writing career I hope to have some day.  But the most important thing I’ve learned in the months since the Playground was conceived is how much I need this.  If you’ll allow me a moment to gush…

The Playfriends used to just be my chapter mates; now they are my family.  Writing is a tough vocation, involving long hours staring at a computer screen, frustration, disappointment, and lack of understanding from non-writing friends. What started out as simply a plan for a few friends to do some promotion and maybe help a few other writers get some encouragement quickly became my lifeline.  We feel our way through the management of the Playground the same way we feel our way through our writing careers—sharing knowledge as we learn it, seeking help from those who have the expertise we need, getting support and cheerleading from each other for accomplishments and sympathy and condolences for the setbacks.     

If you want to build a website or blog, I highly recommend it. It can be an amazing and rewarding learning experience.  I hope you’ve picked up some great tips from these articles and that your site or blog is a rousing success.  More than that, I hope you’ve picked up on the importance we place on each other.  You don’t have to build a website; you can form a critique group, a goal-setting group, or a plotting group and get the benefits of your own set of Playfriends.

And whether or not you take the plunge and create your own on-line presence, remember you’re always welcome to hang out on our Playground with us.  Just remember to play nicely with the others!

Back to School

Understanding The Writing Life and Journey By Danniele Worsham

Did you realize that there have been times throughout history when writers and artists were viewed as crazy, or at least having severe psychological problems? That type of thinking still occasionally rears its ugly head. Though I don't agree, I do believe as writers we deal with some unique issues concerning our sense of selves and how we relate to our work.
    
As a person and as a writer, I'm on a journey. Far more than finishing X number of pages each day, approaching the mailbox (or email box) with trepidation because of what could be waiting inside, or even the joy of selling, I realize there is an inner reality to being born a storyteller. It involves the compulsion to put my stories on paper to share with others and the exhilaration that comes from working creatively. Along with this are outside issues writers deal with if they choose this as a profession, including viewing our art as our "babies" and the waiting and waiting and waiting.

I was thrilled to discover two books that specifically explore what it means to be artistic within ourselves and as a part of the world around us. They've given me incredible insight into creativity and this journey that I travel everyday. I hope you find them as helpful as I have.

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity By Julia Cameron

This classic book is well-known both inside and outside artistic communities. Illuminating issues involving "creativity recovery", it explores creativity as a "spiritual" activity and expression for the artist, whatever medium she chooses to practice. Breaking through barriers in expression, whether they originate from within or outside the artist, is the biggest focus, although other topics are addressed, such as understanding different aspects of the creative personality, showing up to the page and writing what you hear, and "accumulating pages, not judgments."

Though you could just read through, this is actually a workbook, with several key activities required to accomplish the goal: unblocking your creativity.
Morning pages are three handwritten pages of writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness. Lovingly referred to as "brain drain," this process is recommended to unclutter the mind so that creativity, thoughts and ideas can finally have a clear path to consciousness. This practice also discourages the belief that you have to be in the mood to write. Instead, you just do it everyday, whether you feel like it or not.

I found that I usually started out with a litany of all that was weighing on my mind or that I had to do that day. It wasn't long before I found my pages touching on deeper issues. Coming from one who tends to obsess and worry about things, I found getting it out on the page kept it from cluttering my mind and solutions would often present themselves more quickly.

The artist date is a regular time set aside for your artistic self to have fun. A play date, if you will. Essentially, you'll fill up the creative well by doing fun activities like taking in a movie, window shopping, antiquing, walking, or stopping by the local bowling alley. The assumption is that you can't create on the page if you have nothing to create from. All work and no play makes your muse a dull girl.

Unfortunately, with two small children, I don't often follow through on this mandate. When I have time to myself, I'm usually writing. But when I do take the time I feel much lighter and energetic and view my writing with excitement, rather than just adding it to the To Do list.

"The morning pages… identify problem areas and concerns. This is step one, analogous to prayer. In the course of the release engendered by our artist date, step two, we begin to hear solutions." (page 20)

This unique book covers many more topics, including examining our own beliefs, how childhood affects creativity, the effects of destructive criticism, and how our dreams as artists are connected to the bigger picture. With the myriad solutions offered throughout its pages, I recommend this guide for all artists, whether you are struggling with blockage or not.

Writing From the Inside Out: Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within By Dennis Palumbo

This is my favorite book concerning the life of a writer, because it overflows with insights into what it really means to be a writer and how to navigate the twists and turns of the creative journey. Palumbo is a noted psychotherapist specializing in creative issues, but he's also a fellow writer. Included are numerous illustrations from his own life as well as some of his friends and clients that show us we aren't alone in this sometimes crazy world of writing and publishing.

I tore through this book in record time, because it was a comfortable, easy read. I'd often find myself thinking That's so true! or That's exactly what happened. Palumbo offers snippets of wisdom you can revisit over and over without resorting to a list of Do's and Don'ts. This isn't a how-to book, it's "an attempt to acknowledge and address the real emotions that writers live with everyday. It's about winning the 'inner game' of writing… how to thrive in-and not just survive-the writer's life." (page 6)

One interesting phenomenon he highlights is summed up by the chapter name "The Buddy System." Here Palumbo discusses the tendency to find a Buddy to encourage you, help you learn, and master new techniques in many different areas in life. He's seen this scenario played out among writers numerous times.

For myself, I'll never forget the camaraderie I felt during my first conversation with another writer. Imagine my relief to know there were others out there who had the same desires, dreams, and people running around in their heads! But as wonderful as that was, it couldn't compare to meeting Instigator. Out of all of the Playfriends, she and I met first. We simply clicked and from that moment on she's been my Writing Buddy.

"Writers I know seem to gravitate naturally toward a buddy… Someone who understands the vocabulary of the town, the particular joys and pains of pitch meetings, rewrites, and development deals. Someone who, to put it simply, gets it. And, more important, gets you." (page 27)

I've been lucky enough to find that times four! And that, to me, has been the most meaningful part of my writing journey.

Back to School

Building the Writing Playground Part Five: Self Promotion - If You Build It They Will Not Come By Kira Sinclair

Over the last several months other members of the Writing Playground have shared with you how we developed our concept, put it into action, and built our site and blog.  I must say that the end product exceeded even my highest expectations.

And that’s wonderful.  But not if the five of us are the only ones viewing our site, utilizing our resources, or reading our blog.  Our purpose for starting this site was to gain name recognition, give back to the romance writing community, form friendships, and network.  None of those can be accomplished without traffic to our site.  Without those much-needed hits and blog comments, we’re just talking to ourselves.  And frankly, I can do that much easier by picking up the phone or firing off an email.
So how did we increase the traffic to our site?  We had a plan! 

There were several points we stressed in our initial meetings that helped to streamline our later marketing efforts: 

• We identified our target market: writers and aspiring writers for now and hopefully readers in the near future.
• We developed a site slogan we felt encompassed our vision for the project.
• Alexandra, our resident Smarty Pants and technologic guru, developed a simple but effective logo.
• We focused our entire site around the concept of our idea – a writing playground

These are the vehicles we chose to use, the costs involved, and why we felt them the best choice for our site.

1.  Loop and Website Announcements.
Cost - $0.00
Time – 30 minutes depending on how many notices you send.

Posting notices to all our various writing related groups, websites we frequent, and even other blogs was an easy way to notify a large portion of our target audience about our website.  We go back and announce again when we update the site and at the beginning of each new contest we run.

Again, this is something very simple and quick, but we have documented visits from people who’ve linked to us because of our website address in one of the Playfriends’ signature lines on a message board.  It’s easy, continuous, and something you don’t have to think about in most cases. 

3.  Monthly Newsletter.
Cost - $0.00
Time – 15 to 20 minutes once a month

Initially, we’ve chosen to use a free Yahoo group set-up in order to maintain the database for our newsletter recipients.  Kimberly, our resident Problem Child, simply composes an email at the first of the month telling all our subscribers about the new articles, interviews, extras and contests that we have coming out. 

The most time consuming part of this is manually inputting the data for subscribers.  We’ve discussed purchasing a computer program that would collect the data directly from a website form and automatically input the data into our database but because of the cost have chosen not to do that right now. 

4.     Business Cards
Cost - $25.00 for 500 business cards through www.VistaPrint.com
Time – 1 hour to design and order

Simple, bright, effective.  We wanted something that would stand out but was also within our limited budget.  We chose VistaPrint.com as our printer because several of the Playfriends have used them in the past and we found them to have excellent quality for the price.  We only encountered one issue: using their templates limits your ability to adjust the design to fit your needs.  However, there are numerous templates and graphics you can use to individualize the cards, providing most people enough options that they can find something to fit their needs.  Also, there is an option to upload your own logo, provided it meets their standards, but you will be charged for each uploaded logo on a design that you purchase.     

Something else to keep in mind, Vista Print is famous for its special offers – mainly free plus shipping.  Design a business card you like, but wait until you receive an offer you feel is too good to pass up.  Most of the $25.00 we spent was for shipping and the logo fee. 

Now that you have 500 business cards what are you going to do with them?  We’ve passed them out to other writers in our local RWA chapter and placed them into our chapter’s new member packets.  We also have plans to distribute them during the RWA National convention in Atlanta this year. 

5.  Postcards
Cost - $50.00 for 500 postcards through www.Vista Print.com
Time – 2 hours to design and order

We have three different postcard designs because we looked at several and couldn’t choose.  Again, these were designed through Vista Print and the cost mostly covers shipping and logo fees as the cards themselves were free. 

What are we planning to do with 500 postcards?  We’re going to be stapling chocolate (every writer’s friend) and sending them to chapter retreats, conferences, and luncheons.  We’re trying to target those that provide the most bang for our buck – writer, not reader, focused. 

6.  Contests
Cost - $30.00 every 2 months
Time – Depends on entries

We wanted something on our website that would keep people returning over and over again.  And sure, while the articles, book reviews, and special interest spots on our site might do that, we also wanted to offer something back to our regular visitors and those that referred other people to our site.  Holding a contest was the most logical choice. 

With five members, we came to a rather quick decision that each of us would be responsible for a contest two months out of the year – we excluded November and December because frankly there’s just too much going on at that time of year.  We set ground rules, spending limits, and decided to try and tie the contest theme in with our bi-monthly site updates.  Our first contest, sponsored by Kimberly, revolved around the ‘first’ theme.  She provided books from first time authors, a movie about first dates, and several other ‘first’ things.

We’ve had some amazing success and anticipate participation to only go up.  We have several wonderful things to come, including our Win a Day at the Beach (almost) contest going on right now. 

7.  Gift Baskets
Cost – Varies, but we’re trying to keep these down to $5.00 to $10.00 per person not including the basket and decorations.
Time – Varies, depending on the complexity of the decoration.

It didn’t take us long to realize there was plenty of opportunity to market our site at sister RWA chapter functions.  This provides us the perfect opportunity to reach our target market.  Modeled after our own contest baskets, we try to fill these with playground-themed, friendship-themed, or writing-themed goodies.  Split five ways, it only costs us a few dollars every couple of months and provides us visibility while allowing us to support other chapters. 

8.  Walking Billboards – T-shirts, Bags, etc.
Cost – Depends on the item purchased but around $17.00 for a basic t-shirt from CafePress.com.
Time – Designing and formatting the logos was the most time consuming.  Luckily we have access to a wonderful computer geek; Kimberly lovingly refers to him as husband.

Look for the five of us in Atlanta sporting our matching Writing Playground t-shirts.  Walking advertisement is well worth the expense and honestly, Café Press can be just as addictive as Vista Print.  We chose this site for several reasons: the price, quality, and because we could order one or two of each item. 

Not only are we using these items as a roving form of advertisement, we also intend to purchase different items and place them into contest baskets and things we provide to RWA chapters.  I know I’m looking forward to putting a Writing Playground thong in my Sizzling Summer Nights basket in July and August.

9.  Promotional Items
Cost – Depends on item purchased. We spent around $100.
Time – Placing our stickers onto the items was the most time consuming, but even that task didn’t take long divided five ways.

There are plenty of sources for unique and interesting promotional items.  A simple internet search can turn up hundreds.  One of our favorites is the Oriental Trading Company but even Ebay can be a source for new, inexpensive and customizable gadgets and gizmos.  Your options are limited only by your imagination.  However, I do have one word of caution; make sure you investigate any company you intend to spend your money with.  It’s simply solid business practice.

You might ask where we’re planning to use one-hundred dollars worth of marketing materials.  The 2006 RWA National Convention in Atlanta presents us with a unique opportunity to reach thousands of potential visitors to our site.  It was an opportunity we didn’t want to pass up and one we thought well worth the expense.  We concentrated much of our promotional budget into this one item; however, we feel the potential far outweighs the cost. 

What might you ask is our wonderful item?  It certainly ties in beautifully with our theme but, as for specifics, you’ll just have to wait and see in Atlanta. 

Overall, there are several lessons we’ve learned in our journey through the sometimes confusing world of self-promotion.  Whether you’re published or unpublished, established or just starting out in your career, these lessons are easily applied to any promotion you’ll be doing.

• Don’t let yourself get caught up in the fun and excitement.  Set a budget and stick to it. 
• Evaluate the cost – both in time and money – and determine what you expect to receive in exchange for the effort and whether you think the outcome is valuable enough to justify the costs.
• Bigger isn’t always better.  Repeatedly utilizing smaller, less expensive methods of marketing can be just as effective, if not more so, in reaching your target market than one large major push.

Kira Sinclair is the self-appointed Vista Print goddess of the Writing Playground.  A multiple contest finalist, she recently placed 2nd in the Blaze contest and hopes to be using everything she’s learned to promote her first book soon.  Visit her at www.writingplayground.com to share your own ideas on self-promotion.

Back to School

Building the Writing Playground Part IV:  Life in the Blogosphere by Marilyn Puett

In my day, girls wrote in a locked diary tucked away in a safe place with the key on a chain around your neck.  Heaven forbid a sibling should get hold of this journal intime because it usually held the diarist’s deepest, darkest secrets.

Today girls young and old, as well as men of all ages, post their secrets, dreams, wishes, likes, dislikes and heaven only knows what else on blogs.  Should they click the right button and make the blog public, their innermost thoughts are available for perusal by anyone with access to a computer and the World Wide Web.

Blog, the shortened version of the word weblog, is a personal website offering frequent updates, personal opinions, news, links and an endless variety of other “stuff,” which is generally organized chronologically.

According to statistics in the Blog Herald, the blog about blogging, more than 50 million blogs exist worldwide.  The posts range from the ordinary to the absurd.  Just go to www.technorati.com, the premier tracking site for blogs, and type anything into the search field.  There’s a blog about everything.  And Technorati estimates that 70,000 new blogs are created every day.

Who reads blogs?  About 11% of Internet users, or roughly 50 million people, read blogs regularly.  And with the wide use of hyperlinks, a word or words, which when clicked upon, will take you to another web page, you can read and click for hours.

Who blogs?  Al Roker of NBC’s Today Show is a blogger.  So are actor Jeff Bridges, humor columnist Dave Barry, chef Jamie Oliver, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and even Donald Trump. 

Blogging has become quite popular among authors, and in the romance world, many authors maintain either individual or group blogs.  Bronwyn Jameson (www.bronwynjameson.com/blog), who writes for Silhouette Desire, said that she resisted blogging for a long while for fear of it becoming a time sponge.  But during a recent update of her website, she was looking for a way to update news regularly and quickly without having to use her web designer.  A blog seemed to be the answer.  Additionally it has become a forum for interacting with readers.  She posts her writing and family news, runs impromptu contests and shares about her Australian way of life via photos and entries that cover traditions and Aussie words and phrases.  She also said that she finds the blog a great mind-starter for the day, especially if her brain is a little sluggish.  Aside from the time factor, she cautions that regular updates are a must; too many visits without an update and readers stop coming back.

Heart of Dixie author Kelley St. John is part of a group author blog.  She said that being part of the Warner Women blog (www.warnerwomen.blogspot.com) was the right move for her at this point in her career.  She has one day each month when she posts.  The group blog gives you visibility and group support without the responsibility of keeping up a blog on a daily basis. 

Alesia Holiday is part of a another group called Literary Chicks (www.literarychicks.com).  Their blog is totally geared toward their readers.  Alesia feels that the enormous advantage of a group blog is the energy and excitement created by different authors as well as the limited time commitment.  She cautions, however, that no matter how you blog – individually or in a group – the blog is out there in cyberspace for everyone to read.  The writing community is actually very small, and vitriolic comments on a blog, especially comments about another author, an editor or an agent, will probably get around.  Alesia’s personal standard for blogging is this:  Would I mind if this were printed on the front of the New York Times?

Inspirational author Brenda Coulter (www.brendacoulter.blogspot.com) recently used her blog to run an interesting promotion.  She offered a free copy of her latest book to anyone who would promise to write about it on their blog.  She didn’t ask folks to gush about the book; she just wanted it mentioned.  This new concept called “viraling” presumes that news will travel in the blogosphere just like a cold virus travels through a classroom full of first-graders.

Several literary agents are also involved in the blogging community and perhaps the most well-known is Miss Snark (www.misssnark.blogspot.com) who has become somewhat of a cult figure.  She kindly answered several questions and even offered a sip of gin. 

MP:  Miss Snark, why did you chose the blog format rather than a regular website format?

Miss Snark:  It’s faster, it’s interactive, and Miss Snark is “cloaked.”  I can’t do this on my agency site.  And the hosting is free.

MP:  Why do you blog?

Miss Snark:  It’s fun!  It’s a way to let off steam.  It’s useful to writers I’m told, and that makes me feel good.

MP:  What have you gained from blogging?

Miss Snark:  A community of like-minded people, for starters.  A sense of contribution to a group I respect – writers, for an industry I love (warts and all) – publishing, and perspective on what it’s like to be someone querying my agency.

MP:  What do you see as the pros and cons of blogging?

Miss Snark:  Pro – all the things I listed above in “gain.”  Con – HUGE time suck.  And it’s MUCH more fun to blog than do more tedious tasks so it’s been an exercise in deferred gratification – not well learned yet, but in progress.

Blogging carries some important caveats.  Foremost is the advice given above: Would you want to see this on the front page of a major newspaper?  Blogs are an open book and you don’t have to worry about your little brother finding the diary key for all the world to read it.  Elizabeth Simonetti of Texas was fired from her flight attendant position at Delta Air Lines for posting photos of herself on an empty Delta plane.  Blogs can also eat up a lot of time – both maintaining one and reading them.

So how does one start?  The Writing Playground asked that same question and since I’d already been playing around with a personal blog, I volunteered to set up and maintain the group’s blog.

The first step was selecting a provider.  Several websites offer free blogs and having already used Blogger (www.blogger.com) for a personal blog, I opted to use it for the Playground.  A list of other software, platforms and providers can be found at weblogs.about.com/od/listofweblogsoftware.  Blogger is relatively simple to set up and has various forums and websites to provide support and add-ons.

After we selected our provider, we selected a template or basic design.  These are pre-programmed into Blogger, but can be tweaked with a little HTML know-how and some courage.  I recommend setting up a practice blog for experimentation and then transfer what works to the real blog.

I set up the Writing Playground account along with individual accounts for each of the Playfriends plus the Mavens and sent them the log-in information.  In a group meeting, we decided on a posting schedule and agreed on “rules of conduct” for the blog content.  Then after a little practice and fine-tuning, we debuted the blog on November 14, 2005. 

Kimberly had the distinction of posting our first blog and she had this to say about the experience.

“I'm still shaking because I had to go first.  The first blog I did for the Playground was the first blog entry I'd ever done.  I didn't want to turn people off on the first day or set a bad precedent.  Stress?  Just a little.  I think the Playfriends sent me out first for a reason...I'm feeling a bit like the sacrificeable lamb.  (Hey, she made it back okay.  It's safe for the rest of us.) :-)

I'd recommend blogging to a group, if the group had a site or other platform to tie it to.  Trying to run a blog on your own would eat up a ton of time just keeping it updated, and the chances of the blog getting much of an audience early on is pretty slim.  At least with a group, one person is not responsible for updates AND promo--that is in addition to life, day jobs, kids, and writing the book you're hoping the blog will help sell one day.  The author or authors need to remember that blogs are a penny a zillion--it will take time for yours to garner attention.

Of course, I'd rather folks just come read and comment on ours :-)”

When asked why she didn’t blog before becoming involved with the Writing Playground, Kira replied, “ Because I wasn’t sure I’d have anything to say.  The idea of having to fill that little box every day is a bit intimidating.  But I can come up with something to say once a week no problem.”

Danniele is our resident introvert and I asked her if she found it difficult to post something that would be out there for the world to see.  She wrote, ”As for being an introvert, I'm actually not finding blogging to be an issue.  But there's a reason for that. In a class I took with Gwen Shuster-Haynes on Marketing for Introverts and Extroverts, she explained that Introverts are actually great at giving workshops.  This seems like a contradiction, because they are speaking in front of other people.  But the reason it works is because this is usually a ‘scripted’ event.  I think the same is true for blogging.  I'm able to think about what I want to say and edit it before it goes out to the masses.  Now make me have a one-on-one conversation and I'd be a complete mess on the inside!”

Alexandra, our resident techie who also designed and maintains our website probably felt a little relieved that someone else was handling the blog.  She did have this to say about the blogging experience.

“I really like the ability that a blog gives you to communicate with the world.  With a website, you can put information ‘out there’ but you never really know if anyone is reading it or what they think of it.  With a blog, you have the potential for people to read and respond.  Unlike a guest book, the responses can be more timely and are specific to the subject or blog at the time.

From a techie standpoint, I love that the blog updates itself while the whole of the website remains unchanged.  If we had an area on our site where we posted stuff like this, I think it would be more of a burden to keep it updated.  With the blog, it sort of takes on a life of its own.  A life that I don't have to manually update each day. :)”

The Writing Playground blog (www.writingplayground.blogspot.com) is a combination of things.  It’s a slice-of-life, writing news, opinions, laughs and information.  But most of all it’s been fun.  Sure, there are times when panic rises because my deadline is approaching and my mind is blank.  But usually something will spark an idea and then the words flow.  It might be the previous day’s post, a headline in the newspaper, a movie I’ve watched or the antics of my family.  There’s no requirement that our posts be related to writing, but they usually are because we’re writers.  And that’s what we love to write – or blog – about.

Marilyn Puett lives in Huntsville, Alabama and is a member of Heart of Dixie RWA and The Writing Playground (www.writingplayground.com).  She writes, reviews books, and reads a few blogs including the one that chronicles her son and daughter-in-law’s pregnancy.  It’s a girl!

Back to School

How to Break Up With Your Critique Partner by Alexandra Frost

We’ve all been in a relationship that was easier to get into than to get out of. It sounded good at first – maybe he was just too good looking to ignore, funny, smart, or knew how to show a girl a good time. After a while it becomes clear that it’s not going to work out between the two of you. Maybe time has revealed he’s vain, ignorant, dishonest, a slouch in bed or just generally a bad fit. Maybe the time honored mantra of “It’s not you; it’s me” is actually true, and you’re not ready for that kind of relationship, commitment, etc.

So let’s apply this to your relationship with your critique partner. As any author knows, a great CP is as valuable and almost harder to find than a good man. Finding the right mix of honesty, criticism, sensitivity, and encouragement can be near impossible. We all head out into the writing community trying to find our “mate.” Sometimes we succeed and find a CP for life. Sometimes we fail.

You’ve failed, huh? You’ve given it a shot with this person or group of people and it just isn’t working out. Too much feedback, not enough feedback, a schedule that doesn’t suit you…maybe they are just downright mean and are ripping your writing dreams to shreds on a bi-weekly basis. You know you need to find someone else, but how?

First, you need to set aside any guilt you might have over this move. The most important thing to consider in this process is your writing. If the CP isn’t helping your writing process or helping you grow as a writer, they aren’t doing you any good. This is especially true if their criticisms are conflicting with your ability to write. A harsh or poorly given critique can paralyze a writer and that defeats the entire purpose. You need to be a little selfish in this endeavor and think about what is best for you and your writing – not how the CP will feel about it or how you’ll be viewed by the group after you leave.

Unlike breaking off a relationship with a lover, this is business - not personal. That doesn’t mean you should be ugly about it and storm off in a huff, but try to make a clean, amicable break as soon as you can. Personal feelings can become involved no matter how hard you try, so be gentle. You may still have to see this person in the future. Maybe you’re in the same RWA chapter or bump into one another at the mall now and then. You don’t want hard feelings lingering and the romance writing business is a small world.

Once you’ve made the decision to end the critiquing relationship, you’ve got several options of going about it. If you’re lucky, a simple “This isn’t working for me” could wrap things up. Sometimes you have to go a little further. Depending on how long you’ve worked together, this can be awkward, especially if it is just a one-on-one critique pair. I’ve listed four tried and true methods for breaking up with a man that can easily be translated over into breaking up with your CP. Take your pick.

1. “The Talk.”  Sitting down with your CP (given that you aren’t hundreds of miles apart) and telling them in person is a scary, but noble way to do it. Face-to-face over coffee you can tell them that you’ve decided it isn’t working for you. If you have a good relationship with the person outside of critiquing, a smile and an assurance you still want to be friends can be easily conveyed this way.

2. “The Dear John.”  Some of us just can’t deal with a face-to-face encounter when it comes to conflict. A great number of writers are introverts to start with, so verbal expressions of their feelings might get twisted and delivered poorly in person. You might even end up back in the critique group and not even know what hit you. In that case, a well-drafted letter or email might be your best option. You can think about what you want to say, word it perfectly, and even get friends to look it over before you send it if you feel unsure. This method also has a sense of finality to it. Depending on how you word the letter, it doesn’t really give the CP the chance to counter or negotiate for you to stay.

3. “The Drift.”  Some people want to avoid conflict all together and can’t even make themselves write a letter to get out of the situation they are in. The Drift is not my method of choice, but it is sometimes the easiest, especially if you are involved with a critique group online and never see them in person. With the drift, you just slowly back out. Maybe you make an excuse that you don’t have anything done to submit for this round or you’re too busy and sit this one out. You follow up by being slow to respond to email. Make another excuse. Slowly you just fade out and they find themselves asking, weeks later, “What happened to so-and-so?” I don’t recommend this if you are in a one-on-one group. Ignoring them or stringing them along is just rude in my opinion. End it so they can find another person to critique their work.

4. “The Reversal.” Too chicken to even fade out gracefully? An option would be to get yourself kicked out of the group. If your CP group has rules, break one. If consistently missing deadlines or breaking another minor rule might be enough to get THEM to do the dumping, so be it. Apologize for your infractions and accept their decision to kick you out gracefully. You can walk away without any guilt or excuses on your part. If you’re opting to use this method, I will remind you once again that we work in a small romance community. Don’t trash someone’s work or be a jerk to get kicked out because word might get around. You don’t want to earn a nasty reputation or get blacklisted from other critique groups.

These four methods span almost every personality preference, so hopefully you can find an option that suits you. Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll feel infinitely better once it is done, so don’t procrastinate about it. Make the call, draft the email, break the rule, but do it now. Before you head out the door to Starbucks, here are few last tips to keep in mind:

• Don’t play the blame game. Pointing the finger (regardless of whether or not it should be pointed) doesn’t do any good. If you feel the need to give a reason, stick with those strong “I” statements – “I feel as though I would work better one-on-one” or “I just don’t have the time to keep up with the group schedule and I don’t want to hold everyone back.”

• If you do give a reason why you’re leaving, don’t elaborate. This leaves the door open for them to negotiate. They may try to make accommodations to your laundry list of excuses and you don’t want that. You want out. Leave it at that.

• Don’t make false promises. Saying things like “I’ll be back as soon as Joey’s soccer season is over” is pointless. You have no intention of coming back, so why even go there? You may think this will soften the blow with “maybes” and “somedays” but really all it does is keep your CP on the hook waiting for you to come back. Let them move on to find someone else.

• Don’t get talked out of your decision. You will need to be firm in your choice, especially when you meet them in person. They may try to persuade you to change your mind. I would like to think that people could be adults about this, but some could stoop to making promises, giving you a sob story to make you feel bad or even crying. Be prepared to resist.

• Don’t gloat. If you’ve already found another CP partner or group, great, but don’t bring it up mid-dump. Finding out that your boyfriend is leaving you for another woman isn’t better than him leaving you for any other reason. Also, make sure you don’t brag about how great they are on any loops or message boards that your old CP might read.

I know all of this sounds scary, but hopefully the incident will pass without drama and with any friendships intact. If you haven’t already found a new CP, you can take a step back to evaluate and find something that will better suit your needs. Either way, you’ll be back on the road to improving your writing and that’s the most important thing.

Back to School

Do-It-Yourself Press Photos by Danniele Worsham

Chances are you’ll need press photos sooner than you think, for more reasons than just book covers. Whether for marketing materials, to accompany a publication, or to post on your website, press photos are great to have on hand. Best of all, they’re easy to do yourself.
     Hiring a professional photographer to take your pictures may be more complicated and costly in the long run. First, the photographer holds the creative control. All the pictures will be taken in a studio with stock backgrounds unless you are willing to pay big bucks. Don’t worry if you aren’t visually creative. There are ways around that.
     Second, hiring someone else to do your pictures gives them copyrights. You must have his or her permission to publish or copy your own pictures. Those rights can be signed over to you, but you still have to clutter the page with photographer acknowledgements.
     Most importantly, the price for a photo session in a nice studio can run hundreds of dollars. Yes, this is an investment in your career. But what if you could have better (yes, better) photos for a quarter of the price?
     We did it and so can you. Here’s how:

Preparations

     There are some things that need to be done to prepare before the actual day. The best pictures have several elements that combine to create a good photo.
     Begin by gathering four or five of your favorite magazines or any publications that contain photographs. Your choice provides a big clue as to your style. Someone who favors Victoria magazine probably leans toward classic, romantic photos, whereas a Cosmopolitan fan might want more modern, less soft pictures.
     Glance through the photos and advertisements looking specifically for poses that appeal to you. Mark lots of pages that you’d like to try. Don’t be intimidated by perfect models or exotic locations. It’s the general idea that counts.
     Notice specifically the direction of the models’ gazes and how the head is tilted. If you are prone to having a double chin, camouflage it by looking up at the camera instead of straight ahead or down. Also, if you carry weight around the middle, go for upper body/head shots or slimming poses in full body shots. Three quarter shots cut you off just where you are heaviest, drawing attention to your weight.
     Now that you have poses in mind, it is time to decide on several backgrounds. Choose warm colors, which flatter skin tones more than cool ones. For instance, most people look better against cream or off-white rather than stark white. I think a couple of inside backgrounds are good along with at least one outdoors spot. Backgrounds are easy to create indoors with already existing curtain rods and large sheets in several flattering colors. Furniture like a love seat, pretty chair, or small table can provide a place to sit or lean against. If you don’t think your yard has the appropriate foliage for outdoor photos, try a local park, pond, or botanical gardens.
     You might already have some special props in mind. Additional ones for writers include favorite books (fiction or craft). I have one I love taken with my favorite thesaurus. Animals that are near and dear to you can add interest, along with flowers, laptops, or a pad and pen. Just limit your props to one per picture. Too many can make the photograph will look cluttered and take the focus off of you-the author.
     The chosen backgrounds and your particular coloring will determine the best color scheme to use. Just don’t overdue it. If you wear a blue shirt, don’t make the mistake of using blue all through the photograph. Then there is no visual contrast. Your magazine examples can give you some suggestions on color combinations.
     The time of day you take your photos heavily influences the final product. Lighting is the most important factor, along with weather if you happen to live in a particularly hot or cold part of the country. Lighting is usually best before 10a.m. and after 2p.m. Sunlight that is directly overhead creates unflattering contrast. If you wait until late in the afternoon, the shadows can be too dark or the light will be shining right in your face. So decide on a time that works best for you and those helping you, along with providing the most flattering and comfortable conditions.
    

The Day Of

     Now that you’re thoroughly prepared, here are a few tips for the actual day. Make-up should be worn slightly heavier than normal for the photo shoot. Good make-up application will contour your face and make it appear more interesting and 3-dimensional. Practice ahead of time to get the look right. Remember to test “the look” with the clothes you plan to wear.
     A few lighting tips: Be sure to let in some natural light from a nearby window or door. Not too much, just enough to create a natural look rather than the harshness of artificial light. If you find that the lighting in the room is adequate, but there isn’t quite enough directed on the face, use a large piece of white poster board to direct light where you need it. You can also use this same method to block strong light if you need to.
     Now, I hate to burst your illusions, but this isn’t going to be a quick and easy process. Most of the time, you’ll have to take lots and lots of pictures to get a dozen or so that you really love. You may even have to repeat a session after you get the first photos back, because there may be some new things you want to try or change from the originals. So be prepared to take lots of time and at least two to three rolls of film.

Equipment

     You don’t have to have a professional camera to take good pictures. Digital cameras are popular because of the ease of use and ready picture viewing. Plus the photos will already be in digital format.
     While digital cameras are convenient, picture quality can be better with a 35mm. Really good digital cameras can be expensive, which is a problem unless you already own one. Also, many of these pictures need to be taken at close range, something often done better with a versatile 35mm.
     Another reason to go with 35mm is because black and white film. Yes, you can do this later on a computer if you have the right software and know-how. But why not just shoot a couple of rolls of black and white? Amazingly enough, some photos that don’t look good in color will be spectacular in black and white. Vice versa is also true.
If you have two cameras, one loaded with each type of film, you can shoot the same pose with both types without having to repeat the poses. You could also use one digital and a 35mm for close-ups and different types of film. If you don’t own two cameras, try to borrow one. This will save you money and possibly provide a set of helping hands.

Creating your own photo shoot is hard work, but a lot of fun too. When we did the photos shoots for our website pictures, it was like a girls’ day out. We got to play with make-up and hairstyles, debate our clothing options, give out opinions on poses, and just enjoy each other’s company. A lovely, girly, bonding experience! Once the pictures were done, we each had several we could feel confident posting on our Playground and personal websites, to submit with articles, or to use later in marketing materials. We hope your experience is as positive and uplifting as ours.

Check out the photos from our Playground Photo shoot on our website: www.writingplayground.com

Danniele Worsham has been an avid photography and scrapbooking buff for years, though these hobbies have fallen by the wayside as she works hard to improve her craft as a writer. Creating her own press photos was an exciting experience. And they actually turned out pretty good!

Back to School

Battling the Grammar Gremlins, Lesson 3, Commas (Part 3): Commas and Semicolons.
By Kimberly Lang

After the last two lessons, you should be feeling pretty good about your ability to use commas correctly. Before we abandon our comma discussion entirely, let’s talk about where commas don’t go.

Remember way back in Part One when we talked about getting a good grammar handbook?  One reason why a handbook designed for college students is a good investment is that English 101 teachers have seen the poor little comma abused horribly over the years; they know where folks are likely to stick commas unnecessarily.  Most books will have a top ten (or more) list of common, but incorrect, comma usages.  Let’s take a look at the usual suspects.  (Today I’m using Keene’s Easy Access as well as Hacker’s Writer’s Reference as my sources.)

NOTE: Incorrect commas are in red (along with the preceding word) so you can see them easily.
Do not use a comma to separate a verb from its subject or object.
Commas only appear between these elements when a specific rule calls for them. These rules include setting off non-restrictive elements, parenthetical expressions, and transitional expressions. See Grammar Gremlins Comma Lessons 1 & 2 for a complete discussion.

Do not use a comma before the first or after the last item in a series.

Other reasons to quit your job are, stress, low pay, bad coworkers, and poor benefits.
John lied, cheated, and stole, to get ahead.
 

Do not use a comma between an adjective and a noun or an adverb and an adjective.

She was a smart, savvy, businesswoman.
Top fashion models are often disturbingly, thin w