Writing and Publishing News

Don’t you love it when you learn something new—meet a challenge—overcome an obstacle? We experienced such a success yesterday, when we added a photo to the Catscapades blog. This was a first for us here in the Matilija Press offices. Check it out at http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades It’s a photo of our white odd-eye cat, Winfield, with a strawberry where you would least expect to find one.

I now belong to the Cat Writers’ Association. I joined as a professional member since I have produced a book of cat stories. I’ve also written about cats for several pet and animal magazines over the years. There seem to be people in the organization who write exclusively about cats. I also have friends who write strictly about animals and seem to be making a living doing so.

Do you have a pet subject that you would like to write about? Or maybe you are already doing some writing on your favorite topic. Are your efforts paying your way? Or do you feel that maybe you’re just spinning your wheels without monetary results? Maybe that’s because you are trying to write too narrow. Today’s blog is about expanding your horizons even if you want to stay focused on one basic topic.

So what is your topic? Pets and animals (a very popular one), aviation, the environment, horses (this is the subject I wrote about when I started my writing career), quilting, cooking, relationships, parenting… Do you feel as though you have exhausted all of the article/story possibilities related to this topic? If so, I have two things to say in response: I seriously doubt that you have written on your topic from all angles and perspectives. And if you absolutely have, you’ve probably been writing on this subject for a thousand years, so just start all over again—recycle those early articles. I’m going on the assumption that you have not tapped all of the ideas and resources available on your subject and I will throw out some suggestions for you to consider when formulating your next 100 articles on your favorite topic:

• Write about what you know related to your topic—your experiences with it as a participant and as an observer.
• Write about what you want to know with regard to your topic. In other words, do some research to discover aspects of it that you have wondered about.
• Interview experts as well as novices who have had experiences different than your own. Form articles around these interviews.
• Use what you discovered in the interviews to come up with new article ideas.
• Explore the many facets of your subject. If it is pets and animals, just look at the number of different types of animals you can study and write about. Multiply that by the number of issues around each of these types of animals. If your subject is quilting, just imagine how many different types of quilts there are—each with a story behind it. Likewise, how many quilters are there? Can you see how these two topics could keep a writer busy for several lifetimes?
• Consider all of the angles related to your topic: the history, the personalities, the businesses established around it, the hobbies, the organizations, the events. What about celebrities involved in this topic, the laws pertaining to it from country to country and so forth.
• Widen your horizon when it comes to placing your articles and stories. Of course, you are aware of the traditional, well-known magazines of the trade. But are you also submitting to appropriate newsletters and websites? And what about publications that are not related to the topic? Consider submitting your piece featuring an older celebrity and his pet llamas to AARP The Magazine, for example. A general interest magazine might be interested in your piece on flying as the new high for young pilots, your article on unique ways with legumes as a way to save money in these difficult economic times or one featuring quilting as a stress-reliever.

If these few suggestions didn’t give you new ideas for presenting your niche topic, you are either already practicing excellent skills as a freelance writer or you have closed your mind to the huge array of possibilities. If anyone cares to discuss their own blocks, disappointments or other problems related to their freelance writing work, please contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Do you find, at the end of your day, that you haven’t finished all of the tasks you hoped to complete? Some of you may go to bed at night having never even started something you planned to begin—like your book manuscript or an article. Does your writing project seem to be pushed to the back burner day after day, month after month, even though you keep promising yourself that you will tackle it? Brother, you need help!

How can you look at yourself in the morning when you know that you are not fulfilling your heart’s desire to write? How can you go to bed at night without having allowed yourself to spend at least a little while that day writing?

If your life is filled with “must do’s” and “have to’s” but no “want to’s,” maybe it’s time to change something. Sure, we have to make a living. Of course, we must do and be for our families and friends. We have serious responsibilities. But I’ve found in my life that if I’m not also taking care of my own needs, I don’t have much to give anyone or anything else.

Have you read my book, The Successful Writer’s Handbook? This is a little book I compiled in 2003. It’s a collection of my best writing/publishing-related articles and it includes a section on taking care of the writer. It’s all about how a writer can create balance in his/her life. Having been a full-time writer for many, many years, I have had to pay attention to my physical, mental and spiritual health—in other words, live a balanced lifestyle. It’s how I manage to function at my peak. And, for those of you who have a passion for writing or for a particular writing project, but who can’t find the time to pursue it, perhaps you could benefit from some of my tips and ideas.

• First, order and read The Successful Writer’s Handbook at http://www.matilijapress.com.
• Write a daily to-do list and give each item a time slot. Include a time for writing and omit any recognizable time-wasters.
• Take good care of your physical being—get plenty of sleep, eat your fruits and veggies, hydrate and be sure to exercise some each day.
• Nurture your muse. Become aware of your sense of creativity in everything that you do.
• Engage in activities that will stimulate your mind. This does not typically mean watching TV or going clubbing.
• Become one with nature. If you don’t have room in which to create and nurture a garden, plant and care for potted patio plants or an inside terrarium (mini garden).
• Take mini-vacations. Walk along a waterway, sit in a lush garden or simply meditate in your home while playing soft music for 15 minutes or so.

If you are running around frantically every day taking care of business and only dreaming of writing a book or starting a career as a writer, maybe it’s time for you to slow down and look for another way to manage your life.

Once you decide to enter into the world of publishing, be sure to order my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapresss.com/rightway.html

And, for fun, if you like cats, you must read my newest book, Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats—now fully illustrated with over 80 photos of pretty, silly, funny, kooky, unusual and ordinary cats and kittens. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

I tell just about all of my clients, students and friends who are working on books that they must get to know their competition. Whether you are writing a period novel, a self-help book, a recipe book, a memoir or a children’s storybook, for example, study other books like yours. Read similar books before you start writing and refer to them often during the process of writing.

I don’t mean for you to copy another author. It’s important that you are true to your voice, your style and your story. But you also want to present your story or material so that it is understandable, a pleasure to read, consistent, accurate and so that it follows the basic rules of good writing. The more familiar you are with the works of excellent writers in your genre, the more apt you are to create works of value to your readers.

What aspects of other books should you pay attention to before you start writing? Here are a few:

• What techniques do other authors use to draw the reader into the book?
• How do these authors hold the readers’ interest?
• What methods do they apply for ending their books?
• Do these authors write in first, second or third person—present or past tense?
• Dissect what makes these books work.
• Look at the way other nonfiction books are organized.

When you are ready to design your book, study other books to determine:

• What makes the cover design work?
• What page layout design is most appealing/workable?
• How do other publishers of such works handle the back cover copy?
• Does this book require an index, glossary, etc. and why?
• How is their table of contents organized?

Study books written by your competitors in order to learn what to do and what not to do. Use these books as examples and models. Refer to them in order to create the best product you can produce. If you can keep an open mind while using the best of books similar to yours, the more likely you are to succeed. Close yourself off from your competition, criticize other authors and refuse to conform and you might just find yourself with a garage full of books you can’t sell.

For more tips, techniques, resources and how to do it, order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book today. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

And if you love kitty cats, we have finally perfected the new photos in the book of cat stories. Order one or more copies of Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats here: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Visit the new cat blog: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades

I’m now the proud blogger at two very different types of sites. I will continue to post at this blog site daily (or as close to daily as I can manage). And I will establish a rhythm for the second blog in time.

With the advent of my new illustrated version of Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats, I’ve also established a blog for those who enjoy, adore and, perhaps, spend their days with one or more cats. Hop on over to the new blog site and see what you think. Remember, this is just the beginning. I plan to learn how to post photographs at the blog and will share some of those that are in the book as well as new ones I come across and even photos of your cats, if you wish to send me some. The most recent blog post includes one short story from the book. Actually, it’s one of the many vignettes that accompany the 36 true stories. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.

Why promote a cat blog at a writing/publishing blog? Because I can. It’s my blog and I can post anything I want to, just as you can and should post entries at your blog site of your choosing. And I am promoting the Catscapades blog and book here because many writers live with one or more cats. Isn’t that right? I’d like to hear from those of you who write with cats lounging nearby on your desk, in your out bin, on your lap, or in a basket you have provided for him away from your keyboard and paperwork. Tell us about your cat, why you have one (or more), how you acquired them, how you named them, how they help you in your writing life or??

Your Muse
I was at the casino on our nearby Indian reservation recently and I noticed that a lot of gamblers have good luck charms or rituals they perform while playing the slot machines. I know that many writers rely on their “muse” to help them create. What, exactly, is a muse? According to my old Webster’s, the word comes from one of the nine Greek goddesses who presided over the arts. We use the term to indicate the inspiration that motivates us to create.

What is your inspiration—not your motivation (that might be money, seeking credibility in your field, etc.) But what inspires you to create—what helps you to create? What do you consider your muse?

Is it something or someone that you value in your life? Is it your value system? Or does she come from within?

Where is your muse? Where do you find her—in your meditation or quiet times, in nature, in that furry critter who lives in your home and heart?

How do you feed your muse? Do you graciously invite her in or do you block her entrance? Do you give her opportunities to find you and inspire you by actually sitting down to write?

Over the years, people have asked me how I overcome writer’s block. I always told them that I do not experience writer’s block. But I realize that’s not true. I am sometimes faced with it, I just don’t allow it to interfere with my writing. I’ve always had a sort of automatic method of overcoming writer’s block and now I believe it is with the help of my muse. Yes, when faced with a blank page or I’m stuck between sentences, I call on my muse. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I just recently figured out what I was doing. Here’s how it works:

When I’m faced with what some call writer’s block, I stop trying. Now that sounds peculiar, doesn’t it? But that is what I do. I get out of the way and open myself up to the creativity inside. Inevitably, I start writing. I can recall times when I was sitting at my computer typing 90 miles an hour (well, maybe 60 words per minutes) and I felt as though I had absolutely no control over what was being typed. During these times, I am aware that my mind is not generating the text. It is something within me that is creating the material which is appearing before me on the screen. There are times when I realize this and just sit there laughing at the process that is being administered through me without benefit of my own brainpower—or seemingly so. After years of experiencing this, I have decided that this is my muse. My muse lives within me. It is a part of my subconscious. She may be triggered by outside influences like one of my cats or a friend, I guess, but she only comes to help me when I allow it. And I allow it by moving out of the way and giving her space.

Is this a similar scenario for any of you? I would love to hear your story related to your muse. You can leave your comment right here—just click on the “comment” link.