Archive for March, 2012

Mar

Writing Advice

Posted by: Michell in About Publishing, About Writing

For those of you who have read my blog posts in the past, you will probably notice that I rarely, if ever, give writing advice. There are a few reasons for this:

the way I write and what works for me may not work for you (the actual action of writing);
I know what looks right on the page. I have a pretty decent grasp of grammar and language, however, I am NOT a grammatician nor am I a professor of English to speak as an authority on sentence structure;
I am not an expert on the reader’s marketplace. I have a good understanding of what is selling now (easily enough found) and I have some opinions on what might sell down-the-road, but that is all they are. Opinions.

The kind of writing advice that I am qualified to give is more about attitude than about form therefore. I have been writing for a long time and I know several things to be true:

if you don’t put time into your writing, you will NEVER succeed;
if you don’t get good helpful feedback about the quality of your writing, it will likely never (or very slowly) improve;
if you don’t have a thick skin about critical feedback and aren’t willing to learn from it, you will never improve;
if you don’t have tenacity and perseverence, you will probably not get published;
if you are difficult to work with, even if you do get published, you will probably not continue to get published;
you get out of your writing what you put into it; and finally
people (other people) are critical to your success. Those people start with your readers, but should include your family, friends, editor, publisher, agent, peers, reviewers and many, MANY others. Never forget the importance of others.

I don’t think I’ve said anything magical in any of my points. The unfortunate truth is, if you aren’t willing to fail and fail again without giving up, you will probably never succeed. I’ve talked to many authors who have built great careers on the foundation of early failures. Those rejections helped them to grow and made them strong. It showed them what works and what doesn’t.

The other thing to remember is, success is measured differently by each person. You might consider success to be actually writing something at all. Maybe you just want lots of people to read your work and money isn’t important. Or maybe you are like me and want to make a career out of writing.

Whatever your measurement, I hope you find what you are looking for. This is my advice and my wish for your.

Tags: fail, feedback, irreverent muse, michael plested, michel plested, Michell Plested, mike plested, published, success

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Mar

Get Published Episode 79b – L.E. Modesitt Jr. Part 2

Posted by: Michell in Get Published (Podcast)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Those of you who listened to episode 79a know that the interview with Lee Modesitt Jr. was cut in half due to length. I didn’t want you to have to wait two weeks for the second half of that interview so you are getting the part ‘b’ of episode 79 a mere week later.

However, because it is part ‘b’, this episode will be a bit shorter than usual; I won’t have the normal Tips and Typos section. I hope you don’t mind.

Before we get into the show I also wanted to give you all an update on my progress with Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero. I received, what should be the final set of edits, on March 10^th. Since then, I’ve been dilgently working through the revisions so I can have the manuscript back to Lorina Stephens at Five Rivers Publishing with time to spare. That will allow her to lay out the book, create and send out the Advanced Reader Copies and start preparation for the book’s actual launch in August.

It is starting to feel very real now and there are days when I have to restrain myself from jumping up and down with giddy glee. I really cannot wait to share it with all of you. I will let you know about all developments as they occur.

Show Notes

00:00 — Opening – Get Published Episode 79b – L.E. Modesitt Jr. Part 2

Everything has to start somewhere and this is the start of “Get Published”

00:14 — Introduction – Get Published Episode 79b – L.E. Modesitt Jr. Part 2

Welcome to the show.

01:34 Promo: A Method to The Madness: A Guide To The Super Evil

3:23 — Get Published Episode 79b – L.E. Modesitt Jr. Part 2 (continued)

Mike and L.E. Modesitt Jr. talk about the evolution of books, conventions, and networking.

37:12- Promo - Flying Island Press

37:58— Closing

Thank you for listening.

Websites mentioned in this episode:

L.E. Modesitt Jr. - http://www.lemodesittjr.com/

A Method to The Madness: A Guide To The Super Evil - http://madscientistanthology.wordpress.com

Flying Island Press - http://flyingislandpress.com/

Tags: five rivers publishing, flying island press, Get Published, l.e. modesitt jr., lorina stephens, mad scientist handbook, michael plested, michel plested, Michell Plested, mike plested, recluce

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Mar

Beat but not Beaten

Posted by: Michell in About Writing

I have this tendency to overcommitt myself. Now, if I didn’t care about actually fulfilling my commitments, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. That is not the case, however.

When I say I’m going to do something, I do it and try to do it well.

That in itself is not a character flaw (as far as I know), but it does tend to wear me down over time. Take Scouts, for example. I love being a Scout leader, but about this time every year I start to get cranky. The craziness of the troop and the lost days and nights every month make me wonder if I really want to do it again next year and please, please, please can’t it just be over? But when I get to our meetings and see how much fun everyone is having, I remember why I do it and I’m okay for a little bit longer.

The same is true of my writing and podcasting projects. I have several on the go right now and they are draining me. Not of my will to live, at least not yet, but of my motivation. Some nights it is a real effort to sit down at the keyboard and do some editing or new writing. I have to remind myself of all the deadlines that are looming, evaluate the time I have left to complete the work and kickstart myself back into action.

It doesn’t hurt that the reward is on the horizon. In this case, the reward is the publication of my first book, scheduled for August 1, 2012. That particular reward is enough to get me going again. I just have to think about how long I’ve been working toward it and I get a new (if temporary) burst of energy and excitement.

The other thing that helps keep me going is my collaboration work. I simply cannot let my co-authors and co-editors down. That has always been a terrific motivator for me too.

I still have those moments when I wonder if my life would be simpler if I just threw it all aside and went back to watching television every night with the family. I know that while the demands on my time would be less, it would also be that much less satisfying. I also know that I would drive myself crazy trying to avoid the inevitable; the writing of new stories.

I guess that means this writing thing is no longer just a hobby for me, but a way of life. If that is true then I just need to accept the fact that not every day is going to be filled with vim and vigour. Some days I will have to fight through the malaise and be productive anyway, just like a real, professional writer.

Wait… did I just say “Professional Writer”? That has a really nice ring to it. Maybe I can go on after all…

I guess, maybe it’s time to sit down and get working again.

Tags: inspiration, malaise, michael plested, michel plested, Michell Plested, mike plested, motivation, professional writer, tired, way of life, writing