Take A Risk Tuesday: Pitch to an Agent at a Conference

     This week I'm preparing for my first real writing conference. Besides looking forward to meeting fellow writers, I am also totally pumped for all the workshops. (If I could only split myself into multiple people and attend them all.) Luckily, for me, one of my critique partners is going to join me. Yea, Annie!!

    

     There are a few things I'm sweating about, however. One of them is my scheduled pitch with an agent. Even though I've researched what she's looking for, wrote the best pitch I can, practiced it a hundred times, I'm still biting my nails. (What's left of them.) The other event that has me pacing a bit,  is the appointment with the book doctor. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally into hearing what others think will improve my work. It's those useless voices that love to rear their ugly heads and taunt me. Your plot is weak! Who do you think you're fooling? You're not a real writer...

So in spite of the unfriendly banter inside my head, I'm going. So there! 


What's the next risk you're going to take? 

Take A Risk Tuesday: Do Nothing

    You may scoff that it isn't a risk to do nothing. I would argue that in our hurry-here-finish-this-check-this-off-do-more-culture, it most certainly is. The risk lies in our fear that we are missing something, we're not good enough or that we're behind. 

   Last Saturday, I went to my grandson Dylan's first Pee Wee Flag Football game. (Say that 3-times fast) The kids looked so cute in their little uniform tee-shirts running up and down the field. They're only six and for most of them this is a new sport. I've been attending kids sports events for almost 25 years. During that time I've noticed one thing that never seems to change. There are always a few parents that forget what it was like to be a child and seek to suck every ounce of fun out of the sport. "Nathan, pay attention! " "Focus, focus, focus!" Seriously? Don't get me wrong, I totally believe in parents supporting their kids. My idea of support is more like, "Way to go Dylan!" "Good job" and "Good try, maybe next time." What happened to letting kids, be kids. There's plenty of time for them to learn skills.

     So, what does this have to do with doing nothing? Everything. We, especially American's, have a hard time being in the moment. We're always so busy thinking of the next project, the next race or the next raise, that we rarely enjoy where we are. Don't misunderstand, goals are important and it's great to have something we are working for but not at the expense of being in the now. 

    I've been watching the Le Tour de France. Talk about grueling. Cyclists almost always say that to succeed in the tour you have to be present. You can't be thinking about tomorrows stage or yesterday's mistakes, you have to pay attention to the now.

    Rock climbers hanging precariously off vertical cliffs all agree that in the midst of a climb they have to concentrate on their current step. If you worry about where you've been or what's around the next cliff you take the chance of being distracted and could lose your footing. One climber said,"It is that singleness of purpose that closes out all the other voices, that is why I climb." 



Basically, in order to do what they do best they have to empty their minds and be in the moment.  For writers, this is even more important. Our "moments" are those quiet times that we allow our minds to open. We can't have our minds full of clutter. In order to tap into our imagination we have to slow down. Walking is one way I can find that place. These walks aren't concerned with pace or burning calories. In this way they are more like wanderings, time and destination is irrelevant. In these quiet moments the imagination is free to come out and play. This is art. This is creation.


Now, I'm going to say good-bye and do nothing...
    

Take A Risk Tuesday: Can I Do That?

     I'm a rebel. Or at least I hope I am.

Rebel

1.a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against   

    the government or ruler of his or her country.

2.a person who resists any authority, control, or tradition.

 

    For the purposes of this post, the second definition is the one I'm discussing. I've always resisted the idea that I couldn't do something. While I haven't always had the tenacious attitude, I have always admired those that do. 

 

   When someone tells me I can't do something, like the two-year-old, I find I'm far more interested in making it happen. In school, if there was someone that didn't like me, I went about making them my friend. Yes, this has led me into some painful experiences, but none of them a waste of my time or energy.  

 

     Being a rebel is risky business and we are bound to make our share of blunders. I've also noticed, the older I get the more willing I am to settle and accept things. On top of that, our culture is always romanticizing youth and selling the idea that staying young is about what we see when we look in the mirror. 

     The secret to to staying young is to continue to try new things, experience all that this world has to offer. Rebel a little. While our energy level may not be that of a twenty-year-old, we recognize the difference between being busy and actually accomplishing something. 

So, as I begin my day, I'm going to separate the things that must be done from the should be done and somewhere in between I'll find the thing that will bring me and others to a better place.

Being afraid of failing or pain is what keeps us from exploring our true potential. 

Today I am granting you permission to rebel. Take the road less traveled. Take a risk. 

Are you with me? Doesn't matter I'm going to do it anyway...

Take A Risk Tuesday: Getting into Character

Our characters are the life blood of our writing. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, it is the characters that will propel the reader through to the end. The last thing we want is homogenized characters that are reflections of ourselves. The best way to keep that from happening is to allow yourself to explore diverse personalities. 

1)  Find a subculture to drop yourself into. 

The other  night I went to a death metal show at Studio Seven in Seattle. Wow, was I out of my element but talk about fodder for unique character traits and images. I really believe it's healthy for us to be open and experience new and different perspectives. Am I going to gauge my ears and tattoo my chest? No. Do I now love and listen to screaming vocals and hard scratchy guitar.? Hardly. What I do have are great sensory detail and visuals that can come into play in my fiction.

2) Get in touch with your dark side. 

We all have one, even if we have to dig pretty deep to find it. Have you ever been jealous, angry or manipulative? Everyone has at some level. When you've gone to the trouble of creating an awesome protagonist, don't weaken him with a lame antagonist. There needs to be a real fear that your hero could fail.  You have to be able to understand and get inside the head of your antagonist. Don't be afraid to explore that side of yourself.

How do you get into character?

Take A Risk Tuesday: Send That Query

Take A Risk!

So, lets say you've written at least three novels, two are in the drawer but there is something about the third. Could this be the one? How do you know and when is the right  time to send that query?

1) Knowing when your project is complete is sometimes difficult. I've heard authors say, "When I stop having new scenes appear in my mind it's finished." or "When all I'm doing is changing the's to a's it's time." Only you know when your project is ready to be pitched.  

2) Hopefully throughout the process you have been working on your query and pitch. Many writers feel that these are key in making sure your novel is complete. If you can't write a good pitch or query, chances are there is something missing. See more resources here and here.


3) Research agents. Think of it like adopting out a pet or child. You would want to know that they were in good hands. That means you don't send a romance to science fiction agent. There are many resources:   Literary Rambles monthly agent spotlights, Jill Cocoran has a complete list of resources, Don't forget about Query Tracker, too!

4) Just like a resume should be tailor made to the company and what they're looking for, so should your query letter. Personalize it so the agent can easily see you have what they want. 


5) Now, here's the hard part. For perfectionists like myself, we've figured out that if we never query we never have to feel rejection or failure. We can perpetuate the dream without ever making it real. Or course, that is the key word:  REAL WRITERS SEND THEIR WORK OUT. 


This weeks challenge: Choose an agent and take the risk. Even if nothing happens, the exercise of researching, writing and sending out the query gets easier each time you do it. (That means actually pushing the send button.)

Take A Risk Tuesday: Read Outside Your Comfort Zone

In college I took a film class on Western's and Horror, my two least favorite genres.  When the instructor juxtaposed  Carrie, Psycho and Videodrome  against Shane, Unforgiven and The Ballad of Little Joe, I was well out of my comfort zone. This happened again when I chose a class on popular culture and found myself learning about the origins of Punk and Rap music. Was I converted? Did I find myself dying my hair hot pink and saying, yo yo sista? Do I now thirst for Zombies and John Wayne? 

Rest assured I have retained my own tastes, I'm still me. I am a different me, more open to other points of view and I celebrate the diversity that is our human race. I love that when I look around I don't see homogenized versions of myself. My writing is better for it, at least I think so. 

So, today I challenge you to choose your next book from out of your normal genre of choice. If you've never read a romance, read one. Try some steampunk. (I just learned what this is!)

How far will you step out of your comfort zone?

Take a Risk Tuesday: Do Something Unexpected Everyday

Life is all about taking risks.  

I think sometimes we think of  risk in grand sweeps of dramatic color splashed upon our life canvas. While sometimes this may happen, I'm talking about tiny moments of exploration. The small kind of discoveries that as children we enjoyed everyday. 

As a child each new day presented new opportunities to see, smell, touch, taste or hear something new. Why does that have to stop when we become adults? Well, it doesn't. As a writer, I believe it is important to dip my brush often and deeply into unexplored waters. This doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Sure, I'd love to travel to an exotic land, taste interesting cuisine or listen to new sounds. I'm sure we all would and I love reading blogs of those that have those opportunities. Does that mean I am destined to life of boredom, only to see and hear the same thing everyday? Hell, no! 

Each day anyone can take the risk of trying something new. 

Here are some ways I try to do this everyday:

1) Take a different route to or from work.

2) Listen to music I've never heard before.

3) Smell a new perfume or fragrance.

4) Try a new yoga pose.

5) Pick a food I've never tried and cook something with it.

I'm sure you get the idea. There's no reason we can't do something new and different everyday. Try a new word. Meet a new person. Learn a new skill. The list is endless. Diversity is all around us, embrace it, take a risk by reaching out into the unknown. 

What risk will you take today? Today I'm going to plant some new herbs in my raised garden, maybe basil, chives and something totally different!