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December16, 2004 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Eight >> |
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Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine - a FR*E*E monthly ezine for writing parents. ******************************************************************* You are receiving this e-zine because you subscribed through e-mail. Unsubscribe information is below. ******************************************************************* TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. WELCOME NOTES 2. QUOTES FOR THE MONTH 3. EDITOR'S ARTICLE: HOW A WRITING PARENT CAN SURVIVE LIFE IN THE ZONE by Dawn Colclasure 4. ADVERTISEMENTS 5. GUEST ARTICLE: INTERVIEW WITH A WRITER by Liana Metal 6. WHAT'S UP WITH THE BOOK'S WRITERS? 7. BOOK NEWS 8. FREEBIE CORNER 9. WRITING PARENT TIPS FOR NOVEMBER 10. FORUM NEWS 11. UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS ******************************************************************* Welcome Notes Welcome to this issue of the Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine! I'm thrilled to have you as a subscriber! Thank you for giving my E-zine the chance of appearing in your inbox! If ever you have any suggestions, please feel free to E-mail them to me at BurningMidnightOil@hotmail.com. In this issue, Liana Metal, who is interviewed in Volume One, takes a few moments to talk with Daniel Ritchie, author of the book, Silver Squirrel. I enjoyed reading this interview and I hope you do, too. In a recent post on my blog (http://dawncolclasureblog.blogspot.com/ ), I talk about the mishaps Ive experienced while being ???in the zone.??? I am finishing up the final draft of a novel Ive been working on rewriting for ages (and hoping will get republished by a publishing company) and my obsession with trying to wrap it up means Im working on it more than anything else. What this means is that I am ???in the zone.??? But if youre a writing parent, being ???in the zone??? can be scary, if not life-threatening. My article below offers tips to writing parents on surviving the zone and I hope it helps you, too. Enjoy this issue! Hugs, Dawn Colclasure Editor and Publisher http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ ******************************************************************* Quotes for the Month ???Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.??? -- Pablo Picasso ???I am a galley slave to pen and ink.??? -- Honore de Balzac ???The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything.??? -- John Irving ???This is the challenge of writing. You have to be very emotionally engaged in what you're doing, or it comes out flat. You can't fake your way through this.??? -- Anonymous author on Real Live Preacher weblog (http://www.RealLivePreacher.com ) "When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing." - Enrique Jardiel Poncela ******************************************************************* EDITOR'S ARTICLE HOW A WRITING PARENT CAN SURVIVE LIFE IN THE ZONE Copyright 2004 by: Dawn Colclasure Your book or writing project is the only thing you can think of. Scenes and chapter ideas come to mind, previously foreshadowed moments linger as reminders to include later, you find yourself mumbling unwritten passages, you mull over the last sentence or two you just wrote and the very same characters you've spent the past several weeks writing about suddenly become very real to your everyday living. Meanwhile, bills get neglected, E-mail goes unanswered, your jeans get a little loose and the front yard grows a network of weeds. Congratulations. You are now ???in the zone.??? But don't worry, we're not talking The Twilight Zone here. What we're talking about is the ???zone??? writers get into once they become obsessed with their work. They've spent so much time thinking about and writing their WIP that they forget about real world responsibilities. And while being ???in the zone??? can most commonly happen to writers of fiction, freelance writers and journalists have been known to get into it, too. Being ???in the zone??? can be a good thing. It means you're ???writing it real,??? that you have a connection to your writing that no one else can have (not even your readers) and that, because it is so real to you, it's easier to write about it. How else can you write about something you've never before experienced or been a part of? Being ???in the zone??? means you are THERE and this will help you to write your story or project better. But being ???in the zone??? can have its downsides, too. Besides your electricity being shut off because you forgot to pay the bill (I know of one writer this happened to) or losing your job because you kept coming in late, it can make you susceptible to more dangerous things like car accidents, injuries, illness and even death (after all, starvation kills). There are even bigger downsides for a writing parent ???in the zone???: A child may be neglected. Anything can happen because of this neglect; sickness, starvation, injuries, etc. With a child or children to care for, it's important to keep that electricity on and the income there. And what will happen to your child if your being ???in the zone??? puts you into the hospital? It's worries like this that merit a writing parent's concern. Being ???in the zone??? can happen to any writer, but if you are a writing parent, there are points that can help you survive it without any unfortunate events. Don't let yourself stay ???in the zone??? all the time. As much ???being in the zone??? may try to control you, you must learn to control it. You can't let yourself be ???in the zone??? 24/7. There may be times we'll be thinking about writing in the back of our mind, but we must be conscious of our surroundings and what we (and our children) are doing. Stock up on the essentials. Make sure your first aid kit has everything it needs, there is plenty of gas in the car, the refrigerator/freezer/cabinets has food (including pet food!), there's plenty of writing tools (like paper and pens) on hand and bottles of water stored away. Having a good supply of the important things means less hassle later on. Be sure to also stock up on paper plates and napkins, as well as lots of ???finger foods.??? (It's also a good idea to get lots of books, movies, games and craft supplies for your kids, too.) Try to put off doing anything that requires your complete attention. No matter how capable we like to think that we are, being ???in the zone??? is a fierce animal for a writer to contend with. It literally pulls us into another world and hangs over our heads every minute of the day. Driving can be hazardous. Putting things together can be hazardous. Try to avoid having to drive, handle power tools or working in a laboratory until you're well out of the ???zone??? woods. Don't keep it a secret. Let everyone you normally communicate with know you're ???in the zone??? with your writing. This will prepare them for your absence, distractions and overall weird or disturbing behavior. They'll be more understanding if you don't call or E-mail them as much as you used to or post on the Internet as much as you used to. Explain to your friends that you can't answer their E-mail right away because you're busy but don't let too much time pass between you, either. Send them an occasional note to say ???hello??? and spend a couple of minutes chatting with someone on the phone, but keep all of these activities to an absolute minimum. Use any kind of writing tools you can. This is good advice for any writer but more important for a writing parent. It is especially helpful when you are ???in the zone??? because it allows you to stay focused on both writing and parenting. Anytime you must write something down, pen and paper, a tape recorder or laptop on hand can help. Take breaks. Stopping yourself from writing every so often can help you get into the habit of controlling being in the zone. It reminds your real-life self that you have to tend to real-life duties and that you can't ???live??? in your imagined world for too long. Part of you knows you'll come back later to it, and having something else to write with on hand while you are gone will keep that story going. At the same time.... Put yourself in less demand. Put snacks within easy reach of your kids, teach children old enough to use a microwave how to nuke something, remind your kids that they can do something (such as put on their shoes, change a TV channel or pour their juice) by themselves and keep lots of toys, games, videos and books within easy access. Get some help. Don't feel guilty about getting a sitter or asking your spouse or partner to take on the parenting job for a little while. Being ???in the zone??? is one of those great moments where you can get some serious, good writing done. It puts you on a roll and keeps writer's block at bay. It also means youre bound to work faster. So try to find someone to babysit for a couple of hours or set up playdates for your child so that you can get that writing done. Break some rules. Parents may frown over this last one, but I couldnt get a majority of my writing done without the help of Disney and Nickelodeon. I've also allowed my child to sleep in in the mornings, have an extra cookie so that I can have at least five more minutes of sanity and let plain spaghetti or even a bowl of soup pass off as ???dinner.??? Sometimes we have to go against our better judgment if it means we'll have more time to write. Refuse any and all unnecessary activities. Chatting online, forwarding E-mail, watching TV, window shopping, reading newsletters and stamp collecting. Unless any of this is part of your book or project-writing experience, cross them off of your ???to do??? list. My writing friends know they'll hear from me the least when I'm ???in the zone??? and my everyday phone calls to my mom are cut short (though she always manages to call me because she gets worried). Anything that I do at leisure or just as a distraction are things I have no time or room for when I'm ???in the zone.??? They eat up that precious free time we have to write with and makes it harder for us to stay focused on our story. When you're ???in the zone,??? you're in a unique position to write something great and real for your readers. You have the advantage of seeing your story in a way nobody else can. Despite the downsides, allow yourself to be ???in the zone??? when you write, because it means you're on the right track. At the same time, use the above points to help you survive living outside of it, too. Dawn Colclasure edits and publishes the Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine, which is a product of her book: BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents (Booklocker). She is also a poetry editor for Skyline E-Magazine, contributing writer to the newspaper SIGNews and a staff writer for the Web site, The Shadowlands. Shes been published both on and off the Web, in magazines such as Mothering and American Fitness, and Web sites such as Absolute Write, Writing Etc. and Writing World. Visit her on the Web at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/ . ******************************************************************* ADVERTISEMENTS No ads this month. ******************************************************************* GUEST ARTICLE INTERVIEW WITH A WRITER By Liana Metal Daniel Ritchie, author of Silver Squirrel, talks to Liana Metal about his book and his writing career. How and when did you get started as a writer? I have always been interested in film, since I was seven at least, and in drawing even before that. I thought it would be a good idea to know something about writing, so I tried to learn as much as I could when I was in school. Unfortunately I had a teacher who absolutely refused to teach anything about writing fiction; narratives had no value or even validity to her, so I was frustrated. Fortunately, one year we had a substitute for a few months, and he really taught about writing the way I always wanted to do it. I just love fiction. In 1992, I was working on a short animated film and some squirrels rolling their acorns down my roof would visit my window and that was perhaps the start of my most ambitious film idea, which ultimately became a novel instead. How do you usually find your ideas? Most ideas come from knowing the subject. In the case of Silver Squirrel, I studied reference books and nature itself. I fed squirrels and crows in the park and spent time in the national forest. There are bits that come from personal experience and from the Bible, and some things just come out of the story itself. Beverly is probably one of the more interesting characters in Silver Squirrel, and also the least based on any actual person. Her inspiration was of course real squirrel mothers, and most of what she does is based on that mentality. Did you ever get any rejections? I've been lucky since I'm far too timid to force myself upon people. The technology to do print on demand didn't exist when I started writing the book, so I consider it a matter of grace that it came along when it did. POD isn't for everyone, but it was perfect for a person like me, already with a career in special effects. I felt overwhelmed by trying to find a foothold in a field with so much talent and so much history to it. POD gave me a chance to learn about the industry from the inside. There are limits to what can be done with self-publishing, but so far Silver Squirrel has been well reviewed, so I feel there are still options, and of course I planned to continue writing. Tell us about your book. Silver Squirrel is a fun little book. It's about nature and animals and things that happen to them and what they feel and believe. I'd like to think that it's also very imaginative and deals with life lessons, like a classic fairy tale. What inspired you to write this book? SOMEBODY has to make good, decent films these days. As I said, Silver started as a failed short film; this was in 1992. I'll admit, I never could tell a SHORT story. I wanted to keep it to about one minute, because that's what I could handle animation wise, but it didn't work out. Over the course of a few months I wrote 3 chapters in novel format because that was the only way I knew how to do it. After that, I moved a few times and wasn't able to work on it as much. I picked it up again when I started working for the first time as an animator and continued on a little bit at a time through a number of years. How long did it take you to write it? It took 11 years, believe it or not. It was definitely a labour of love, and one that benefited from the extra work I had to invest in it. What are the major challenges that you have faced in your career? I've admittedly concentrated more on the technical side of things. I've been terribly involved with computers and that's often dehumanizing. It's been a challenge to poke my head out and be involved with human beings. That's very important. There has been any number of other challenges, just like in the book. Trying to survive long enough to get the pages written, while industries collapsed and money was scarce and everyone in the world was going crazy and turning on each other. Has the Internet helped you in your writing career? I'd have to say so. I do almost all of my marketing online, not that I SPAM anyone mind you. Also, my sales are entirely online. I also use the Internet for my other business as a programmer and animator. You can see my website at http://www.www.squirreldoem.com . As much bad as there is to be said about the Internet, I don't think I could make a living without it. I just won't have it in my home. Which are your plans for the future? Silver Squirrel was planned as a 40-part series, and the first book is the first 13 parts. I don't expect to write a large number of these books, so I've condensed the next two sets for the next book (Silver Squirrel in Uneasy Pieces) into one. It turned out to be not so ambitious as I originally thought, and I'm gradually moving ahead with writing it. What do you advise new writers to do? Seek the truth, speak the truth, know the Word, avoid perversion and sometimes just say what you mean Dan Ritchie Email the author at: dan_ritchie@hotmail.com Liana Metal is a writer based in Europe. Visit her at http://lianametal.tripod.com ******************************************************************* WHAT'S UP WITH THE BOOK'S WRITERS? Who is Alison Lake? None other than Alison Burke, who is interviewed in Volume One! In addition to the name change, her book also has a new title. And it's now available for purchase online! Check out Alison's book, Californias Spanish Missions, here: http://www.windstormcreative.com/windstorm/2102X.htm ******************************************************************* BOOK NEWS What's the latest with the first volume of BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents? Wanna meet me in Palm Springs? The first booksigning for BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents, is in exactly THREE WEEKS!! If you happen to be in Palm Springs, California, during the first week of December, stop on by at the Peppertree Bookstore on North Palm Canyon! Its easy to get there: Take N. Palm Canyon when you exit I-10 and just keep going straight. (It's right across from Thai Smile.) For details, go here: http://www.peppertreebookstore.com/ps_events_calend ar.htm ******************************************************************* FREEBIE CORNER Something a little different about this month's freebies: I actually checked each one of them out. They do not disappoint. But because they are freebies I have used myself, the list isn't too long. Get a free 101 Knife Throwing Tips Info-Pack here: http://www.throwzini.com/index.html Get a free year of MORE Magazine when you register at LHJ.com: http://www.lhj.com/lhj/index.jhtml Also, get a free E-book, Feeling Your Best, when you sign up for a free 2-year subscription to Ladies Home Journal: http://www.lhj.com/lhj/index.jhtml?_requestid=38153&eve nt=event9&DPSLogout=true&_requestid=38186&_reque stid=38188 Read books online, covering a variety of subjects and authors, for free at: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/lists.html ******************************************************************* WRITING PARENT TIPS FOR NOVEMBER: Tip: If you've got too much writing work on your plate, consider putting a hold on doing more projects. The time you spend with your child/children is special. Tip: Try to keep your work area organized and keep drinks/snacks far away from your work. Little ones can carelessly knock things over or climb up to grab something they shouldn't. Keeping everything where it's easy to find later means you can work faster and keeping food and drink items out of the way will prevent spills. Tip: To all you American subscribers: Have a great Thanksgiving!! ******************************************************************* FORUM NEWS Check out our forum at: http://p197.ezboard.com/babsolutewrite The password is: multitask Check out our message board for a link to Skyline E-Magazine, where you can download your free copy of the Holiday, 2004 issue and see a very nice advertisement for the book! ******************************************************************* WANNA SUBMIT TO THIS E-ZINE?? I am always open to submissions for the E-zine!! Feel free to submit any of the following: 1. An article. Any style and length (can be broken into parts). Articles must relate to writing, being a writing parent or successful business/marketing ideas. If the article is a reprint, you must own the reprint rights. 2. Tips for writing parents. 3. Advertising info, a freebie link, fan mail or, if you are included in the book, news and updates on whats going on in your writing life! I prefer to use free reprinted articles whenever possible but I do offer payment, as well. Payment is only allotted to article submissions. You may choose any one of the following for compensation: $5, paid in the form of a money order. On acceptance. Generous bio A complimentary copy of the book, BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents. ******************************************************************* You are subscribed to this E-zine because you requested a subscription or signed yourself up on your own. To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to: 59308-unsubscribe@zinester.com |
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| << October16, 2004 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Six |
December16, 2004 - Burning the Midnight Oil Book Zine -- Issue Eight >> |
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