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October06, 2004 - October 2004 Issue - The Writer Buddy Gazette >> |
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------------------------------------------------------------- The Writer Buddy Gazette September 1, 2004 Issue #1 ------------------------------------------------------------- By Subscription Only! You are receiving this one-time only newsletter because you are a registered member of the My Writer Buddy online community. To continue to receive this newsletter, see the subscription instructions are at the end of this newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => From the Editor => Featured Article: To Outline or Not to Outline => Member and Community News => Writers' Guidelines => September Contest Announcement => Support My Writer Buddy => Classified Ads => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information ------------------------------------------------------------ FROM THE EDITOR ------------------------------------------------------------ At long last, the monthly newsletter has returned with a new look and a new name: The Writer Buddy Gazette. It is the place to turn for the latest in WB news, articles on writing, contest news, writing markets and more. In January 2005, the only WB-authorized ezine will be unveiled. Buddy Tales will offer new authors the opportunity to achieve publication. Best of all, Buddy Tales will be a paying market. Be sure to check out the October newsletter for details and writer's guidelines. In the coming months, other goodies will be annouonced. Be sure to check out the links at the end of this newsletter to continue your subscription. Only members who manually subscribe will receive the next issue. Don't miss out! Happy Writing! Denise ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURED ARTICLE: To Outline or Not to Outline ------------------------------------------------------------ By Mallory York Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline? Outlines have proven quite effective for a lot of writers, and many of the famous stories we know and love--such as Star Wars--were outlined before they were fleshed out into a living, breathing story. (Well, metaphorically living and breathing, anyway.) But many of the stories that touched us most--like real-life experiences--simply happened, no outlining was needed. Some stories just come to you, while others need some refining before they're ready to be written. The question is, which one works best for you? I have always been a 'seat-of-the-pants' writer--that is, I've just sat down and written most of what I want to write, without any outlining or prior planning. However, on several occasions I have actually written detailed outlines and come up with very rewarding and satisfying pieces of writing for my efforts. Some people swear that they can't write a single sentence until they know what the end is going to be. Other people--like me-- are the opposite. They can't write the ending until they've written the beginning. They have no idea how the story will end when they type in that first sentence. Some people even write an outline for each scene, number them, put them in order and then write them in that order, without considering which to write first--ending, middle, or climax. For me, outlining in too much detail takes all of the spontaneity out of writing. It makes me feel like I've already written the whole story before when I sit down at the keyboard to start typing. I know from experience that if I outline scene by scene, going through every hand motion and every eye motion and every tilt of the head that my characters are making--it won't be as new and exciting when I'm doing the actual writing. And I will get bored. Not being one to outline by trade, I sort of made up my own outlining style, and it is actually more of a summary than an outline. For example, I have a 36-page 'outline' for a novel I want to write. Every time I sat down to write on it--excited about finishing this story and getting it published--I would read the first few lines of the outline, try to start where I left off last time, and fail miserably. The outline was just too detailed--I felt that it took away all of the freedom I have as a writer. So I thought it over, and decided that an outline was just a tool, and we all use tools differently. Now, if I have an outline at all, I consider it a "rough draft" of the story, and so I can change things around if I decide it's better that way. But you're asking, "Do you mean that the answer to 'to outline or not to outline' is not to?" Not at all! Outlining works for some people and it doesn't for others. I believe that everyone should write in whatever style works best for them. If you find yourself at a dead-end in your creativity (sometimes known better as 'writer's block') you might want to examine what an outline means to you. If you usually outline and now find yourself at a dead end, try spontaneously writing something--without an outline. Anything will do. Write random scenes and keep them all in a folder or journal to read later--who knows, one might even inspire a new story for you. For those who usually write spontaneously and are at a dead end, perhaps you should experiment with outlining. I used to swear I would never outline. But when I gave in and tried it, I did get some good results. If the outline seems too rigid, you might try what works for me--which is to put less detail into the outline. I have a very detailed writing style, so it's natural for me to want to note every little thing in the outline. But that was a mistake. I've learned to write the outline with just enough detail so that I will know what will happen, when and how, and then move on to the actual story-writing. So the answer to 'to outline or not to outline?', at least as far as I'm concerned, is 'to outline--loosely, and only if it works well for you.? In closing, here are some tips for writing a more flexible outline: 1) Keep it simple. You don't need to write the outline with perfect grammar and punctuation, or from your point of view character's perspective. Remember, this is just a generalized guide. 2) Try not to get too detailed about what happens in any one particular scene. Just figure out where they are in the beginning ('They're slogging along the roadside in the rain.') and where they are at the end ('They finally decide to stop and rest, so they make a tent out of the umbrella and blankets and go to sleep') and fill in the blanks when you actually write the scene. 3) Write it in present tense. That seems to make it easier to feel more in the immediate "now" of the story, and seems more natural to me. Even though I always write in past tense in my stories (present tense actually annoys me in stories, but that's just my preference I guess) I always write my outlines in present tense. The outline seems more immediate and real when written in present tense, and helps me stick with it and develop the outline all the way to the end of the story. I suppose you could write your outlines in whatever tense you like, but this is just another way to distinguish the real writing of the story from the outline-writing. 4) Enjoy yourself. A writer's mood translates through in their word choice, so if you're writing humor but are actually feeling angry, the funny story may seem a little forced. While not always true--I frequently write angst and sad stories even though I'm generally happy--the truth is that if you don't enjoy writing your stories, what was the point? And if your answer was 'money', perhaps you should try a different profession and just pursue fiction writing as a hobby. Happy scribblin'! Mallory York About the Author: Mallory York has been drawing since before she knew how to date a picture, and has been creating anime art for four years. Among her favorite anime series are Fushigi Yuugi, Gundam Wing, and The Slayers. You can read some of her fanfic at Fanfiction.net and view more of her artwork at HTTP://WWW.L7S.NET and also at HTTP://WWW.ELFWOOD.COM support@L7S.net ------------------------------------------------------------ MEMBER AND COMMUNITY NEWS ------------------------------------------------------------ Do you have news you'd like to share with your fellow Writer Buddy members? Do you have something to crow about? This is the spot. Send your news items to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ WRITERS' GUIDELINES ------------------------------------------------------------ The Writer Buddy Gazette needs contributors for future issues. We are unable to pay for articles/stories at this time. In lieu of payment, all contributors will have their bio, email address and a Web site link listed at the end of the story or article. The Gazette seeks non-exclusive rights to reprint articles and stories in this newsletter and in the reference section of the My Writer Buddy site (www.writerbuddy.com) Current needs: Flash fiction Short stories How-to articles on all aspects of writing Book reviews Author interviews For more information about current needs or to submit a query, send an email to thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ SEPTEMBER CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT ------------------------------------------------------------ On October 1, 2004, one Writer Buddy member will be randomly selected to win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. The winner will be announced in the October issue of The Gazette. To win, members must be subscribed to the newsletter. No purchase of any kind is required. No member name or email information will ever sold to any third party. To make sure you are eligible for the drawing, click on the subscribe link at the end of this newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------ SUPPORT MY WRITER BUDDY ------------------------------------------------------------ Since its inception in 1999, My Writer Buddy has been committed to the ideal of writers helping writers. In that time many of our members have achieved the elusive goal of publication. In June, four members won book publication contracts from our first-ever Novel Writing Contest. That contest is expected to repeat in 2005. The new year will bring other publication opportunities for WB members, including our very own paying e-zine. How can you help? Donations of any amount will be greatly appreciated. All members who donate at least $5 will receive a "three-star Community Sponsor" designation under their names. They will also receive a note of gratitude in The Writer Buddy Gazette newsletter. To make a donation, visit the Writer Buddy site and click on the Donate button. All donations are handled through PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account or prefer to send your donation via snail mail, write to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com for address information. ------------------------------------------------------------ CLASSIFIED ADS ------------------------------------------------------------ WriteSparks!?„? Software for Writers can generate more than 10 million story sparks to keep you writing for years... and all at a click of a button. Getting ideas for your stories has never been this easy! For more information, go to: http://hop.clickbank.net/?writerbudd/ewrite2001 ********* The 10 Top 10 Lists for Writers list contests, ezines and newsletters, encouragement and tips from successful writers, resource information and more. For more information, visit: http://hop.clickbank.net/?writerbudd/babayaga ********* Buy "Think Outside the Square" and learn to write short stories and have them published. This book covers the basics: developing characters, setting the scene, writing and selling short stories. For more information, click on: http://hop.clickbank.net/?writerbudd/journalist ------------------------------------------------------------ SUBSCRIBER MANAGEMENT / CONTACT INFORMATION ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2004 - Denise Williams All Rights reserved http://www.writerbuddy.com Beginning with the next issue of The Writer Buddy Gazette will be maintained through the Zinester newsletter mailing service. To Subscribe: http://www.zinester.com/mpb/ml_fs.cgi?topic=91205 To Unsubscribe: http://www.zinester.com/mpb/unsub.cgi?91205 Archived issues of this newsletter can be found at http://archives.zinester.com/91205 Denise Williams, Editor The Writer Buddy Gazette email: thegazette@writerbuddy.com |
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