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November01, 2004 - November 1, 2004 - The Writer Buddy Gazette - Issue #3 >> |
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------------------------------------------------------------- The Writer Buddy Gazette October 6, 2004 Issue #2 ------------------------------------------------------------- IN THIS ISSUE => News From the Top => Featured Articles: Comma Usage Explained => Featured Articles: Seven Ways to Make Your Fiction Compulsive Reading => Writer Buddy Member & Community News => The Gazette Writers' Submission Guidelines => October Contest Announcement => Writing Markets => Support My Writer Buddy => Classified Ads => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information ------------------------------------------------------------ NEWS FROM THE TOP ------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks to the American Civil War, The Gazette is a few days going out this month. Hopefully, you will find it worth the wait. This issue is crammed full of news, contests info and market news. My goal is to see this newsletter grow as more people subscribe and more and more members choose to get involved. Happy Writing! Denise ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURED ARTICLE: Comma Usage Explained ------------------------------------------------------------ By Michael LaRocca Don't they drive you nuts? You can visit all the rules of style you want, and you can read all the books and articles you want. You will still be confused. You will see inconsistency. You will see experts who don't agree with each other. And, you'll pull out your hair. Unless you're Michael, since my hair's falling out all by itself. I think it'd do that even if I weren't an editor hunting down errant commas. Well, folks, here are some rules. A bare minimum. Internalize these and ignore everybody else. (1) Never put a comma between a subject and a verb. It's always wrong. The dog, barked. What is that? Idiocy. I'm sorry, but it is. Read it aloud, and pause at the comma. Don't you feel stupid? (2) If you want to separate a clause, put a comma on both sides of it. Otherwise, no commas at all. "The dog, who held a bone in his mouth, ran to the porch." See how there's a comma on both sides? That's because you could skip that whole clause entirely and it'd still be a complete sentence. "The dog ran to the porch." If I delete the first comma, I have to delete the second one. You decide which looks best, two commas or none. But, one comma doesn't work. Try deleting either one and reading the result aloud, remembering to pause at the comma. It's a wreck, isn't it? You don't talk like that, so don't write like that. (3) "He saw the cat, the cat was on the couch." This is not a good sentence. It's two sentences. The one before the comma has subject object verb, and so does the one after the comma. Run-ons like that can emphasize the run-on nature of a character's words or thoughts, but use the device sparingly. It's okay to break a rule, as long as you know what it is and why you're breaking it. But in the example above, it'd be best to make them two sentences. If you find you just can't do it, consider a semicolon. Don't believe anyone who says semicolons aren't allowed in fiction. I wouldn't use one in the sample sentence, but I've used them in other sentences I've written. Sparingly. But for something as lame as a sentence about a cat on a couch, it's best to follow the rules exactingly and make that two sentences. Do you really think your reader's gonna pop off for a beer or a toilet break between them and lose his place? As long as they're in the same paragraph, they'll be read together. (4) And finally, THE rule. It works for narrative and it works for dialogue. Read what you've written aloud. Wherever you would pause for breath, whack in a comma. Because, you have internalized the rules. You've been speaking English all your life. But as an aspiring writer, you've been so busy trying to learn "the rules" that you've forgotten the rule you've known all along. And you do know it! If you'd like, you can look over some sentences in the preceding paragraphs. You'll note some commas where they're not strictly necessary. Often, it's where I begin a sentence with a conjunction, also an alleged no-no. But that device can be used sparingly to emphasize a point. And when I do that, sometimes I whip in a comma for extra emphasis. A comma is a pause. That's what you should note if you indulge in this exercise. I'm pausing for emphasis. Read my sentences aloud. Pause at every comma. The rhythm works. It's how I talk, and you won't be all freaked out and confused as you listen because I paused in funny places. Speaking as an editor, I run into a lot of writers who have problems with commas. Heck, speaking as someone who likes to read books and newspapers and magazines, I see commas where they shouldn't be, or missing commas where they should be. It's because we're trying to be too fancy, drifting dangerously far from the "write what you know" mantra because we think we're stupid. We're not stupid. As Sean Connery noted in FINDING FORRESTER, critics spend a day destroying what they couldn't create in a lifetime. That's also what I think of people who want us to memorize hundreds of silly rules about commas. They're pauses. Nothing more, nothing less. Pause where you want to pause, not where you think someone else thinks you're supposed to pause. Wanna know who's the best at this whole comma business? Sports journalists. Some of them make up words, are given to hyperbole, and are guilty of many other sins. But they get their commas right. (Maybe they have good editors?) You can read what they wrote and dang near hear their voices. You know what they said and what they meant to say, and you can agree with them or be totally outraged by them. And that is, after all, what writing is. Telepathy. I'm in Shaoxing and you are not, and you're reading this many days after I wrote it, but you know what I'm thinking. Stray commas would be a barrier to that. Good writers don't like barriers. Just remember that a comma is a pause, and pause wherever you think you should. Blow off the rules--there are too many and they just keep changing--and trust your gut. If you do that, I think you'll find that when you seek out publication, and find yourself working with an editor, you'll hear very little about your commas. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael LaRocca's website at http://freereads.topcities.com was chosen by WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. He published four novels in 2002 and has two more scheduled for publication in 2004. He also works as an editor for an e-publisher. He teaches English at a university in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter Mad About Books. ------------------------------------------------------------ FEATURED ARTICLE: Seven Ways to Make Your Fiction Compulsive Reading ------------------------------------------------------------ By Raven Do You Have What It Takes to Grab and Hold Reader Attention? Does your fiction writing do the sales work for you? Do you have that magic ingredient to hold readers until story's end? What are readers looking for in a good read anyway? This article tells you how the What's In It For Me? (WIIFM) formula, normally applied to commercial endeavors, is equally important to readers who are browsing or scanning fiction looking for that next good read. What's In It For Me? is all about you giving something of value. This is what attracts and holds your reader. As a fiction writer this thing of value that you give to the reader is an experience. An experience is an exchange between the story and the reader that sets up a thinking and feeling connection for the reader. When a reader first approaches any story they have no connection, no feeling response. At this point no exchange has occurred and no experience has begun. It is your story's responsibility to move the reader into a state of connection by giving them a thinking and feeling experience. The better the experience, the more your story is valued. HOW YOU CREATE AN EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR READER Your fiction story is built from components: plot, structure, characters, action, description, dialogue and your writing style. It is from these components that an experience can be created if you ensure they have quality. Without quality components your writing will be, at best, bland or uninteresting (default reader disconnection: browsing on to the next book), or at worst, even irritating (active reader disconnection: noting never to look at that author's works again). Rigorously apply the following checklist to your story, before and during writing. This ensures each component contributes to a quality reader experience? Plot * Does it offer enough temptation for the reader to come along for the ride? (Apply this question to every component.) * Are the twists and turns believable even if incredible? * If it's a simple or well-used plot, remember that more responsibility for creating reader experience will therefore fall on the other components of your story. Structure * Have you chosen a structure that presents the story in its best form and light? Or did you pick the easiest or most familiar structure without thinking about it? Character * Here is your most important opportunity to give the reader an experience. If you don't create connection here your reader has little reason to stay with the story. * Psychological depth and originality create some of the most compelling and successful characterizations. Are you creating characters using a cut and paste' approach from elsewhere in fiction or life? Or are you originating from within your own creative depths, having absorbed observations and experiences from life and let that settle into the mix within yourself? A Philip Marlow character or an unfamiliar (new) mix of traits? Action * Are your action scenes genuinely originating out of your characters' interactions with the plot and each other? Or are you artificially imposing action responses onto your characters? The latter can lack believability and lose the connection you may have established with the reader via other components of your story. Description * Enough or too much? Are you including trivia? Are you omitting vital 'show don't tell' information about character, place, purpose, atmosphere. Is your description integral to the transmission of the plot, characters, action, your style, the story's tone? The reader's feeling experience can be enormously enhanced by judicious use of description. It helps create that virtual reality experience that takes the reader deeper into the story. Dialogue * The most important questions to consider with dialogue are: Is it worth saying? and; Is it said well? Delete, or replace with valuable content as necessary. * A note on using street talk. Beware; great skill needed. Reading written translations of this material can be tedious. * Similarly, with jargon or accented language use this sparingly and with skill, otherwise it is painful to read. Err on the side of using regular written language with tweaking to support your style, story tone, or the character's personality or background. Your Style * Some writers forget or choose not to develop this and just copy someone else's style or a generic style. This can work if the other components of your story are strong. * If you specifically try for the creation of your own writing style or 'voice', remember to create a style aimed at benefiting the reader, not your self image. If the former leads to the latter, great. The flow goes one way only. You may need to experiment or workshop this style. Look for a feel, a pace, a tone, a way of thinking, speaking or moving that creates the type of energy you want for your story, characters, narrator and action. Find an integrated, fundamental way to write this energy into your story components. Each time you sit down to write your next scene you need to put yourself into that energy, that style, that feel, to maintain consistency and quality. Briefly Practice these seven components with short written versions to ensure you have a quality experience to offer your reader. Try standard ten-minute exercises. This will give you an idea of which components you are ready, and which need more development. And always apply your maxim: What thinking and feeling experience are you giving your reader? Are you taking them there? Or are they just watching from the outside while you go there? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Raven is the Publisher, Seismicfish.com. Fiction publications include free ezine of crime, historical and science fiction, and related non-fiction and entertainment. Submissions welcome. http://www.Seismicfish.com ------------------------------------------------------------ WRITER BUDDY MEMBER & COMMUNITY NEWS ------------------------------------------------------------ As announced in the September newsletter, the names of everyone who subscribed to The Gazette was eligible to win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate. The winner of the gift certificate is none other than cesarcarlos. Congrats Cesar. --------------- Member Birthdays Be sure to send your best wishes to the following WB members celebrating birthdays this month: Oct. 7 - Neffy and Denise Oct. 13 - Zita Oct. 22 - katasia If you have a birthday this month and are not on this list, be sure to add your news to our events calendar by visiting: http://writerbuddy.com/wbhome/modules.php?name=Calendar --------------- Join me in welcoming the newest WB members who joined in September: jeudi, suziQ, neffy, Allie, ghilabari, Melospiza, mysticangel, snaars, silverwater, Alex44, rachelae, Meitian, Darcy, Bunkdebunk, burningwings, PepperDust, alexb, MidnightWolfe, lcat2004, TG and Freya. --------------- Do you have news you'd like to share with your fellow Writer Buddy members? Have you recently been published? Do you have something to crow about? This is the spot. Send your news items to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ THE GAZETTE WRITERS' SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ------------------------------------------------------------ The Writer Buddy Gazette needs writers. We need regular monthly features of interest to all writers and news of interest specifically to Writer Buddy members. Of special interest are how-to articles on all aspects of writing. We are also always looking for interviews with published authors or publishers. Book reviews of published fiction or books on writing are also needed. All articles should be 500-1,000 words. The WB Gazette is not unable to pay for articles/stories at this time. In lieu of payment, all contributors and regular columnists will have a short bio with a link to their email address and Web site listed at the end of the story or article. The Gazette seeks non-exclusive rights to reprint articles in this newsletter and in the reference section of the My Writer Buddy site: http://writerbuddy.com/wbhome/modules.php?name=NukeWrap&page=articles/index.html To suggest an idea for a regular column or to query an article, review or author interview, send an email to thegazette@writerbuddy.com ------------------------------------------------------------ OCTOBER CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT ------------------------------------------------------------ Fall is here and winter is not far behind. With the change in seasons come shorter days and cooler nights. The trees will soom be dressed in autumn colors and children will giggle as they jump into piles of raked leaves. Your assignment for our October contest is to write a story which captures this change of season and the good things and not so good things it brings. Maybe you can write a bittersweet love story set in the Fall. Or maybe a creepy Halloween story is more to your taste. Pick your favorite genre and write a story of 500-1,500 words. Attach your story as a .doc or .rtf file and mail to: thegazette@writerbuddy.com Please use the words October contest in the subject line. The submission deadline is October 31. The winner will be announced in the November newsletter and the winning story will be published in the January 2005 issue of the Buddy Tales ezine. Happy Fall and Happy Writing! ------------------------------------------------------------ WRITING MARKETS ------------------------------------------------------------ Analog Analog Science Fiction and Fact is the longest-running (almost) continuously published science fiction magazine in the world. Pays: 6-8 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, $450-600 for stories between 7,500 and 10,000 words, and 5-6 cents per word for longer material. Guidelines: http://www.analogsf.com/information/submissions.shtml Black Gate Black Gate publishes epic fantasy fiction at all lengths, including novel excerpts, articles, news and reviews. Pays: 4 - 6 cents/word for fiction up to 7,000 words, $280-$420 from 7,000 to 14,000 words, and 3 cents/word at all greater lengths, on acceptance. Pays 3 cents/word for all non-fiction. Guidelines: http://www.blackgate.com/bg/guide.htm Strange Horizons Strange Horizons is a weekly web-based magazine of and about speculative fiction. The term "speculative fiction" refers to what is more commonly known as "sci-fi," but which properly embraces science fiction, fantasy, magic realism, slipstream, and a host of sub-genres. Pays: $0.05 cents per word. Guidelines: http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/fiction.shtml Wicked Hollow Magazine Wicked Hollow Magazine is a pocket-sized journal of dark literature, poetry, and art. Pays on acceptance. Pays: 1/4 cent per word for fiction ($5 minimum) and $2 for poetry. Guidelines: http://blindside.net/WickedHollow/guidelinesz.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 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. 2005 will bring other publication opportunities for WB members, including our very own paying e-zine - Buddy Tales. 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ********* Mystery, Romance, Non-Fiction, Memoirs, Film Scripts: write them all in under 28 days, working less than 1 hour a day. For more information, click on: http://www.writequickly.com/?afl=8854 ------------------------------------------------------------ SUBSCRIBER MANAGEMENT / CONTACT INFORMATION ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2004 - Denise Williams All Rights reserved http://www.writerbuddy.com To Subscribe: http://www.zinester.com/mpb/ml_fs.cgi?topic=91205 To Unsubscribe: 27346/ 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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