January 2011 Newsletter
January's Theme:
Setting Attainable Goals:
The Key to Success in Writing and in Life
When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.
~Greg Anderson
From the Moderator
~by Nichole Giles
Something to Work For
I was all ready to write this profound and prophetic missive intended to inspire you to set goals you can actually reach this year. But then I got to thinking about November, and the thousands of authors who wrote their hearts out during NaNoWriMo. We all had the same goal, and though not all of us made it to the 50 thousand mark, we all pushed forward and worked hard on something that was important to us.
It really helps to be involved with others who are working toward a similar outcome. So. Rather cheer you on and tell you that you too, can lose a hundred pounds/ write a novel/ get a contract (which, by the way, is beyond your control) I’m going to issue a challenge. I propose that we make January a month of revisions in which we revise, edit, and polish those manuscripts that have been sitting in our hard drives until they’re bright and shiny and ready to be sent off to a publisher or agent.
What say you? Will you be joining me in my month of crazy-hard-work? Let’s start the year off with a bang, shall we?
*Be sure to read about the Storymakers annual friendship scholarship, for which they are now taking nominations for one lucky nominee.*
Quote on Writing
~Submitted by Karen Hoover
"God has plans for your writing. And believe me, they're better than any plans you have for yourself. Let Him be in charge and let Him delight you with what he has in store."
Virginia Smith, author of Just as I Am
~Submitted by Karen Hoover
"God has plans for your writing. And believe me, they're better than any plans you have for yourself. Let Him be in charge and let Him delight you with what he has in store."
Virginia Smith, author of Just as I Am
Writing Tip
By Heather Justesen
Whether you are a plotter or a pantser, all writers need a way to keep track of their characters and the basic things that happen as they write. I’ve done everything from serious plotting before I start writing to seeing where my muse takes me, but I find something in between works best for me most of the time. Regardless of which I choose, some kind of character bible or way to track the storyline is essential if you don’t want to change a character’s eyes from blue to green, or get confused about what happened when in the story. I’ve used several different methods depending on my mood and what works for that story. Here are a few of them:
First, I like to use spreadsheets most every time, at least to track what I’ve written so far. Sometimes I use it to plan in advance as well. On the first tab of my spreadsheet program, I keep a list of each scene, what happens in it, and the general idea of what is coming up. With my murder mystery, because it happens over the course of less than a week, I used another column to track the timeline so I knew when everything was happening. This was crucial when it came time to do my second draft because I was able to see some of the things needed to happen earlier in the story than I first thought.
On the second tab I kept a list of secondary characters’ first and last names, along with the physical descriptions I wrote in the story, which I copied and pasted right out of the text. This might also be a place to put the people’s motivations or relationships to other characters if you’re afraid you might get them confused or might need them for future books in a series.
On the third tab I jotted notes of things I needed to go back and fix in the second draft as they occurred to me, so if I decided on page 100 that I shared a bit of information too soon in the story, I made a note to go back and delete it, or if I had something I needed to add earlier in the story, I could put a note to go back and do that.
In addition to my spreadsheet, I also have a notebook that I wrote information about each of the main characters, and sketched out a basic background on each of them, and planned the reason each of the suspects would want to see the victim dead. I also used this to write journal entries from the point of view of my most important characters to help me understand what they thought and where they were coming from. I was surprised by some of the things I learned this way.
In my latest project I’ve actually used the program One Note, which came with my Microsoft Office software. Because this is the first book about a group of sisters, I created a project tab about each of the sisters where I posted background, likes and dislikes, details I’d added to the story that I’d need to remember later, and I was able to add a picture for each woman so I could keep their features in mind. I actually searched on the web for ‘head shots’ and found all of the pictures for the ladies and their future men on some of these sites, which was a lot of fun for me, and gave me a great selection of interesting people to choose from. I even got personality cues from the way they looked that helped me understand the characters better.
Whatever you do, having some way to keep track of your characters can make your writing, and especially your revisions, so much easier.
To find out more about Heather, visit her here: http://www.heatherjustesen.com/
Author’s Incognito Bulletin Board
(We heard it through the grape vine: A place to post warm-fuzzies on the cyber-fridge.)
~by Wendy Swore
Connie Hall reported that her husband is doing much better. We are so glad to hear that.
Weston Elliott won LDS publisher’s 2010 Christmas story contest. Be sure to stop by her blog to congratulate her on a job well done.
Janice Lefevre received a 10-month contract to work in the LDS Curriculum Department as an editor. Congratulations and have fun sharpening that red pencil.
Our thoughts are with Ali Cross and her family as her father-in-law passed in December. Ali, here’s a big cyber-hug from all of us. We’re thinking of you.
Feel the warm-fuzzies all month long! Be sure to follow these amazing Tweeple on Twitter to keep on top of what the members of AI are up to:
@TaDaFerguson
@heatherjustesen
@MarshaWard
@valerieipson
@LisaAsanuma
@ali_cross
@DaronFraley
@Cheriwrites
@TristiPinkston
@writerdc
@WendySwore
@nicholegiles
@byMelanieMarks
@taffylovell
@JohnFerguson
@angielofthouse
@tbronley
@tameraheiner
@sissypooh2
If any Authors Incognito members would like to share news or twitter name for easy follows, email Wendy Swore and we’ll get it in!
From the LDStorymakers
~Submitted by Jamie Theler
Just the facts, Ma'am. Just the facts.
Who: You
What: LDStorymakers 8th annual conference
When: May 5-7, 2011
Where: Sheraton Hotel, downtown Salt Lake City
Why: Because it's more fun than a poke in the eye with a woolly mammoth.
We're excited to have local and national agents, editors, and authors join us for a fun-filled weekend packed with all things writing. Scheduled guests include:
Irene Kraas – of Kraas Literary Agent. http://www.kraasliteraryagency.com/
Marcia Markland – Senior editor with Thomas Dunne Books specializing in suspense fiction. http://us.macmillan.com/ThomasDunne.aspx
Larry Brooks – Author of five published novels, including Story Engineering: Understanding the Six Core Competencies of Writing. http://storyfix.com/
Sara Crowe – agent with Harvey Klinger, Inc. http://www.saracrowe.com/
Other activities include bootcamp, first chapter contest, pitch session, master classes, and more.
Storymakers Friendship Scholarship
The 2011 LDStorymakers conference queens have announced that they are now taking nominations for the annual Friendship scholarship. This award will go to one lucky nominee who would not otherwise be able to attend. It is a full scholarship and includes all conference fees, meals, and bootcamp.
To nominate someone, please compose a short nomination essay, explaining why you believe the person you're nominating would benefit from attending this prestigious, amazing conference, and why you believe they are a good friend. Requirements: nominees must be writers who are members of Authors Incognito, and who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Email your nominations to the conference queens at smconference@yahoo.com, no later than January 31, 2011.
Book News
~Danyelle Ferguson
Have You Heard?
Jennifer K. Clark recently received the cover for her upcoming February release, Mark of Royalty. Danyelle Ferguson and Lynn Parsons received a contract for their non-fiction book, (dis)Abilities and the Gospel: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. It will be released in May 2011.
January Book Releases:
Dearly Departed by Tristi Pinkston
Ida Mae Babbitt has done her community service and is a reformed woman—no more law-breaking for her. But when Arlette’s granddaughter Eden discovers a mystery in a fancy nursing home, Ida Mae—with the perfect excuse of a broken wrist and a broken
ankle—checks herself into the place. After all, it is for the greater good. Soon she’s buzzing around in her motorized wheelchair, questioning the residents and swiping files from the office. She’s bound and determined to get to the bottom of this case. But can
she solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?
The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
"Hmmm," the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"
Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.
Rebecca Talley once again carefully crafts together a touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"
Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.
Rebecca Talley once again carefully crafts together a touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.
Book Signings:
Dearly Departed: A Secret Sisters Mystery Book Launch: Join author Tristi Pinkston for the book launch of her newest cozy mystery, Dearly Departed. There will be prizes, refreshments, and a special drawing just for those who bring me a package of socks to donate to The Road Home.
Friday, January 14th from 6 - 8 pm.
Pioneer Book
858 S. State
Orem, UT
Authors Rebecca Talley, Tristi Pinkston, and Daron Fraley, and Don Carey will be signing copies of their books at TWO book signings!
Saturday, January 15th
The Book Table from 11 am - 1 pm
Logan, UT
The Wisebird Bookery from 3 - 5 pm
Odgen, UT
Member Spotlights
~Danyelle Ferguson
Randy McNeely
I live in beautiful West Virginia and work full time as an Information Security Officer. When I’m not at work I love to spend time with my family. I also love to write short stories, children’s stories, poetry, and songs—including both religious and patriotic lyrics. I’ve submitted some hymns to the LDS Church Music contest and in 2007 my wife and I got honorable mention in the hymn category.
Along with my political activism, I write, from time to time on my Scriptural Insights blog, sharing thoughts and feelings that come to me as I’ve been reading and pondering the scriptures. I also have a blog called Pure Testimony . I have a firm testimony of the Gospel and am glad to share it with everyone.
Randy McNeely
I’m the husband of a marvelous woman and am blessed to have five wonderful children, the youngest of which is only 2 months old. I consider myself the luckiest man on the planet.
I live in beautiful West Virginia and work full time as an Information Security Officer. When I’m not at work I love to spend time with my family. I also love to write short stories, children’s stories, poetry, and songs—including both religious and patriotic lyrics. I’ve submitted some hymns to the LDS Church Music contest and in 2007 my wife and I got honorable mention in the hymn category.
I’m also and avid supporter of the United States Constitution and recently started a blog called Constitutional Tidbits. I teach Constitution Seminars, on a volunteer basis, for the National Center for Constitutional Studies. Through contacts made while teaching, I received an invite to appear on a couple tapings for one of the local TV stations to discuss the Constitution and the current political challenges facing our nation. Additionally I’ve written three patriotic songs that I’m in the process of recording.
Along with my political activism, I write, from time to time on my Scriptural Insights blog, sharing thoughts and feelings that come to me as I’ve been reading and pondering the scriptures. I also have a blog called Pure Testimony . I have a firm testimony of the Gospel and am glad to share it with everyone.
My current writing projects include a children’s story, Blanket Sandwiches, which I will be sending to agents shortly, and also a young reader series similar in style to the Magic Treehouse stories. Hopefully they’ll be coming soon to a bookstore near you.
Feel a Stretch, But Not a Burn
by Tristi Pinkston
When our goals are too easy, we don’t learn the lessons we should by striving to achieve. If your only goal was to blink more than ten times throughout the day, how would you ever become the powerful person you were meant to be? The goals you choose should challenge you. You should have to chart them and track them and stretch a bit to attain them. In this way, you grow, and the next time you set a goal, you can make it a little harder, because you know you can do it.
At the same time, the goal should be within your reach. You shouldn’t have to hire a Sherpa and go on a trek high into the Himalayas to get there. Goals that are too lofty often breed discouragement. When we hit a wall, our tendency to keep going is diminished. It’s when we know we’re close that we find the strength to push onward.
Let’s look at some examples:
1. Lose 100 pounds this year.
This goal is not realistic. In the first place, it’s almost impossible to lose that much weight in so little time without some form of drastic medical interference. In addition, it’s such a huge goal that by its very nature, it’s too intimidating to tackle. On the other hand, goals like “reduce sugar intake” and “exercise five times a week” are very realistic. They are breaking down the weight loss goal into smaller steps, making them easier to do, and they are focused, rather than vague.
2. Finish my current manuscript by August 1st.
This goal is very attainable. You will have to work, because August will be here before you know it, but you have quantified what you want to accomplish and you’ve set a time limit that will push you without breaking you. Now, if you were to say, “Finish the entire series, with prequel and spin-off, by August 1st,” I would have to say, that’s maybe not such a good idea.
The fact is, only you can decide what is and what is not a good goal for you. You know how fast you work, you know what your schedule is, and no one else can draw up your New Year’s Resolutions for you. But as you look at your year, I encourage you to set a goal to grow. Become more this year than you were last year. Be stronger, be more creative, be more in touch with who you are and why you are. Set goals that will make you stretch and grow and accomplish your dreams – make 2011 the best year of your life.
If you would like to participate in Tristi’s January Writing Challenge, join her at http://www.tristischallenges.blogspot.com%20/
Writer's Conferences/Workshops/Contests
~Tobyn DeGraw
19th Annual ANWA Writers Conference "Writing at the Speed of Life"
American Night Writers Association will hold its 19th Annual Writers Conference
in Phoenix, Arizona on February 25 & 26, 2011, with keynote speaker Chris Stewart.
David Farland's Million Dollar Outlines
March 7-12, 2011
Ramada Inn
Saint George, UT
Life, the Universe & Everything
Science fiction and fantasy conference
Open to the public
$20 advance registration, $25 at the door
BYU Conference Center
February 10-12, 2011
CONduit XXI
Radisson Hotel - Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah
May 27-29, 2011
Author Guest of Honor - Tamora Pierce
Utah Valley Writers Winter Contest (League of Utah Writers)
Only a few weeks left until our Christmas party! We will be having a writing contest: Email your 250 word story with the theme of “Winter” to karynwrites@gmail.com. Make sure to put “contest” as the subject heading so I don’t miss it. We will have judges decide on a few favorites to read at the upcoming party
Northern Colorado Writers Short Fiction Contest
Uup to 5,000 words, open genre. Awards: $200, $100, $50. Also, winning entries will be published in an anthology. Entry fee: $10.Deadline: January 15, 2011. Info: www.northerncoloradowriters.com/writing-contests.html;
jennifer@northerncoloradowriters.com.
The Crazyhorse Fiction Prize
$2000 each and publication in Crazyhorse literary journal.
Fee: $16 per entry includes one-year subscription.Deadline: January 15, 2011.
http://www.crazyhorsejournal.org/
orcrazyhorse@cofc.edu
Central Coast Writers Spring 2011 Writing Contest for poetry and short stories.
Award: $500 and publication (print and online) in the 2011 Homestead Review. All entries will be considered for publication. Entry fees: $15 per short story and $5 per poem. Deadline: January 15, 2011. http://www.centralcoastwriters.org./
Founders Circle Contest
Prose piece up to 3,000 words or a poem of up to two pages. Award: Publication in Soundings Review and $300. Entry fee: $7 or $5. Deadlines: January 15, 2011 and July 15, 2011. www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/ContestGuidelines.htm.
First Publication Contest
Open to national submissions nor in a publication advertised nationally.
Award: Publication in Soundings Review and $100.
Entry fee: $7 or $5. Deadlines: January 15, 2011 and July 15, 2011.
www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/ContestGuidelines.htm.
Snag Today Writing Contest.
Awards: Total $75; top prize $50. Entry fee: $5. Deadline:January 31, 2011.
http://snagtoday.com/dolph/blogs/entry/Snag-Today-Writing-Contest
University of New Orleans 7th Annual Writing Contest for Study Abroad.
Open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Award: One winner in each genre receives a complete fee waiver to our summer study abroad workshops in Edinburgh, Scotland (valued at over $3,000). Entry fee: $25. Deadline: January 31, 2011. Info:
http://unopress.org/writingcontest/.
Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award
December 17.
$8,000 cash prize for a novel or book of short stories by an American author who has not previously published a book of fiction.
$40.00 entry fee.
http://www.pen-ne.org/hemingway.html
A Ship Without Sails
By Darvell Hunt
A writer without goals is like a ship without sails. It’s hard to gain the momentum needed or maintain the direction required to succeed in today’s publishing world without having rigorous goals—and what better time to set writing goals than the beginning of a new year?
Yes, New Year Resolutions are a bit of a cliché and you may argue that nobody keeps them. I personally committed to eight resolutions last year, but only accomplished three of them—but they were big ones and required significant work, so I consider my 2010 resolutions to be a success.
But how do you set useful, productive writing resolutions? I start with just ONE thing I want to accomplish for the year. It shouldn’t be a wish or a desire, but a real goal that you believe you can accomplish. And, even more important than the goal itself, you have to believe you can achieve it.
For me, I’m setting just one major goal: to get representation for my middle-grade science-fiction/fantasy novel. This novel is written and polished and ready to be sent out, but the hard work now is getting an agent for it. My goal is NOT to get it picked up by a publisher, because that’s the agent’s work. My goal is to land the agent. This goal is realistic, though challenging, and I believe I can do it.
So, what does this goal involve? First, polishing the query letter and the pitch, then doing the footwork—submitting and following up with queries to agents. It’s silly to have such a great novel—and I think I have such—just to let it sit because I haven’t done enough agent querying.
So, what’s YOUR writing goal? How are you going to craft your sails so that the wind will catch your ship and sail you onto publishing success? Don’t treat this lightly and don’t just wish for it—make it happen. Decide upon one success that you want to achieve and put your time and energy into it. If you reach your goal and still have time left in the year, you can create other goals, but it’s best not to cloud your point of view with too many tasks in the beginning.
Sure, you can have other non-writing resolutions—and I recommend that you do—but I suggest you focus your writing toward a single goal and work toward finishing it before setting other goals. (That doesn’t mean you can’t work on other things, though—just remember what’s most important.)
Now. I have one more suggestion—tell everybody you know about it. Tell your friends, blog about it, tell your family and the people at work. Create an expectation in others that you will succeed. This gives you somebody to report back to. If you have somebody with whom to share your success, you will be more motivated to work toward it.
And, while you’re telling others, shoot me off a quick message to let me know what you’re doing. I’ll join your cheer squad!
And, lastly, DO IT NOW. Don’t wait. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing NOW!
Darvell blogs for our own LDS Writers Blogck: http://ldswritersblogck.blogspot.com/
Tech Corner
~James Blevins
Blog / Website Design
Creating a blog or website is much like writing, in that the most important rule is "Know your audience." So what does that have to do with technology? Plenty.
While many (if not most) of us have high-speed internet access, this is not true for everyone. Believe it or not, many people connect to the internet using only a dialup modem, satellite connection, or via their iPhone, Blackberry, or other mobile device. Unless you take this into consideration, you can unwittingly render your website or blog effectively unusable to such potential visitors.
Before I explain why, I first need to give a simplified explanation of how web browsers work.
When you visit a website, the first thing that happens is your browser downloads the HTML code that defines the page you want to visit. Next, your browser will go through the HTML code and look for other things it needs to download in order to make the page look like it needs to on your computer. Such things can include, but are not limited to: external javascript, images, Flash objects, and Java applets. In English, that would be things like widgets, pictures, advertisements, cutesy animations, and music players.
The more of these types of objects there are on a webpage, the longer it will take for it to display on a visitor's computer screen. Considering you have only seconds (web sources say anywhere between five to twenty) to make a positive impression on your visitors before they leave for good, the less of their time you waste, the better.
So here are some basic rules of thumb:
1) Use images sparingly. Don't create a web page with lots of images.
2) When do you put images on your website, do not use full-sized images. Shrink them down to a smaller size before putting them on your website. For example, if your <img> tag sets the image's size at 100 x 100, shrink the image to match that size before uploading it to your web server.
3) If you decide to put ads on your blog or website, don't use banner ads.
4) Avoid Flash. It increases page load times, and not everyone will be able to view your content/
5) Don't put a playlist on your website (see #4). They can take a minute or more to load if using dial-up. Even if you set your playlist so it doesn't automatically start when people visit your webpage, their browser will still have to download the music åplayer, which wastes valuable time and system resources.
6) Keep your pages small. The more people have to scroll to view your webpage, the longer it will take to load. It's also annoying to have to scroll through pages and pages of content. Your blog should let you determine how many posts display on your front page.
7) Beware of widgets. Some of them can destroy your page load times. The Goodreads bookshelf widget is one of them because it often violates #1.
If you want to see how long it takes to load your website for various connection speeds, go to http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/index.html and follow the instructions. It will show you what you're doing right, as well as show you where you need to improve.
Sometimes there's nothing reasonable you can do to speed up your page load times, but sometimes there is. The more you can do to make visiting your web pages a snappy and enjoyable experience, the better.
RECIPE
~Submitted by Don Carey
I stole this recipe from my sister Marri's cookbook. Feel free to replace the bread in this example with your favorite recipe.
~Submitted by Don Carey
This month's recipe is for Pani Popo, Samoan coconut rolls. These are a family favorite, and I wrote them a small but important role in Bumpy Landings.
I stole this recipe from my sister Marri's cookbook. Feel free to replace the bread in this example with your favorite recipe.
2 1/2 c warm waterThen make the coconut sauce:
2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
2 tsp salt
6+ c flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Add all ingredients except flour. Mix well. Add half of flour. Beat until smooth. Add rest of flour one cup at a time until dough is soft or cleans sides of bowl. Knead for 5 minutes. Let raise for 1 hour or until double. Shape and put in greased pan. Let raise.
Boil:
1 400 ml (13.4 oz) can coconut milk
(Asian section of the grocery store)
3/4 can water
Add:
1/2 c sugar
1 heaping Tbsp cornstarch
Cook until thickened. Pour evenly over rolls, making sure to coat the tops.
Bake 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
