Editor’s Note: At times, the feed below does not work, but you can always access the IndepthYOU show by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio link at the bottom of this post. If the feed is working, ENJOY!
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On this day I’m letting others do the talking. You’ve probably heard of BlogTalkRadio but are you familiar with the IndepthYOU show on BlogTalkRadio? Each segment profiles “people who have created, invented, written or developed something that could improve our lives and/or change our way of thinking.” And the show is heavy on publishing industry types.
A number of authors and others in the publishing biz have been featured–from bestselling author L.A. Banks to book marketing guru John Kremer–many of them appearing in the widget above. And they give lots of advice about getting published and promoting your books. The director of public relations at Lulu.com and the CEO of IUniverse, two of the leading self-publishing programs, discuss their services. Tee C. Royal, founder of the literary group R.A.W.Sistaz talks about the book club and how writers can promote their books. And so many more have appeared on the show talking about books and publishing.
So put your feet up, scroll on down and take a listen.
Today I bring you writing tips attributed to one of America’s most talented and well-known authors—Kurt Vonnegut, who penned works of satire and science fiction such as Slaughterhouse Five. I once had the pleasure of being photographed at my house by his wife Jill Krementz, for a photo book of authors called Black Writers: A Book of Postcards.
Vonnegut passed away last year but these writing tips, which I recently came across, are timeless and so worth sharing. There’s something here for every author or aspiring author, no matter how many books you’ve written or dreamed of writing.
Writing Tips—eight rules for writing fiction:
Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.
Start as close to the end as possible.
Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
—Kurt Vonnegut, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 1999).
(I can’t be 100% certain the rules are actually from Vonnegut, as my source is the Internet. But the tips are widely cited and the source mentioned. At any rate, the rules are right on the money regardless of the source.)
Denene Millner is a columnist for Parenting magazine. She has worked as a senior editor at Honey and as an entertainment and political journalist for the New York Daily News. She is also the author of several books including the movie tie-in for the blockbuster film “Dreamgirls.” She lives in Atlanta with her husband and their two daughters.
Connie Briscoe: How did you end up writing Hotlanta with your co-author, Mitzi Miller?
Denene Millner: Mitzi and I got into the teen market by invitation. Alloy Media, the company behind the uber popular teen lit series The Gossip Girls, the A-List,The Clique, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, among others, was looking for a writer to pen a teen series featuring African American characters, and their reps called our agent to see if Mitzi was interested. She was, but Alloy wanted the series to be set in Atlanta, and so they were anxious to have an Atlanta-based writer on the project as well. It just so happened that a month prior to the start of those conversations, my family and I had moved to a town just outside of Atlanta.
So it kind of worked out for everyone involved; Mitzi and I, who had collaborated on the humorous non-fiction book The Angry Black Woman’s Guide to Life, and the novel, The Vow (with Angela Burt-Murray), got another opportunity to team up again, and Alloy got their Atlanta-based author.
We eventually sold the proposal to Scholastic and ended up with a three-book series, entitled Hotlanta. It’s about the lives of Sydney and Lauren Duke, the popular and privileged daughters of a wealthy Buckhead, Atlanta, couple that has a dark, mysterious, dangerous history that the girls discover. And let the drama begin . . . .
CB: You’ve published in a variety of genres–fiction, nonfiction, the movie-tie in for “Dreamgirls” and now teen fiction. Why the teen market?
Denene Millner: Why the teen market? Why not? I’ve always been passionate about books; they were my best friends when I was coming of age and a welcome respite when I got grown. And when I started writing them, they became a viable way for me to help feed my family and save up for that Yale tuition.
I’m also the mother of two beautiful little brown girls, and before our first was even born, my husband, Nick Chiles, and I filled her room with as many African American children’s books as we could find because we thought it was important for her to see characters who look like her, to hear stories that reflect her experience.
And believe it or not, just about nine years ago, those stories were few and far between. While we’re doing a lot better with picture books featuring black characters, there has been a dearth of black teen fare. So I thought writing Hotlanta provided me with the perfect opportunity to put out stories that are universally appealing, but that reach an audience that has been grossly underserved.
CB: Doesn’t that require a big shift in gears mentally?
Denene Millner: It didn’t take that vast of a mental stretch to write Hotlanta. When we wrote the proposal and the first book, my then-16-year-old niece was living with Nick and I, and my 15-year-old stepson lives with us now, so I get to see the ways of teenagers up close and personal—sometimes a little too close!—and get their input as I’m writing so that the words, the voices, and the way they deal with the situations you find in the book ring true.
But really, writing for teens isn’t about lowering your level or standards or talking in any kind of different way. We write for them the same way we do adults—in a straightforward, clear way that’s smart and exciting and interesting.
The only real challenge we had was keeping up with was the pop culture obsession of it all; by the time we’d finish referencing something teens are into and move on to the next page, we’d find out that they’re just not into that one thing anymore. But I think we did a good job of keeping current without sacrificing a good, solid story.
CB: If you had to come up with a general theme for all or most of your novels (and books) what would it be?
Denene Millner: I’m extremely passionate about shining a light on the African American experience in a way that stretches beyond stereotypes, in a way that recognizes our layers and the nuanced lives we live. For too long, all anyone interested in the black experience had to go on were the stereotypes parading across the 11 o’clock news, and I think a lot of us 90s authors—you, Terry McMillan, Benilde Little, Bebe Moore Campbell-helped show the publishing world that there’s so much more to us.
This is the philosophy I carried as a journalist for The Associated Press and the New York Daily News; I carved a niche as one of the only black journalists writing about African Americans in the film, music, TV and book industries, as well as our lifestyles. It’s important to me because it reflects my world the way I was raised, the way I’m raising my children, my friends and family, our existence here on this earth.
Seldom are we heard, but we are here—these black folks who are solidly middle class, getting good educations, succeeding at work, living a good, thoughtful, authentically black life. My books always speak to this or validate it, really.
They also serve as a testament that black love, in all of its manifestations, is possible. I see it everyday in my marriage and the marriages of my friends, family, parents, and in-laws. And I show it to my children every single day, so that they’re clear of the possibilities, too. I really hope that is the takeaway for the work I’ve done.
CB: Do you do things outside of what the publisher does to promote your books? If so, what?
A question on the minds of many fiction authors these days is: how graphic can or should you get when it comes to writing sex scenes?
I’m not talking about writing novels that are considered erotica or porn–that’s a whole other discussion. I’m talking when it comes to writing mainstream, commercial, pop, chick, sister-girl and women’s lit. Even bestselling mystery authors are getting more vivid when it comes to depicting sex scenes: check out mega bestseller Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb for some fairly hot sex scenes as an example.
No doubt readers these days are tolerant of–and sometimes expect–more graphic and frequent sex scenes in their novels, even readers who expect rich and deep plots and characters. This is a reflection of the popular culture in general. Books are competing with cable television, music, movies and video games, and gone are the days when hinting at what goes on between a couple under the sheets or after the lights go out is enough to set a reader to blushing. Toss those sheets aside, we say! Turn on all the lights!
But how much is too much? When and where should an author draw the line to avoid being labeled as porn? I think that is entirely up to the author and depends mainly on two things: (1) the story the author is telling and (2) what the author is comfortable with.
Readers these days are sophisticated enough to welcome a variety of writing styles when it comes to the sex—from well-written and engaging tales told with little or no sex to those with a few erotic sex scenes sprinkled throughout. As long as the sex fits the plot and characters and as long as the vulgarity is kept to a minimum, an author can safely stay within the confines of what is considered “mainstream” today.
And above all, the author should be at ease with whatever he or she writes. If not, readers will sense it. I remember when I wrote my first novel, Sisters and Lovers. The sex scenes back then were generally a lot more tepid than they often are now, and I decided I wasn’t going to write anything I wouldn’t want my Mama reading ’cause I wouldn’t have been comfortable with that. I’ve evolved since then—as has society—and in the sequel to Sisters and Lovers, which I’m working on now, the love scenes will be a bit steamier. Still, there is a line I won’t cross.
As to what is considered crossing the line, try not to get vulgar or gross (which according to the American Heritage Dictionary is defined as crude, offensive, unmitigated in any way). Admittedly what is considered gross can be subjective, and the dividing line is probably constantly shifting. However, I do think that an author can reach a point at which no doubt is left in the minds of most adults that what they’re reading is pure erotica or porn.
If as an author you’re still unsure, then my advice would be to read a mainstream novel that has a few steamy sex scenes in it and then read an erotica novel that has a plot (or not) woven around the sex. There is a difference. And if you want to stay on the safe side of mainstream, focus on writing a well-crafted novel that will leave the reader thinking that Rhonda finally came to her senses and kicked that no-good man to the curb rather than leave the reader remembering how fast and wide Rhonda spread her legs.
Frustrated with trying to find an agent? Or maybe you’ve gotten enough rejection letters to plaster a wall in your office? No one can wave a magic wand to make it all better, unfortunately. But there is help out there and that’s what this site is about.
This week, I promised you a fantastic website for women writers (although you guys might find help here, too). Well, here it is. WOW! Women On Writing is an ezine that encourages communication among women writers, authors, agents, publishers, readers and others in the writing biz. WOW! describes itself as “a global magazine, designed to support women’s creativity, energy, blood, sweat and tears, throughout all stages of the writing process.”
Each month WOW! focuses on a different topic. For March they’re featuring Small Presses and Independent Publishers. In addition, WOW! is always full of information, advice and inspiration for authors–too much to list it all here. You’ll find articles on writing and promoting your work–such as creating characters, dealing with agents, and tips for beginning romance writers–and a whole lot more.
WOW! also features quarterly writing contests. Deadline for the Spring 2008 contest is May 31. The contest includes cash prizes, goodie bags and more. Plus your entry is published on the WOW! website.
Connie Briscoe Presents
This week New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby, author of ten novels, takes time out from touring for her latest novel–Sin No More–to chat with me about writing and book touring. Kimberla has been hugely successful for so long–hitting many major bestseller lists–that you may find it hard to believe that her first novel was self-published.
That’s probably why she’s so savvy when it comes to self-promotion. And in our chat later this week Kimberla reveals several little gems that she uses prior to publication of her novels to help promote them.
Writing Tips Also this week, I’ll point you to a nice little website that’s chock full of resources and advice for women authors and aspiring women authors, although to my way of seeing things it’s got handy tips for guy writers too.
1) Not critical enough. I’m going to get blunt here. All too often new authors think their work is far better than it really is. With rare exceptions, I don’t read other writers’ manuscripts anymore for a number of reasons that I won’t go into here. But before I got wise, I would sometimes agree to read a new writer’s work if he or she asked me nicely enough. The writer would excitedly fill me with tales about how wonderful the work was and how it was the next Great American Novel. I would read it with eagerness only to end up hugely disappointed within a few pages. People assume this job is easier than it is. That’s because it’s harder to write well than it looks.
Be your own toughest critic. Read the kind of novel you want to write–again and again. Pick up books on how to plot and create characters. Take a course. When you proof your novel, pretend that it was written by someone else. Is it really just as good as the novels in the bookstore?
2) Not enough deep thinking. Can you summarize the theme or topic of your novel in one paragraph? Better yet, can you sum it up in a sentence? If not, you’ve got some deep thinking to do about where you’re going with this, or your novel is likely to go all over the place. And don’t tell me it’s about “life.” Every novel ever written is about life in one way or another. How’s yours different?
3) Writing about unfamiliar subjects or locales. This should be obvious but it isn’t always. There’s a rule that every new author should follow: write about what you know best. This is especially good advice for a first novel, because you’ve got enough to worry about without having to do a lot of extra research. Focus on creating better characters or fleshing out your plot instead. Hone in on your theme. It’s not only that you’re less likely to make errors if you know your subject and location well; you’re also going to be able to provide richer details that will make your work come alive.
4) Grammatical errors. No one is expecting you to be as knowledgeable as an English Ph.D. But your manuscript is expected to follow the basic rules of grammar. If you’re lacking in this area, get a book, take an evening class. A good place to start is The Elements of Style. This is something you can definitely improve if you work at it.
5) Not proofing the work enough. Typos are like cockroaches. They hide and then creep up when and where least expected. Just when you think you’ve squished them all, another one pops up. Still you gotta try your best to exterminate these pests. Proof your manuscript until you can find no more errors and then proof it again.
6) Relying on the judgment of family and friends. Proceed with caution for all sorts of reasons. One, your mom may praise your work because she doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. Or two, your girlfriend may be overly critical out of jealousy or for other hidden reasons. People have all kinds of agendas. Three, the person may not know what the heck he or she is talking about or maybe her taste in literature is just different. The list goes on and on. Let others read it if you want, but unless they’re professionals in the business be careful how seriously you take the criticism or praise.
After self-publishing her first two novels, author Cheryl Robinson, whose latest work is Sweet Georgia Brown, landed book deals with New American Library and HarperCollins. This week, Cheryl tells us how she finally landed a literary agent and a New York publisher.
Writing Tips
Also this week, I’ll list the biggest mistakes that aspiring and new authors make and suggest how to correct them.
Even if you’ve written the great American novel, no one is going to bother reading it unless it’s well written. Before my first novel was published, I worked as an editor for more than 10 years, so I have a good idea of what editors expect from authors. Having a good story to tell is a wonderful start, but if your manuscript isn’t well written it will never get read. So before sending anything out, do yourself a favor and polish until it’s the very best you’re capable of.
When I wrote Sisters and Lovers, my first novel, which went on to sell more than three-quarters of a million copies in hardcover and paperback, I spent several weeks editing it and making sure there were no typos or glaring grammatical errors. That was after I had spent nearly a year writing the novel. You’re not expected to turn in a manuscript that exactly follows the publisher’s standards–they have editors for that and each publisher is a little different. But you are expected to submit something that is neat and has consistent punctuation and usage and good grammar. In other words, you should know what a serial comma is and how to use it consistently. If you just thought–HUH?–you got some learning to do. The guides listed below will help get you started.
So polish, polish, polish. Be your own toughest critic!
Must-have Resources for Writers
The Elements of Style, by Strunk, White and Angell. This famous little book has been a handy reference of the basic principles of composition, grammar and word usage for writers since 1957. It was introduced to me when I was studying writing and publishing at George Washington University. Clear and concise. Every author or aspiring author should have one.
A CD-ROM based dictionary. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary both offer CD-ROM versions. I know you can look up words online now, but that never worked for me. It gets cumbersome to open my browser, etc., etc., whenever I need to check a definition or look for synonyms. I much prefer being able to click an icon on the taskbar at the bottom of my screen. I have an ancient version (doesn’t even have Internet terms in it), and it’s always the first software I move whenever I buy a new computer. I can’t live without it and someday I’ll update it to get the latest features such as audio pronunciations and color photos.
And especially for aspiring authors–
One or more of the Writer’s Market guides published by Writer’s Digest Books each year such as 2008 Writer’s Market,2008 Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market and the 2008 Guide to Literary Agents. The guides list names and contact information on where to send your manuscript once you’ve polished to perfection. They also contain insightful articles about writing and publishing.
If you’ve got suggestions for writing resources you can’t live without, share them with the rest of us.
These days, new ways are always being devised to let authors control their own fates when it comes to book promotion and to help readers find authors and books they love. Prior to the days of the Internet, authors were at the mercy of newspapers and magazines to get the word out about their upcoming book tour dates. Sometimes they got lucky, sometimes they didn’t. Then the Internet came along and authors could list tour dates on their sites, but fans had to navigate to each author’s site if they were interested.
Now there’s something even better. At Book Tour, authors can create a page that showcases their books and upcoming tour stops. And readers can search the database by author name, book title or location and get a list of book events in their area. And it’s all free! Free to list your books and tour stops and free to search the directory.
Authors can also upload photos of themselves and a short bio as well their book titles with photos of the book jackets and then link to the books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com and other online bookstores. For readers, when you visit the home page, it will also automatically list authors currently on book tour near you. For example, for me today it showed that Felicia Pride, author of all things pop culture, is touring in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia between now and April. Lisa Scottoline and other authors will also be in my area over the next several weeks.
There are a few quirky things about Book Tour. Like when I entered Baltimore under “places,” 61 venues were found, such as the Baltimore Book Festival, but for most of them it indicated that there were “no upcoming events.” Since only five venues are listed per page, you end up scrolling through a lot of pages to find random events in your area and it can get tiresome. Visitors searching for random events in their areas would be better served if Book Tour removed the venues with no upcoming events from the resulting list or listed more venues per page so you don’t have to do so much scrolling.
Other than that little peeve–and it’s minor compared to the good stuff–it’s a great website. It appears to be a little newish and right now seems devoid of ads, but I wonder how long that will hold true as more authors list their books.
Hopefully Book Tour will get better with time. I’m always in favor of anything that gives authors more control when it comes to promoting their work and gives the fans more information and options, and Book Tour does that. I’ll definitely be using it to list my stops next time I go out on book tour.
I've written both fiction and nonfiction and hit most of the major bestseller lists including the New York Times and Essence magazine. And I'm still trying to figure it all out.
Nevertheless, this blog is where I’ll share what I know about writing and promoting books. For more detail on what's here, check the
about page.
