Issue 73
May 2016
The Writer’s Choice Newsletter
In this Issue
What's Hot and What's Not!
Secret Writing Techniques
Barbara McNichol's Word Trippers
Writing Terminologies
Off-the-Wall Holidays
Book Review on Love Anthony
Contests, Literary Agents, Writing Jobs
May Trivia Quiz
Points to Ponder
Connect with our CEO
A Word Fitly Spoken
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What's Hot and What's Not
Introducing Bibisco!
by Kevin Keeney, Columnist
Bibisco is a new editing software for writers. Their catchphrase is “we help you to write your story, in a simple way.”
You can download bibisco at http://www.bibisco.com. Extract the files to the folder of your choice, double-click the application file and create a new icon on your desktop/taskbar.
Bibisco is free and comes without warranty, but you can find assistance by searching Facebook and Twitter. To begin your first project, enter a name (which you can change later,) and choose from 20 languages, including five variations of English. A warning will inform you that the language is not changeable once you begin. The opening screen offers three options: create the first project, import it and set your preferences.
The main toolbar consists of architecture, characters, locations, chapters, analyses, exporting and settings. It also includes information with suggested readings:
- Architecture – enter the novel's premise and setting
- Characters – an area for primary and secondary character descriptions
- Locations – note locations in the story
- Chapters – copy chapter notes, scenes, etc.
- Analysis – shows chapter lengths and points of view, list of character appearances and locations, plus specific narrative distribution
- Export – create an archive copy as a backup for your work or save the file as PDF or RTF
- Settings – change font size, font face, and enable/disable spell check in the text editor
- Info – lists everything you want to know about bibisco, including the version, author, and credits for translations, license, project information, and a donation button
- Suggested Readings – lists recommended books, with direct links to Amazon for purchase (links include affiliate information for the owner of bibisco)
The screens of the application are clean and uncluttered, with the different parts of each section segregated in boxes for notes, characters, scenes, and locations to analyze your story. For example, in the “architecture” option, there are three boxes for the premise, fabula and setting, including a text area for narrative strands. Entering the requested information correctly will generate feedback that may be helpful.
Overall, bibisco is a nice tool to help you write your novel and gain basic organization, but this program offers no support. The developer created most fonts in size 8, which displays quite small on some monitors. Because of the tiny font size on the navigation options, we score this program a nine.
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Secret Writing Techniques
by Deborah Owen, CEO
Storytelling and writing techniques have been around since Adam and Eve bounced little Cain and Abel on their knees, but if you get the feeling there are secret writing techniques that can nail your eyes to the page, you’re right, and successful writers are not quick to talk about them.
There are at least 100 techniques (probably more). Listen to your inner voice and you will know when and where to use them. Regardless of the technique, one rule always applies... don’t overuse any of them. Fine writing is always balanced.
This would be a good time to grab a notebook and pen (or copy and paste this article into a special file) because this series will be an advanced and ongoing study.
Last month we discussed onomatopoeia and today we will talk about asyndeton, which means disjointed and unconnected. You can listen to the pronunciation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49_3sIYdmK4. Asyndeton is the art of stringing clauses together without benefit of conjunctions, or to phrase it more simply, it is writing a list that is separated by commas and does not use a conjunction. Look at these superb examples:
From Double Indemnity: Why, they've got ten volumes on suicide alone. Suicide by race, by color, by occupation, by sex, by seasons of the year, by time of day. Suicide, how committed: by poisons, by firearms, by drowning, by leaps. Suicide by poison, subdivided by types of poison, such as corrosive, irritant, systemic, gaseous, narcotic, alkaloid, protein, and so forth.
Writers aren’t the only ones who use asyndeton effectively.
Orators and statesmen use it, too.
Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered.
Sir Winston Churchill used it in 1940 in the address known as “We shall fight on the beaches:”
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
John F. Kennedy: ...that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
For hard core impact with a dramatic effect, try asyndeton in this week's writing.
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Wordtripper
by Barbara McNichol
Rational vs. Rationale
Rational, Rationale – “Rational” (emphasis on “ra”), an adjective, means based on facts or logic instead of emotions. It describes clear reasoning when addressing a problem or argument. “Rationale” (emphasis on “ale”), a noun, refers to a set of arguments or reasons that form the basis for a belief system or action.
“As rational as we think we are, we sometimes fail to grasp the rationale for others’ actions.” – Gary Michael
“I don't understand the rationale for making decisions that aren't rational—unless it involves people in love.” – Bobbie Bookhout
Visit http://barbaramcnichol.com/products/ for more Word Trippers.
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Writing Terminologies for Weather
by Michelle Malsbury, Columnist
Writers address a variety of topics and industries from manuals to epic novels to screenplays. Some authors even write about weather and its effect on the earth and its inhabitants. This month we will look at the meaning of weather terms:
Arctic Air – An area of dry, cold air emanating from Canada, Alaska or the Arctic Ocean.
Ball Lightening – A rare type of lightening manifesting as a reddish-orange ball. The size ranges from a small centimeter to 30 centimeters with a time interval of 1 to 2 seconds sensible luminosity.
Chinook – A blustery, warm and thirsty air originating on the sheltered side of a mountain range such as the Rocky Mountains.
Dew Point – The temperature of air required to cool down and reduce water vapor into clouds or fog.
Downdraft – A pilaster of cool air dropping quickly to the ground accompanied by precipitation in the form of a thunderstorm or shower.
Evaporation – The process of liquid turning into a gas or vapor.
Flash Flood – A flood that occurs less than six hours after a major rainfall.
Fujita Scale – Created by Doctor Fujita for assessing damage from tornado activity, this classification system measures wind damage ranging from zero to five.
Gust – A short burst of increased wind speed above 10 miles per hour lasting under 20 seconds.
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Off-the-Wall Holidays in May
by William Battis, Columnist
May commemorates many social and patriotic "off the wall" days. Here are some of the ones that slip by without much recognition:
- May 1, Mother Goose Day. This "off the wall" day honors well-known nursery rhymes and stories such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty. The term “Mother Goose” dates back to about 1650, with "Mother Goose" not being a real person. Its formal recognition as a collection of children's stories written by many authors and handed down in the form of folk tales occurred in 1787.
- 2nd Sat. in May, Traditional Bird Day. International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD), the signature program of EFTA, is an educational program highlighting the migration of nearly 350 species of migratory birds between nesting habitats in North America and non-breeding grounds in Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It educates people about conservation and awareness of our wild bird population. Because birds do not migrate on the same day, IMBD is celebrated on different dates across the Western Hemisphere.
- May 9, Lost Sock Memorial Day. This day recognizes the plight of scores of unmatched socks in our dresser drawers. It only takes a few minutes to recognize you will never find the missing socks. Single socks can be used to either fashion into sock puppets, used as dust rags, or be paired with another remnant sock.
- May 12, International Nurses Day. International Nurses Day pays tribute to the contributions of nurses who provide care, comfort, and well-being to all in need. It falls on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, known for her relentless commitment of service.
- May 23, Lucky Penny Day. We find "lucky pennies" on the ground, and the ones found face up are the luckiest. Some of the nuances pertaining to a "lucky penny" are:
* A penny for your thoughts.
* Put your two cents in.
* Are you a Penny Pincher?
- May 25, National Tap Dance Day. Three tap-dance lovers originated the idea of reviving tap dancing and thus pushed for legislation. Since Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was one of the greatest tap dancers of all time, President George Bush designated May 25 (Robinson’s birthday) as National Tap Dance Day. The law passed on November 7, 1989. You can celebrate it by learning how to tap dance, watch a movie that includes tap dancing, or read about Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.
Have a wondrous "off the wall day" in May by celebrating these whimsical holidays!
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Book Review on Love Anthony
Novel by Lisa Genova
Reviewed by Karen Johnson, Columnist
Love Anthony, a 309-page novel published in 2012 by Simon & Schuster, depicts love lost and found, portrayed through the spiritualistic power of writing.
Beth Ellis, a married woman in her thirties, raised three children on Nantucket Island during the turn of the century. Her unfaithful husband, Jimmy, worked part-time as a bartender and succumbed to the advances of a barmaid. His unscrupulous love affair with Angela Melo caused Beth to kick him out of the house.
In a search for self, Beth rekindled a dormant writing ability, eventually authoring a story about a child named Anthony who could not speak.
What a twist of fate that a former literary editor named Olivia Donatelli lived down the road from Beth. Unbeknownst to Beth, Olivia and her husband, David, had lost their 8-year old autistic son ten years before. The heartbroken couple had separated, unable to cope after their loss.
Life took on new meaning after a chance meeting and developing friendship between these two ladies. Beth had already written Love Anthony, which gave Olivia further insight into autism and her own experience. The crescendo of life and love spoken through the voice of a little boy will make you search out answers in the recesses of your own heart.
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Contests, Agents, and Writing Jobs
by Michelle K. Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Administrative Assistant
CONTESTS
- Narrative Magazine holds an annual contest that awards $4,000 to new and emerging writers along with publication in their magazine. They accept a variety of genres and the deadline is June 15, 2016. For instructions on submitting, log on to http://www.narrativemagazine.com.
- Shannon O’ Faolein’s annual international short story contest accepts submissions from May until July. Sponsored by Munster Literature Centre, the grand prize is $2,100. For more information and guidelines, visit http://www.munsterlit.ie.
- The Sunday Times 2016 short story competition gives a grand prize of $45,000! Entries can be submitted after July 2016. For more information, see http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk.
- The HG Wells short story contest accepts writers over the age of 21. Stories must be 1,500 to 5,000 words and the deadline for submission is July 17, 2016. The grand prize will be $1,500. For more information about entering, see https://hgwellscompetition.com.
AGENTS
Whether to use an agent or self-publish perplexes all writers in this age of internet. Traditional submissions may be outdated for some markets. Have you considered getting an agent? Agents and publishing houses usually take care of the sales and marketing. An exceptional agent won’t charge to read/preview your manuscript or to send out query letters. Beware of those who do! Self-publishing and even vanity presses offer a variety of resources that will accomplish the same thing. Do some research before you make that decision.
- Book Publishing Companies offer the unique service of matching writers with appropriate publishers and agents. Fill out a short form and they will place you with the right market. You can learn more about the process by visiting http://www.bookpublishing-companies.com.
- Search for Publishers helps aspiring writers. Learn about the world of self-publishing by visiting http://searchforpublishers.com.
- Find Publishing Help caters to first time authors by linking them with potential publishing houses. Start by filling out a short questionnaire on their website at http://www.findpublishinghelp.com.
- Eaton Literary Agents represents a variety of writers and shepherds them through the long haul process of publication and public relations. They have a history of placing aspiring authors with quality publishing houses. To learn more, log on to http://www.eatonliterary.com.
WRITING JOBS
Would you like to make a living writing? You may want to peruse these places for a job that fits your skills. How satisfying to do what you love while make a living at it!
- http://www.jobtomic.com lists companies that seek writers with various skills and talents. Click on a job on their site and read the guidelines.
- Freshjobs.net offers part and full time jobs for writers, self-employed or already employed. Visit http://fresh-jobs.net to move forward in your writing career.
- The Barefoot Writer explains how to land your dream job of writing from home. They offer news and updates if you sign up for their monthly newsletter. See http://www.thebarefootwriter.com for details.
- Indeed.com sends daily job postings online under topics of industry. Sign up at www.indeed.com/writing.
Are you ready to become a selling writer? Well, don’t just sit there. Submit something!
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May Trivia Quiz
by Julie Canfield, Columnist
In honor of mothers everywhere, this month’s trivia quiz will feature mothers made famous by either books or screenplays (sometimes both). Match the mothers' names with the right book or screenplay. Good Luck! (See answers below.)
Mother Book or Screenplay
Diane Freeling __________________________
Marge Simpson ___________________________
Gertrude ___________________________
Tami Taylor ____________________________
Lorelei Gilmore ____________________________
Margaret White ____________________________
Joan Crawford ____________________________
Betty Draper ____________________________
Claire Huxtable _____________________________
Carol Brady _____________________________
Eleanor Shaw Iselin _____________________________
Estelle Costanza _____________________________
Peg Bundy _____________________________
Beth Jarrett _____________________________
Marmee _____________________________
Answers
Diane Freeling Poltergeist
Marge Simpson The Simpsons
Gertrude Hamlet
Tami Taylor Friday Night Lights
Lorelei Gilmore The Gilmore Girls
Margaret White Carrie
Joan Crawford Mommy Dearest
Betty Draper Mad Men
Claire Huxtable The Cosby Show
Carol Brady The Brady Bunch
Eleanor Shaw Iselin The Manchurian Candidate
Estelle Costanza Seinfeld
Peg Bundy Married with Children
Beth Jarrett Ordinary People
Marmee Little Women
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Points to Ponder
by Julie Canfield, Chaplain
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Psalms 1:3 (NRSV)
This scripture describes writers very well. When someone implies we are “tree-like,” i.e., unbendable and hard such as an oak tree, it is usually a negative connotation. Why do we not compare people to fruit trees or ornamental trees? Let’s draw some comparisons.
Fruit trees thirst for water just as writers thirst for words. The water brings life and enables the tree to bear fruit, whereas flowing words supply the writer's means to produce an exciting story.
Some trees retain their leaves when yielding season is over, just as some writers retain ideas to use on another day. Fruit trees may yield a bumper crop one year and a meager crop the next. Likewise, the muse may rain abundantly on writers one year, but leave them to flounder with writer’s block the next.
The end goal for both trees and writers is to be patient and bring forth a good yield. Establish roots that reach for knowledge, network with writers, persevere, and you will bring forth good fruit in due season.
God bless!
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Connect with our CEO, Deborah Owen
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Write to our CEO at DeborahOwen@CWInst.com.
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A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Proverbs 25:10
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Deborah Owen and Creative Writing Institute, Inc., its board and staff may not be held liable for damages that may arise in connection with provided data. We do our best to present factual articles, but writing rules are very fluid. How you perceive and interpret this information is your responsibility. Direct inquiries to DeborahOwen@CWInst.com.
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