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THE WRITER AND HER THOUGHTS
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN ASKED IF I WOULD HELP SOMEONE WITH THEIR AUTO- BIOGRAPHY. AND EACH TIME I GROAN INSIDE AND NOT BEING A VERY GOOD ACTOR, I AM SURE THAT THEY NOTICE. SORRY! THESE SITUATIONS ARE THE ONLY KNOWN CAUSES FOR ME ASKING GOD, "WHY ME?'
I LOVE EVERYONE AND I LIKE MOST PEOPLE I MEET THEREFORE, I AM RELATIVELY EASY TO APPROACH, PAINTING A VIRTUAL TARGET ON MY FOREHEAD WHEN IT COMES TO A BUDDING AUTHOR. THEY JUST ZERO RIGHT IN THERE.
MAY I SAY HERE THAT WRITING DOESN'T COME EASY TO ME. MY MIND RUNS OFF IN ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS (ADD?)WHEN A SUBJECT IS AT HAND, SOMETIMES MISSING A MISSPELLED WORD OR USINGTHE WRONG TENSE OR A MYRIAD OTHER MISTAKES. AND I'VE SOMETIMES HAD TO PAY AN EDITOR TO PERFORM THOSE EDITS FOR ME.
IN ADDITION, MANY OF MY REQUESTS COME FROM TORTURED OR TORMENTED SOULS WHO HAVE LIVED LIVES OF DISGUST, HORROR, AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. AND SINCE I AM A SENSITIVE, I END UP SITTING BESIDE THEM AT THE COMPUTER TRYING NOT TO SHORT OUT THE KEYBOARD WITH MY TEARS, AS THEY RELIVE ALL THAT ABUSE. AND IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION THEY COME UP WITH, THEY MAY TRIGGER ME INTO AN OUT OF MIND EXPERIENCE WHERE I AM NOT ANY GOODTO EITHER OF US AND HAVE TO ASK A THIRD PARTY FOR HELP.
IF YOU DON'T FALL INTO THE ABOVE GROUP, WELCOME ...YOU MAY SIT DOWN AND TELL ME YOUR STORY.
TO ANY OF YOU WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN ABUSED OR NOT, MAYBE I CAN SHOW YOU THE WAY TO WRITE YOUR OWN BOOK. HERE ARE SOME FACTS THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT MY OWN WRITING:
1.IF YOU INTEND TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE WRITING JUST TO GET ALL THE 'CRAP' OFF YOUR MIND...GO TO IT, THEN EITHER BURN THE MANUSCRIPT OR TIE IT UP IN A NEAT BOW, HIDE IT, AND HOPE NO ONE EVER FINDS IT!.
2. AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK...GET AN AGENT OR A LAWYER WHO KNOWS THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY SO THAT YOU DON'T SIGN AWAY YOUR RIGHTS OR THE MONEY DUE TO YOU. I MUST SAY, YOU MAY BE VERY INTELLEGENT BUT THIS IS A VERY SPECIALIZED SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT IS BETTER TO HAVE HELP WITH THE CONTRACTS.
3. SAVE UP. IT ALL TAKES MONEY UP FRONT.
4. MAKE A LARGE SIGN THAT READS DO NOT DISTURB FOR THE DOOR OF YOUR STUDY.
5. SAVE EVERY PAGE YOU WRITE AS YOU WRITE IT. IT IS EASIER TO EDIT WHAT YOU HAVE THEN NOT TO HAVE IT AT ALL.
6. EDIT UNTIL YOUR EYEBALLS FALL OUT ON YOUR CHEEKS, USING THE REFERENCES THAT I WILL WRITE ABOUT NEXT.
7. KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE WILL BE INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU WRITE.
8. NOT EVERYONE MAKES MONEY AT WRITING, IN FACT MOST NEVER GET FAMOUS, SO MY ADVICE TO YOU IS LOVE WRITING OR CONSIDER LEAVING IT.
SOME OF THE REFERENCE BOOKS AND TIPS YOU WILL NEED TO BEGIN ARE:
1. A GOOD DICTIONARY. I USE OXFORD.
2. A GOOD THESAURUS. DITTO.
3. DON'T DEPEND ON SPELL CHECK.
4. YOU WILL NEED BOOKS ON MODERN USAGE IN WHATEVER LANGUAGE YOU ARE WRITING IN.
5. THE LATEST EDITION OF " THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE," IS THE BIBLE FOR WRITERS AND THEIR EDITORS. TAKE MONEY!
6. THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD BOOKS OUT THERE...ONE IS: "WRITING DOWN THE BONES" BY NATALIE GOLDBERG, ANOTHER IS, "DAMN! WHY DIDN'T I WRITE THAT", BY MARC MCCUTCHEON.
7. BILL BRYSON'S, " DICTIONARY OF TROUBLESOME WORDS" IS GOOD.
8. THERE ARE LOTS OF DICTIONARIES OF QUOTES, GET ONE OR ELSE TAKE LOTS OF TIME TO EXPLORE THE INTERNET.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE SUBJECT OF SELF- PUBLISHING, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER THEM. SEE THE CONTACT PAGE OF THIS SITE FOR MY INFO.
IF YOU WANT TO TRY THE BIG PUBLISHERS, KNOW THAT IT TAKES TIME, SOMETIMES YEARS AND THEN THEY MAY DECIDE NOT TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK. YOU MUST HAVE AN AGENT BEFORE YOU SUBMIT A MANUSCRIPT TO THESE GUYS.
HAPPY WRITING. LOVE TO YOU ALL, C.J. |
