tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post2475579111865471330..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Writing about writingJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-34298822868105534202014-11-21T08:42:44.585-05:002014-11-21T08:42:44.585-05:00The kale got away with me! Sorry about that.
For ...The kale got away with me! Sorry about that.<br /><br />For those interested, the artist I was talking about is Kelley McMorris, who actually does really great digital storybook illustrations. Her blog series only has a few installments right now, but here are the links:<br /><br />Bookcovers: Before and After Text: <br /><br />http://kmcmorris.blogspot.jp/2014/09/book-covers-before-and-after-text.html<br /><br />http://kmcmorris.blogspot.jp/2014/07/book-covers-before-and-after-text.html<br /><br />http://kmcmorris.blogspot.jp/2014/05/book-covers-before-and-after.html<br /><br />Enjoy! :)Alex Hursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05556334141936498897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76017575988241899362014-11-21T08:20:34.927-05:002014-11-21T08:20:34.927-05:00This is a really interesting subject, and it’s bee...This is a really interesting subject, and it’s been really good to see everybody’s take on this.<br /><br />Personally, I use my blog to talk about pretty much anything – from true crime cases to sleep paralysis to my own social awkwardness. Oddly enough, while I blog about my stand-up comedy, I never really blog about my writing. I’ll allude to it in some posts, but I do find it quite uncomfortable to try to dissect it and, I suppose, show what happens ‘behind the curtain’. <br /><br />I always assume that the people reading my blog don’t really care about how I write, or what I do when I get writers’ block (like now…), or any other aspect of writing. I might of course be wrong, but I’m very wary of boring the people who follow my blog, and can sense the imminent eye-rolling that I imagine would occur if every post was about myself and my ‘process’. <br /><br />I also agree with the Donald Maas idea above. There have been a few times when I’ve written a blog post and felt satisfied that I’d done my ‘writing’ for that day, even though my WIP would be weeping silently in my drawer and wondering why it never gets to play anymore.<br /><br />Related to this, I also don’t like to talk too much about any Works-in-Progress, as I feel it takes something away from the work itself too. So I feel that blogging about anything I may be working on would slightly detract from it. If anyone is interested in my full reasons for this, I – either ironically or appropriately, you decide – wrote a blog post on this which you can find at - https://angelomarcos.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/stop-talking-about-it/ <br /><br />(I hope this is ok, Janet; there are no enlargement offers/scams going on at that link, honest..!)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15378290222713152643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-88473596043522026412014-11-20T20:56:05.063-05:002014-11-20T20:56:05.063-05:00I think Colin nailed it when he said your blog cou...I think Colin nailed it when he said your blog could be a showcase for your writing skills.<br /><br />I think I figured out what I need to do with my blog to attract more readers, not just to my blog, but to my books. <br /><br />I've been trying to focus my blog to attract my readers--all four of them. I've deliberately tried NOT to talk about writing. Yet it ended up all about what I have written, and that's about as boring, unless you're one of my four rabid fans.<br /><br />After two years of regular blogging I only have four regular readers, with about fifteen-ish semi-regulars. <br /><br />Am I really so boring? I might be.<br /><br />(If any of you choose to sample my blog, please let me know if you find me boring. I'm an author; I can take it.)<br /><br />So, lessons for me:<br />* Don't blog about writing. It won't build your career as a writer.<br />* Don't blog about your writing. There's only so much, "This is my book" to go around.<br />* Do be interesting. After all, you are a writer, and should be skilled enough to make anything, even kale, interesting.<br /><br />Once upon a time, back before the Apocalypse, I regularly blogged Ten-Minute Tales, where several readers would suggest words, and I'd crank together a short story using all of those words. That was fun, the stories were interesting, and the readers loved it.<br /><br />Why didn't I continue that delightful tradition?Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-61674438835875823582014-11-20T19:38:19.964-05:002014-11-20T19:38:19.964-05:00Now I want kale for supper with my pork chop, and ...Now I want kale for supper with my pork chop, and Lorna S'mores for dessert.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-88193927795436780382014-11-20T14:01:41.936-05:002014-11-20T14:01:41.936-05:00@Steve: You're the first one to mention Lorna ...@Steve: You're the first one to mention Lorna Doone shortbread. How well does it toast? Feel free to add your thoughts to the comments on one of my "Graham Cracker" posts. Those articles are some of the few on my blog I can guarantee will be read EVERY DAY. Multiple times.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-19900551725138912652014-11-20T12:58:13.203-05:002014-11-20T12:58:13.203-05:00Agreed!
While I like the helpful blogs that list w...Agreed!<br />While I like the helpful blogs that list writing resources or contests, the ones that blather on about the process are just tedious and as boring as listing what you've had for lunch. <br /><br />Unless you're a literary great, who cares?<br /><br />PS - Kale - blek.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-85079185963228928932014-11-20T12:56:48.412-05:002014-11-20T12:56:48.412-05:00Lord at the typos in that previous post, yikes.
J...Lord at the typos in that previous post, yikes.<br /><br />JulieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23839927017732922642014-11-20T11:22:37.088-05:002014-11-20T11:22:37.088-05:00Diana Gabaldon talks a lot about the writing proce...Diana Gabaldon talks a lot about the writing process. If you follow her on social media, you'll note she posts a lot of excerpts of her work to demonstrate different things.<br /><br />If you go to the compuserve lit forum, you'll notice an entire section devoted to Diana and it is hopping. The woman has a rabid fan base and she's a wizard at using social media to her advantage. People hang on her every word when she discusses writing techniques. She's unfailing kind to everyone. <br /><br />There's no doubt her social media presence does nothing but help her, but in the end, it's fabulous writing that makes her a bestseller.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55031223151248838032014-11-20T11:05:11.692-05:002014-11-20T11:05:11.692-05:00I blogged about blogging after listening to an age...I blogged about blogging after listening to an agent conversation about social media once.<br /><br />That post is here:<br /><br />http://julieweathers.com/social-media-for-the-young-the-innocent-and-the-damned/<br /><br />If you don't want to read the whole thing, Donald Maass has an interesting theory. He thinks too many writers use a blog to scratch the itch of writing. They spend a couple of days writing the perfect blog post and fiddling with it. Then they congratulate themselves for "writing", which they have. However, they didn't accomplish anything to forward the wip.<br /><br />Someone who does a great job of blogging is Kari Lynn Dell. She's a gem.<br /><br />Most of the time I blog about more important things like Wrangler patches. <br /><br />Most of the time, I blog about more serious things, like Wrangler patches.<br /><br />http://julieweathers.com/wrangler-patches-and-country-humor/<br /><br />Occasionally I write about agents peaking under your door and comparing agents to horse sales or I espouse the wonders of boobs in an author's avatar.<br /><br />I've been terribly remiss about my poor blog. I need to start posting more frequently. I shall share with the world all I know about writing, or maybe a recipe for rodeo cake.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-24261506628788500662014-11-20T09:16:12.703-05:002014-11-20T09:16:12.703-05:00@colin - I'm shocked that the true answer to y...@colin - I'm shocked that the true answer to your s'mores dilemma was not mentioned. In my mind, graham crackers are a terrible ingredient for s'mores. The only acceptable "substitute" is Lorna Doone shortbread!<br /><br />Seriously. It's the exact perfect size (way better fitting than graham crackers. And such a better flavor. Trust me. Try it once and it will change your life. You'll never have a need for those inferior graham crackers again (unless, of course, they are shaped like tiny teddy bears and dunked in Funfetti frosting).Steve Fortihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06027977543853683231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6448212877104803202014-11-20T04:55:45.094-05:002014-11-20T04:55:45.094-05:00Here’s my favorite kale recipe. Kale with white wi...Here’s my favorite kale recipe. Kale with white wine. Put chopped kale in frying pan. Pour chilled wine in glass. Set frying pan on floor. Sip wine while laughing at dog’s refusal to eat kale.Eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12350212589821497010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-26182154278721973952014-11-20T03:17:31.183-05:002014-11-20T03:17:31.183-05:00Once upon a time blogs were shunned as the place t...Once upon a time blogs were shunned as the place to spew one's rants or display dirty underwear. Some smart people caught on quickly to the useful points. At that time, I had a website which I used like a blog. I too thought blogging was stupid. Not now, I have two. <br /><br />Intolerance towards blogging still festers. Like, when I say to people I follow lots of blogs they think I'm wasting my time. Not here, for sure. My discovering the Shark’s blogs in 2009 was the light in the tunnel into the publishing world. I didn’t understand a thing. But I lived in a cave, and I ate kale.<br /><br />When blogging caught on, Facebook came along and a whole generation of people now have used that platform to expose their privates. Do they regret? Who cares.<br /><br />Blogging became a professional, niche platform. I don't have to read the whole paper to find the article on ribollita. The mouth watering Florentine soup made with kale makes me want to get on the train right now. Maybe I’ll go over to the flowerbed on rue Mouffetard and pinch the forest-green kale stalks jutting from the chrysanthemums so I can make ribollita. Maybe flash-fiction it for Chuck Wendig on Friday.<br /><br />Why blog ? What to blog about? What are your favorite blogs? Why do you read them? Blogging is free publicity. Pub your book, art, illustrations, cooking. Like someone said, it’s a good place to talk about the research for the current writing project. A place to map out the landscape where the protagonist plays.angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59033599329975174202014-11-20T00:11:49.128-05:002014-11-20T00:11:49.128-05:00I agree with Colin, actually I prefer Digestives t...I agree with Colin, actually I prefer Digestives to Graham Crackers. Then again, I don't make anything with GC, but I do like Digestives with my tea.<br /><br />Hmm, are we still on Janet's blog? LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82327749918146236762014-11-19T20:55:32.046-05:002014-11-19T20:55:32.046-05:00@Kalli Did you check out Tesco's? They suppose...@Kalli Did you check out Tesco's? They supposedly carry Graham Crackers now. Alternatively, if it's a for a pie crust (i.e., crushed Graham Crackers), the best substitute is probably to use Digestives. Flavour-wise they're closest. If you want to make 'Smores, however, I have yet to find anything that replaces a Graham Cracker.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-73435236484415435612014-11-19T20:53:00.973-05:002014-11-19T20:53:00.973-05:00Perhaps this is a good point to draw everyone'...Perhaps this is a good point to draw everyone's attention to something Janet has mentioned more than once:<br /><br />If I want to visit any of your blogs, can I do so from your Blogger profile? And if I want to email you, is your email address there?<br /><br />What if it's not me interested in your work, but a literary agent (e.g., Ms. Shark herself)? If you don't have links in your Blogger profile, you might miss a golden opportunity to get her attention.<br /><br />I say this because I've gone to some of the commenters Blogger profiles with hopes of finding these wonderful blogs they talk about... and there's nothing there!<br /><br />Consider this a gentle nudge, my friends... :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-28624297808002542352014-11-19T20:49:10.473-05:002014-11-19T20:49:10.473-05:00@ Colin Smith: thanks for the link, but I'm st...@ Colin Smith: thanks for the link, but I'm still in a pickle! Do I try crushed rich tea biccies and risk potential sogginess, or spend the whole afternoon picking raisins out of squashed fly biscuits?? (as my dad calls Garibaldis). Oh, what to do, what to do... Kallihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272078032578217903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-2080344526479145292014-11-19T20:38:21.838-05:002014-11-19T20:38:21.838-05:00@Donnaeverhart: I live in the UK, and my knowledge...@Donnaeverhart: I live in the UK, and my knowledge of American history is almost entirely based on films like The Patriot and Gone with the Wind, so I'm afraid I've never even heard of those battlefields, let alone have any idea which war they belong to. The French/ Indian war? The Revolutionary war? (which we don't mention in the UK, for obvious reasons) ;-) <br /><br />I reenact ancient Greek and write ancient Egyptian, so probably not quite what you had in mind. Unlike the Roman groups, we don't have the numbers for the sort of full scale battle reenactments you've probably been to. We're more of a living history group, which is where it comes in handy for writing HF. Until you've had to make your own fire (and not with flint and tinder, because my period predates such modern technology by quite a few centuries) you don't realise how important something as mundane as tending a fire is! And oh, the nightmare of doing your hair and makeup without a proper mirror... or a decent slave! <br /><br />Maybe there's material there for a blog after all... Kallihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272078032578217903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58934775500907314422014-11-19T20:30:11.365-05:002014-11-19T20:30:11.365-05:00I do blog about writing somewhat consistently, but...I do blog about writing somewhat consistently, but what I tend to go for is the process or fruits of research, background about the history in which my novels are set, and fairly little of the navel-gazing-autoerotic-authorial stuff (what I do in that area is generally included for humor).<br /><br />I've developed a set of themes I hit frequently - collections of links to things I've read, beauty and costume in a historical context, archaeology, a bit of science, and a great deal of critical consideration of these things, myself, and my work (non writing-related). It gives me the very minimal discipline I need but can tolerate, and I've worked to develop a presence in the community of historical fiction readers and writers online, many of whom are sources for my frequent collections of links.<br /><br />I have NOT worked very hard on SEO nor shilling my said presence, and get about 100-200 hits per day unless one of my more famous pals on Twitter retweets and/or responds to me there (the times Nichelle Nichols and LeVar Burton RT'd links to my blog were pretty damned fun). I post regularly and try to vary my post lengths and content so we don't have days in a row of nothing but collections of links to other good writing, or months of inactivity. I just "do me" as the kids say. :)<br /><br />Whether that is considered effective in marketing terms right now in my unpublished state has got to take a back seat to querying and the success of the NOVEL(s). Nothing I put online at this point is relevant to marketing until I'm agented and sold. Perhaps that's a cop-out. Certainly it's freeing.DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55263918917334605322014-11-19T17:03:50.565-05:002014-11-19T17:03:50.565-05:00@Kalli - reenactment? That's a blog I'd r...@Kalli - reenactment? That's a blog I'd read. Both my husband and I love to visit Civil War sites, to watch these and we actually live close to two battlefields, Averasboro and Bentonville - not by intention, it just happened that way.<br /><br />How cool it would be to write about that hobby and somehow incorporate your writing historic fiction every now and then. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32381428899772785762014-11-19T15:58:51.647-05:002014-11-19T15:58:51.647-05:00*sigh* OK... for the curious, here's the link ...*sigh* OK... for the curious, here's the link to the Graham Cracker article. But please, at least read one of my flash stories, or something else that my blog's actually supposed to be about... ;)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.colindsmith.com/blog/2011/11/29/the-graham-cracker-question/" rel="nofollow">The Graham Cracker Question</a><br /><br />There are links to updates at the bottom.Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-65431928343555285182014-11-19T15:50:08.448-05:002014-11-19T15:50:08.448-05:00@ Colin Smith: What IS the best substitute for Gra...@ Colin Smith: What IS the best substitute for Graham crackers?? I often come across that in American recipes, and I just hit the back button, because I don't really know what to use instead. Us Brits would like to know too! *searches for your blog*<br /><br />Anyway, I'm glad this topic came up. A group of my online writing friends have formed a blog, and they keep asking me to contribute. They post about all kinds of stuff, but a lot of it is writing related, because that's what brought our disparate group together in the first place (we met on AW). They say I should post about my reenactment hobby, and how that relates to my writing historical fiction, but I'm too scared of coming across as a geek! I figure if there's one thing people want to hear about even less than my writing, it's my reenacting! <br /><br />Maybe I'll just post pictures of my bunny rabbit in a santa outfit. The internet was invented for pictures of animals in funny hats, right?Kallihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272078032578217903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81940377364779058492014-11-19T15:02:43.122-05:002014-11-19T15:02:43.122-05:00@LynnRodz: My blog is supposed to be about reading...@LynnRodz: My blog is supposed to be about reading, writing, theology and that kind of stuff. My most popular posts? UK substitutes for Graham Crackers. I wrote a couple of posts on the topic because a friend asked and no-one else seemed to be addressing the issue. And that's what I get the most hits for. Maybe I should write a novel about it. "One American's quest to find the perfect Graham Cracker substitute while stranded in Blackpool and craving 'Smores..."Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-75387539303347876032014-11-19T14:55:04.990-05:002014-11-19T14:55:04.990-05:00Great timing for this post! I was thinking about m...Great timing for this post! I was thinking about making my blog more about writing and less about being all over the place, now I'm not so sure. For example, some of my most popular posts were written years ago, yet people still come daily to read them. If you Google:<br /><br />1. Favorite Paris quotes or something similar, my blog is one of the top three.<br /><br />2. Armour Etch used to remove AR (anti reflective) coating on eyeglasses. Again my blog is near the top. Who knew my personal experience would garner over a hundred comments. <br /><br />3. Pittsburgh Steelers 6 rings. When the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2009 I gave a woman's perspective on the game and put up photos of the six rings and all their bling. For nearly two years my blog was # 2 right after the Steelers official website and before Sports Illustrated. (Yes, I was tickled pink!) I've fallen further down the page since then, but that post was written almost six years ago. <br /><br />One thing I've learned since starting my blog is people enjoy controversy. I wrote a post about a famous singer/songwriter where I interpreted his lyrics. Boy, did I open up a can of worms! I had hundreds of people commenting, some telling me I was crazy, others agreeing with me. I heard from the girl the song was written about and she told me I was mistaken. I also received an email from the singer's best friend telling me I was wrong and should take the post down. I loved all those people commenting on my blog, but I thought about it and I agreed that maybe I had been wrong, so I took it down. <br /><br />I've spent less and less time on my blog and I know that's bad, but I'm not sure how many of these readers would buy my book if I were ever published. Probably none. There are only so many hours in the day and procrastination is my middle name.* I must be related to Lisa and MNye!<br /><br />*Long-winded is my first!LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-17891775117801487162014-11-19T13:23:02.190-05:002014-11-19T13:23:02.190-05:00@donna: I don't know about anyone else, but I&...@donna: I don't know about anyone else, but I'll read your shopping list if it's served with baklava... ;D<br /><br />@karen: Good article--thanks for the tip. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-58585001265504966802014-11-19T13:12:05.384-05:002014-11-19T13:12:05.384-05:00Great point about reaching readers--and something ...Great point about reaching readers--and something I'll definitely consider with future blog posts.<br /><br />Jane Friedman wrote a great post about this recently too: <br /><br /><a href="http://janefriedman.com/2014/10/27/authors-blog/" rel="nofollow">What Should Authors Blog about?</a>Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.com