Category Archives: Literary

TIP OF THE DAY: USE YOUR REAL NAME

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Oh, Uwrite? Well, Iwrite2. Huh? U8M, I8M, They8M…those cutsie-wootsie usernames, that’s what I’m talking about. We all want to chew some words and spit out something cool. But the unspoken truth is to keep the creativity in your novels and screenplays.

There I said it. Now I’ll explain it.

It’s no secret that agents and publishers are looking more at platforms of new authors. Do you have one? Two? Three? Do you know how to promote yourself? Sure, publishers will do a lot of marketing for you, but it’s getting scarier for them to take on new talent. So, let’s say you send a query that’s wrong for a particular agent (i.e. YA to one currently wanting A), but they feel your sample pages are awesome. Perhaps they want to follow your blog, Twitter feed, Facebook page, or whatever. But alas, they can’t find you because they don’t know who IMADETHISNAMEUP is. Therefore, I suggest to use your real name, or the pseudonym you intend to publish under.

Another reason to use your real name is it helps build a fan base. Yep, I said fan. Even if you’re not published. It doesn’t hurt to build followers who might become potential buyers, or help promote your work. And if you’ve self published, how do you expect people to find your books? They’re not on Amazon under the name HIDINGHERE. Or are they?  My point, people can’t find you if they don’t know who “you” is!

And there you have a quick tip from the former IWRITE2. Use your real name!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and Writer of YA/MG Fiction

*All names are made up and aren’t meant to depict any actual people, so, don’t go there!*

ONE WORD A DAY

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Sure, the process is as slow as molasses running down an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. But one word a day will get you closer to your goal of a completed manuscript. Do I mean only type one word a day for life? I may have some rocks loose inside my noggin but I do know how to count! This process may be okay if you are writing books for children, but it isn’t practical for a novel of 70,000 words. It will take 191 years to write and I am not immortal.

So, what do I mean? On the days you believe you’ve no time to write at all, sit and write one word. Yes, one word. It will do two things.

1) Give a sense of progress for your manuscript.
2) Get you closer to finishing.

It sounds silly, but make it a goal. Actually, make it a writer’s pledge. Repeat after me: “If I can’t write for hours, I’m going to write at least one word.” There. We can swap spit and shake hands. We have formed a writer’s virtual pact to complete our manuscripts.

What is amazing, you may find it difficult to write only one word. Usually, a complete sentence gets structured, maybe even two. We do this because we are writers. It’s in our blood.

Now, let’s presume most days you will write two sentences at an average of fourteen words per sentence. You could finish the novel in approximately seven years. And if you only write one word on some of those days, you could still finish in approximately ten years. It’s a goal that’s more feasible than 191 years! (Thank goodness we don’t need to be bitten by a vampire to continue writing. However, I’m not objecting if you know one.)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You want to write a novel in one month. Well, I wasn’t speaking to James Patterson. This is a good rule to follow for those who work another day job…maybe two day jobs! If you are breathing, you can write. Jot what you can, when you can. If it takes longer to get there, it’s better to complete your manuscript ten years from now than never at all. Don’t hide behind you’ve no time.

And there you have it…one word a day CAN get you closer to your goal. Just don’t be a noodlehead about it.

P.D. Pabst
Writer of YA and Blogger

THE IDEA – TOILET PAPER

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“I can get an idea from toilet paper!” I shouted after a writing friend asked me where my inspiration came from.

He laughed.

I was serious. Writers have a huge imagination and can be anywhere when an idea strikes, even the bathroom. It can come from a person, a place, or the oddest of objects. If you feel you’ve got writers block and can’t think of anything, maybe you are trying too hard. Relax and let your mind sink to levels from grade school. Think of stupid things and laugh about them. Do goofy things. Heck, cover yourself with chocolate syrup and roll around in your grass after freshly cut. You can call yourself the Grass Cutter Monster. I don’t care! Eventually, something has to emerge from your nonsense. You’re a writer, dang it!

Okay, maybe you don’t have to go to extremes. But you do need to stop being inhibited by your educated adult brain that insists on telling you when something isn’t practical. Let’s go back to toilet paper. My linear thinking brain says no one wants to hear about white fluffy stuff that wipes fecal matter off their butts. I’m a writer of paranormal stories and fluffiness doesn’t fit into them very well. Or…can it?

“Prove it,” my friend challenged.

I blurted this out: It is family day down at the local toilet paper factory. Little Johnny brought his good luck rock he claims fell from the sky when he was camping last week. His dad pulls him aside to demand the rock be put into his pocket because Johnny is embarrassing him by claiming the rock came from outer space. In an argumentative struggle, the rock accidentally falls into the pulper and breaks. Microscopic parasites, resistant to high heat levels, are released and get woven into the toilet paper. Upon contact with human skin, the parasites enter through their pores and rapidly drink their blood. People shrivel to bone and stiff corpses turn up around the country. Only little Johnny and his dad suspect the reasoning.

I can go on with a full blown novel from there. I just need to determine how the parasites are going to continue spreading and how they will ultimately be stopped. But the bottom line, I took the challenge because I didn’t laugh myself out of the “fluff” idea.

Now it’s your turn! Write away folks! And yes…the novel FLUFF may be coming your way soon!

P.D. Pabst

Writer of YA Fiction and Blogger

Toilet Paper Parasite
Toilet Paper Parasite

KISS MY…WORDS

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Ever want to tell someone to kiss your words because they said you wouldn’t make it as a writer? If you’re having moments you believe them, maybe you should tell them. Don’t listen to their words:

• “You’re from a small town, no one will listen.”
• “You’re not smart enough.”
• “Your style isn’t right.”
• “Get your head out of the clouds.”
• “You’re too young/old.”

I could ramble endlessly about things I’ve heard people say to writers. Even family and friends can be negative unintentionally. Remember, it doesn’t matter what they believe. You must believe in yourself. Tell them to kiss your words! When they look puzzled, just repeat and walk away with a smile. (Yes, I said smile Mr./Mrs. Sourpuss!) Sure, being an author is a difficult road. But believing in yourself keeps you determined to find the tools you need to succeed. You don’t need to explain to negative people how you plan finding your way into the writing world. Just keep writing and you’ll get there.

What’s that? All those rejection letters are piling up and making you doubt yourself. If I have to hand you a tissue, I’m going to throw the box at your head. Many famous authors were rejected before they found success:

• John Grisham: A Time to Kill was rejected by 16 publishers.
• James Patterson: Rejected by more than a dozen publishers.
• J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishing houses.
• William Faulkner: Sanctuary was said couldn’t be published.
• Nicholas Sparks: The Notebook was turned down by 24 literary agencies.

And even though I would love to add Chronicles of Narnia author, C.S. Lewis, rejected 800 times before his first publication, those numbers are still in question. But if they are true, the promise for publication is great for new writers. Everyone gets rejected…EVERYONE. So, chin up and keep believing in yourself!

P.D. Pabst
Writer and blogger