Do you tweet?

by Cate Masters
As an author, I look for effective ways to connect with others. So far I've made the leap to Facebook and recently launched a web site. I've had a blog for about a year. I also have a page on Ning, though it's woefully outdated.
Because I've been required to join so many email loops that suck away valuable time, I resisted Twitter. Until yesterday. Twitter looks deceptively simple, but can have many functions. All of which I must now acquaint myself.
The tipping factor came when Joanna D'Angelo, who runs the Love Romance Novels group, planned to have a romance author chat day on Twitter. If you read or write romance, you'll want to participate in this #askromancewriter chat. Check out my blog for more info. If you're not tweeting already, you should be! And follow me, and I'll follow you.

What Writers Read?

I read an interesting blog on another site that started a discussion of what books in certain genres you've never read. Most writers are voracious readers not only in the genre they write but in many others.
Personally, I write romance and fantasy, sometime combining the two and sometimes not. I've read thousands of romance books over the years including perhaps the best known world wide, Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen's writings hold a prominent spot on my bookshelves. And how could I write fantasy without having read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings? But must I have read those masters to be a successful writer in those genres? Austen and Tolkien certainly didn't write in a style that would be accepted by today's publishing world.
Should an author entering the young adult market have read Harry Potter and Twilight? That market seems to be booming with many new writers finding success.
Should a writer read all of Oprah's recommendations if they're goal is literary fiction?
I don't write contemporary romance or fiction but if I did should I read Nora Roberts? Should I read Lee Childs or Robert Parker if I want to develop a contemporary suspense/thriller character to carry on a long running series? What do you think? Are there must reads for authors searching for success in certain genres?

Italia II

Leaving for Italy also entailed leaving behind the trappings of the modern world - television, land lines, and computers. My only "entertainment" in the Tuscan hills consisted of conversation with my fellow travelers, walks up to Colle Verde - where delicious olives were grown - and gazing at the vistas. But I couldn't leave my writing behind. No way. In the years I've been a freelance writer, I've grown accustomed to hearing the click of the keyboard. It was faster and an easier way to meet deadlines. Here in Italy, I journaled, pen in hand, on clear crisp pages. Somehow it made me appreciate the "process" of writing, forced me to stop and "smell the roses" of the writing life. I rediscovered the curls and swirls of my own handwriting, and felt some deep satisfaction as I filled a page and went on to the next. I wrote about the little Tuscan towns visited the day before, the foods I tasted, the sounds I heard. I took the time to express how I felt when I was there. After all, I had all the time in the world.

Let's Not Outsource Writing

The Hartford Advocate tried an experiment. It outsourced some of its writing assignments to freelancers in India. Here is one of the news stories that was submitted:

Because of the Dog Bowl, the House Owner Faced a Damage of $215,000

The fire officers of Bellevue, Wash., state that on a bright sunny day, the dog's glass bowl and the sun ray combined and gave rise to blazing fire which burnt the back side of the house. Eric Keenan of Bellevue Fire Department Limited says that the investigators determined that dog's glass water bowl focused enough of sunlight
to work like the magnifying glass, because of which the fire began at the wooden deck of the house on Sunday. Investigators said that apart from this there was no other cause found which could give rise to the fire. During this incident, homeowners weren't at home and the neighbor noticed the fire and informed the fire department. The dog had been rescued and the damage is approximately $215,000.

Hmm. Seems to me that some things should not be outsourced. I am not against any freelance writer making a few dollars by writing news stories. But, I think you get what you pay for. And, well, the work speaks for itself.

Here is the explanation for the experiment directly from the paper:

It wasn’t our intention for our little outsourcing experiment to put us out of a job. But it’s clear that in an age when publications are aggressively cutting costs and reducing staffs, India’s millions of wired English speakers may present an irresistible resource. If so, our Indian colleagues will have earned the last laugh.

Call us old-school, but we think good, old-fashioned shoe-leather journalism is worth the price. Outsourcing could certainly fill pages, probably very cheaply, but what’s lost is the very essence of local newspapers: presence. At city hall, the local music club or out on the street talking up average folks, presence is what sets local newspapers (dinosaurs though they are sometimes) apart, and what outsourced news could never replace. But don’t take our word for it. Have a read and decide for yourself.

Here is the complete article. You can see other examples of the outsourced writing, too.

-- George Sheldon, www.georgesheldon.com

Is This The Future Bookstore?

Imagine, if you will, a bookstore without shelves of books. Rather than a sprawling layout of assorted books, think sofas and chairs and laptops. When you find a book you want, you walk to the counter, order it, and within minutes, it is printed, bound, and handed to you.

It's happening now. And to see the process, watch this video:




The Northshire Bookstore, in quaint Manchester Center, Vermont, is using the Espresso Book Machine. You can read more about it here.

Connections

Years ago when I was a struggling--and starving--writer, I agonized about paying the dues for a national writing organization. At that time, it came down to a choice between paying the dues or buying groceries for my five children. Which would you choose? Of course I forked over the dues--after squirreling away nickels and pennies for a year and setting aside my birthday money. And I've never regretted the decision. It set me on the course to being a professional, and well-paid, writer.

This week, when I was contacted to write material for a high-profile, national TV series, that sacrifice paid off big time. I traced a line back from this job opportunity to a writing assignment 3 years ago with a major textbook company, which came about from contacts at a CA book publisher who was shutting down, which came from a referral by a magazine editor, who knew and had published work from one of my critique group members--a friend I'd made through that writing organization more than 10 years ago. Without that friend, I'd never have found my first paying writing gig. Without that friend, I'd never have had my first book contract. Without that friend, I never would have made this long, convoluted journey to being a paid writer.

Each one of us is interconnected, and you never know when an author you meet may hold the key to your success. And conversely, you never know when you might be that vital link in the chain for another writer. I've heard it said that you're only 6 people away from publishing success (provided you've studied your craft and worked hard). You never know who that person might be, so it pays to be generous with your time and knowledge whether the person you meet is a newbie or an experienced writer. Help others as much as you can. Someday they may help you in return.

As a I look back along my writing path, I see many friends and critique partners who contributed to making me the writer I am today. I could have never done it without their support. And, though I still have a long way to go and much to learn, these cheerleaders, mentors, and supporters have moved me much farther along that path than I ever could have gone on my own. I only hope that I, in turn, aided them in their journey. So many thanks to all of you out there for what you've contributed to my life. You know who you are...

And so, I offer you all a networking opportunity. Here's a chance to meet one of my many groups of colleagues, friends, and fellow writers:

Several of The Wild Rose Press authors have banded together to offer a blog bouquet today. Twenty authors are each offering a different prize for stopping by and commenting on their blogs. Who knows what possible connection might open up for you by meeting these authors! I wish you all the wonderful friendships and possibilities that meeting other writers can afford. Good luck!!

Hope you enjoy getting to know every one of them:

www.amberleighwilliams.blogspot.com
www.authorsstudio.blogspot.com
www.bettyhanawa.blogspot.com
www.christineclemetson.blogspot.com
www.findagreatromance.blogspot.com
www.freewebs.com/lesmora
www.freewebs.com/teriwilson/apps/blog/
www.grgiall.blogspot.com
www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com
www.jennfrancesca.blogspot.com
www.joycemoore.blogspot.com
www.lianalaverentz.blogspot.com
www.LindaHopeLee.blogspot.com
www.lje1.wordpress.com
www.noveltrails.blogspot.com
www.plotsandthoughts.blogspot.com
www.tanyahanson.blogspot.com
www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
www.traveltheages.blogspot.com
www.willtravelforromance.blogspot.com

Friday Self-Promotion Party

Want to know what other people are writing? Want to tell other people what you're writing? Check out agent Rachelle Gardner's Friday Self-Promotion Party at
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/. My Christian chick lit novel was #155 in the past 19+ hours since Rachelle posted her blog. It's a fun list to skim and a great way to read other people's elevator speeches if you happen to be working on one of your own.

Happy reading!

Follow me to the UK!

by Cate Masters

Today I'm over at fellow Eternal Press author Colin Galbraith's blog, Freedom from the Mundane. Come join the party (Colin's away all weekend! Sounds like party time to me. Don't worry, Colin, I'll clean up any mess!). Leave a comment and you might win a copy of One Soul for Sale!

Here's what You Gotta Read Reviews said about One Soul for Sale: "The writing style made me feel as though I were a part of the story instead of someone on the outside looking in. I was pulled into the story and couldn't stop until I hit the last page. The ending by the way ..... OUTSTANDING! I loved it! One Soul for Sale was filled with action scenes which made it a riveting story."

For you more traditional readers, One Soul for Sale's also available in print from Amazon.

Short story online

Just wanted to let all you Sus Writers know that my short story, "The Man Upstairs" can now be found at http://www.absentwillowreview.com. I wrote this story before the recent news item about a stranger that takes up residence inside a family's attic.

Italia I

I returned home from Italy last night after a 12-day whirl wind of travel - first to Rome, then up to the majestic Tuscan hills, then back to Rome and staying inside a convent for several days (no, I'm not Catholic - just curious.)
Before I left for Italy, I spoke with a young artist who had traveled to Italy while studying art in college. She spoke about the renewed inspiration for her art that she found in Florence, a place I ended up visiting for one day last week. I can see why she felt that way.
The Uffizi Gallery, located in the heart of that glorious yet frenetic city, could give any artist or creative person a dose or two of spark. But perhaps "spark" is too mild a term. I think I'll call it "lightning." This gallery contains the greatest overall collection of Italian paintings anywhere in the world. It offers visitors a look at art treasures from Medieval times to the Renaissance. I had read about and seen some of these works over the years in books - art by Raphael, da Vinci, Botticelli. "How did they do this?" I wondered. The detail, the sheer size of the canvases was beyond comprehension. No matter where I stood - whether far away or close to a painting - the passion for what these artists did was evident in every brush stroke.
As I strolled from room to room, the beauty of it all overwhelmed me. It was just too much. At one point, as I walked down one of the long hallways of the Uffizi, I stepped aside and wept. And, yes, just like that young art student, I became inspired.