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Debbie Ridpath Ohi reads, writes and illustrates for young people. Every once in a while she shares new art, writing and reading resources; subscribe below. Browse the archives here.

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If you'd like to see older WWFC strips, please check the Will Write For Chocolate archives or start from the beginning. You can also follow WWFC on Facebook, Pinterest and Google+. Thanks so much for your continuing support! -- Debbie

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Wednesday
Feb142007

Software for writers

Thanks to Drawn! and Comixpedia | The Webcomic List for mentioning Will Write For Chocolate recently! If you enjoy my cartoons for writers, be sure to check out the revamped Inkygirl: Daily Diversions For Writers.

The Rejection


Last week, I posted a survey in WWFC and Inkygirl asking what software you find useful in your writing process. There were so many interesting replies that I think I'll break this topic into two parts. If you haven't had a chance to answer the survey yet OR if you've thought of more software you find useful as a writer, please do post in the comments section! This can be ANY type of software you find useful, not just word processing.

Microsoft Word: I use MS Word 2004 and should probably upgrade at some point. I both love and hate MS Word. It seems to be a standard format that almost any editor will accept. Yet it still drives me nuts sometimes by doing unexpected things to my text. I need to take the time to go through a manual or tutorial someday soon so I know how to turn OFF all the bells and whistles when I don't want them, plus learn how to make my quotation marks behave properly. Quite a few of you mentioned MS Word as well.

Lemming Writers' Critique Group


WWFC reader Arya mentioned Google Docs. Arya says that Google Docs used to be called Writely before. "It’s pretty much like Word, except it’s online. The best part is that we can share documents with each other, and open them at the same time. So if I’m writing my chapter, my friend can look in and read while I’m writing, a very cool (and less annoying) form of reading over my shoulder. The program works pretty well, though there are formatting errors every now and then. For us, though, it’s awesome!" WOW, how very intriguing; I'm looking forward to playing around with this. And it's FREE, which is one of my favourite words.

BenPanced uses a word processor called Z-Write. "When you create a new file, it opens a two-paned window. The left side is a list of sections and the right is the work field. You can add and delete sections as you need, keeping an entire novel in one, smaller file; my 2004 NaNoWriMo novel is currently 820k. While it can handle basic formatting (bold, underscore, italics) and spell check, I copy and paste the sections into Word for the heavy-duty work." From the Web site, it looks like Z-Write is only available for the Mac; the newest version is Mac OS X compatible but not yet completely optimized for that operating system. There is a two-week demo, after which you're reminded to pay each time you launch the app. Cost: $29 (US funds, I think).

Wendy's Rejection


Christopher Reimer says he uses MS Word if he has a piece ready for manuscript format. "For stuff that’s not ready for manuscript format and preparing web content, I use CopyWrite for the Mac that has basic page formatting, organize documents by project and maintain multiple versions of each documents." According to the CopyWrite Web site, the software is only for Macs. From the site: "CopyWrite is a project manager for writers of all kinds. Rather than focus on formatting and layout, CopyWrite stands apart in its project-oriented approach. Word processors and page layout tools are good at what they do - formatting and layout - but they offer no help at all to a writer during the creative process. In fact, the 'gee-whiz' features crammed into these tools do more to hinder writers, getting in the way of their work flow. Put simply, these tools constipate writers; CopyWrite is like a tasty bran muffin ... with extra bran." The demo version allows only five documents per project and the export feature is disabled. Cost: CAD$37.18.

Next week: Useful software for writers (Part 2)



Wednesday
Feb072007

Good blogs

Thanks to Comics Worth Reading, Sequential and Journalista (The Comics Journal news weblog) for mentioning Will Write For Chocolate!

In my last column, I talked about good blog writing and asked people what blogs they enjoyed reading primarily for the author's writing style or "voice". Here are some of the results:

From Erin:

Good question. I always enjoy reading So Anyway by my close personal friend Eden. I also read John Scalzi’s Whatever, despite never having read any of his books, because he’s such an entertaining writer. Another blogger I’ve found that I read just for the sheer enjoyment of her writing is Mac at Pesky’Apostrophe.

From Shelly:


I read hundreds of blogs, some for content (mostly book blogs and comic book blogs) and some because they’re fun (a lot of link blogs are in here). Also Miss Cellania.

Some for the writer’s voice (tho content helps for these, as I need to be interested in the topics), such as
Wil Wheaton
and many lesser known blogs that I think are exceptionally written and very moving at times. My favorite of those is Anonymous Rowhouse.

The Exchange


From YummY!:

I read many blogs, because I’m a blog addict and I’ve made a few friends.

The ones I like reading because of the authors voice is a short list.

Abstract Utopia is one person who I enjoy every blog entry, whether she’s talking about baking, or Cacti or Music.

From Rachel:

Neil Gaiman, Jen Ig, Inkygirl :) . If Tolkien or Dickens or Lewis or a lot of other writers had blogs I would read them, but sadly, they’re mostly all dead. I content myself with their books instead.

From Mari Adkins:

One of my favorite blogs is Wyrdsmiths. It’s the collaborative blog of a handful of writers in Wisconson, and I found it because I was corresponding with Kelly McCullough at the time (I reviewed his first book, “WebMage”, for Apex Digest last Summer). I enjoy this blog because they discuss not only the ins and outs of writing, but what makes them tick, their writing process, and their thoughts on certain different things within writing/marketing/publishing.

Pinocchio's Dilemma


From Waltzr:

I am not much of a Blog reader except Zen’s, yours, and, of course, my longtime friend Phil as it is a way to keep up to date on his life. It is extremely well written although more political than you generally would read, at least that is my suspicion. However, he comments on a wide variety of subjects and is a new fan of your cartoons.

Have a look at http://www.waveflux.net.

From Victoria:

I simply love yours, and the cartoons, too, first time heard about you on nanowrimo, and i do enjoy Leo’s blog, at http://www.leostableford.com/.

From WhimsicalWoman:

I adore Poppy Mom and Dooce. They both have extremely strong voices. I tend to use my blog as a means of keeping in touch with family and friends.

Bad Rabbit


From Jennifer:

I’ve got several personal and professional connections to the Canadian film & television industry, so my all time favorite blog is Denis McGrath’s Dead Things on Sticks. He has links to a lot of other excellent writers blogs as well.

I’m a relative newcomer to blogdom so I’m still working on building readership, mostly by commenting on other people’s blogs (like here :). I even had a bunch of cards made up that just say “READ MY BLOG” with a brief description and the URL. I hand them out whenever the subject of my writing comes up.

THIS WEEK'S SURVEY:



What software do you currently find useful in your writing? This includes organizational software in addition to word processing software.
Wednesday
Jan242007

Miss Snark

For those who aren't familiar with the informative and highly entertaining blog that Mimi mentions in this week's comic, see Miss Snark, The Literary Agent. You can find out more about Miss Snark and her blog in her FAQ.

Last week, I announced a list of readers who have won fabulous custom-made Will Write For Chocolate bookmarks to reward them for their bravery in posting their New Year's Resolutions. I've received snailmail addresses from Rachel, Stacie, Deborah, Stephanie, Kerry, Susan, and Katharine. If you were on last week's list and haven't contacted me to let me know where to send your bookmark, please do email me!

Reader feedback



Last week, I asked you all how YOU revise. Here are some of the replies...

From Olivia:

"I usually revise as I write.

I mean, I write, and then the next day, before I start from where I left, I tend to revise what I wrote the day before. I guess it helps me get in the mood of what I’m writing. Or maybe I’m just a bit obsessed.

Either way, after I finish the novel I still revise it at least a couple times. Then I send it to a friend or two (the special beta reading friends ;)) and based on what they say, I revise it again.

I love revising. It’s so nice to see it all done and written, and then go on fixing and deleting. Uh! I love deleting stuff. :)"

From Rachel:

I get a first draft down as soon as possible, with minimal revising along the way. If a chapter or scene just isn’t working I’ll revise it until it hits its groove. Otherwise, revisions are for the second draft. They’re never extensive. Does that mean I’m lazy, or just good at first drafts? ;)

From Jo Ann:

"I don’t write in order… Depending on the idea and mood, I come and go from the first to the last to the middle without regrets. When I manage to put everyting together,I start revising and rererewriting. Can’t do it otherwise."

The Rejection


From Katharine Swan:

"When I write nonfiction, I tend to revise as I write, then proofread it once or twice and make small corrections. When I write fiction, I do some revisions while I write, but usually go back through later on for the major revisions. At least I think that’s how I do it - I’m not very good about going back through it, so I have a lot of first drafts hanging around here still………."

From Himani:

"I revise later. It’s hard enough trying to keep the internal critic at bay while I’m writing, why complicate matters by letting it roam free as I write and revise then? But I also have a pretty in-depth way I like to revise works. It includes lists. ;)"

From Rebecca:

"I often drag my feet when it comes time to seriously revise. Like so many others, I am my own worst critic when it comes to my writing. It makes it challenging for me to get past the point of saying, “Oh my gosh, this is terrible. I’ll never write again,” to a color-coded series of passes for various fixes.

Then, more often than not, I’ll shelve the whole project again for another two to twenty-four months and start hating it again. (I had no idea writing was such an angsty process for myself.)"

From Mari:

"I write totally out of order. I write whatever scene, chapter, vignette, etc, is in my head at a given time. And I’m one of those weirdos who writes longhand, to boot.

After I write everything down for today, it goes in the “to be typed pile” for tomorrow. Then, I take the completed chapter printouts (and only after the chapters are “completed”) and put them in page protectors in a 3″ binder. This becomes my “working copy” where I can scribble notes, ask myself questions, write more information/scenes/dialogue etc in the margins or on the backs of the sheets.

The revised, completed copy I make from that “mess” becomes the “readers draft” which goes out to my first readers. ;-)"

From Stephanie:

"I used to print everything and edit longhand. I liked to make little notes and corrections and such with pencil.

I’ve found just in the last few months that using the laptop is much easier for me. I never liked writing on the laptop b/c of the keyboard but since I practiced (by writing), I’m better at it and it’s a better editing tool.

I like to finish, then go back. Once I know where it’s going, I might have changes to make earlier in the piece. When I pick up again, I do like to reread a few pages back and I’ll make minor corrections (on typos, etc.) but if I get caught up in major rewriting, I don’t move forward.

I love creating the original rough draft but I’m also a fan of the editorial process. There’s always a certain amount of letdown when you finish w/ the story. It’s rewarding to revisit the characters, no matter how."

From Tina Chaulk:

"I get whatever I can onto a page (with pen and paper) and then procrastinate revising until everything is done (and my house is clean, the dog is groomed, the roof is patched, the tiles in the bathroom are grouted, the lawn is mowed/driveway is shoveled, the cans are stacked alphabetically in the cupboard, etc)."

Finding a quiet place to write: Idea #241


Wednesday
Nov292006

Interviews, work and a shameless plug

Apologies for the absence of blog posts here; I've had to focus on paying writing gigs, and work has been busy. Please do check out my interview with speculative fiction author Maya Bohnhoff, recently posted in Inkygirl, in which Maya talks about writing, co-writing, and advice for those considering quitting their day jobs to become fulltime writers.

And hey, here are some photos of my friend Erin (one of the editors at Toasted Cheese) modeling one of the writerly yet stylish Will Write For Chocolate t-shirts from my Cafepress store:

Rand and Erin


Erin models her new Will Write For Chocolate shirt
Wednesday
Oct112006

NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month

For those who don't know, next month is NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. The event is a very casual approach to novel writing, in which the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by midnight, November 30th. You're allowed to make notes and outline before November, but you aren't supposed to actually start writing until November 1st. NaNoWriMo was created by Chris Baty, who recently published No Plot? No Problem! : A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days.

I participated in NaNoWriMo a few years back, to help jumpstart my novel-writing, and I wrote the rough copy of a fantasy novel for young people during that month. The event was exactly what I needed; I tend to over-edit as I write, wanting each sentence to be perfect before going on to the next. This makes for slow writing and a lot of frustration.

NaNoWriMo helped me get past the perfectionist block. The first draft of the novel was VERY rough, but at least I had something to work with. Now my NaNoWriMo novel is out circulating at publishing houses, and I keep my fingers crossed. Part of the fun is the commiseration with other writers participating in the event, on the discussion forums and (depending on your location) in person.

The event isn't for everyone. I'd recommend it most strongly for any writer who needs a creative kick in the pants, to get them out of a rut. Yet I've also noticed that published writers are also using NaNoWriMo to get a headstart on new projects, like Michelle Rowen. Previous NaNoWriMo participants have had their novels published by major publishing houses. Hopefully mine will be added to that list soon. :-)

This year, I'm opting to draw cartoons for NaNoWriMo instead of writing a novel; my tendinitis is well under control these days, and I'd rather not push my luck since my current writing is already going well.

What about the rest of you? Are you participating? Why or why not? If you're going to have a NaNoWriMo blog, please post the URL below.

You can find out more about NaNoWriMo at the official Web site. Starting next month, there will also be a NaNoWriMo cartoon by yours truly on the site every weekday.

(A version of the above has been cross-posted to Inkygirl)
Thursday
Sep212006

Why I just subscribed to Publisher’s Weekly

So I've decided to finally sign up for a Publisher's Weekly subscription. I've been resisting for a long time because of the hefty subscription fee (US$239.99 in the U.S., US$299.99 in Canada/Medico, US$399.99 for Int'l Air Delivery). I did try subscribing quite a few years ago, but I found that with regular mail delivery, issues arrived in Canada long after they were available in the U.S.

Now, however, everything can be accessed online. I just wish they offered a cheaper fee for a Web-only subscription.

Here's why I decided to subscribe:

- I got tired of not being able to see full articles.

- The articles are well-researched, so I can count on the accuracy of the information.

- I got tired of relying on second-hand info that referenced Publisher's Weekly. I figured: why not go the source? :-)

- Checking the bestseller lists (my main interest is children's books) on a regular basis gives me an idea of what's selling out there.

- Breaking publishing news. I like to know what editors are moving where, about new imprints, publisher closings.

- PW also publishes some great analytic pieces...taking all the stats and publishing news and summarizing it in terms of what the news means to the publishing industry overall.

- Tales From The Slushpile: a great comic by Ed Briant about the trials and tribulations of a children's book writer.

What about the rest of you? What other subscriptions or memberships have you found useful in your writing career? Please post them below.
Wednesday
Sep132006

Author Web site spotlight: Shannon Hale

I recently received word that one of my novel manuscripts has gotten the ok from an editor, and has been passed up the chain. It's not an acceptance but it's a wee step closer, so I'm excited. Please do cross your fingers for me!

In my last column, I mentioned I was going to occasionally cover
author promotion tips, including how to promote yourself and your work through a Web site. In this column, we're going to look at
the Web site of Shannon Hale, the author of young adult fantasy The Goose Girl and other titles. I adored The Goose Girl when I read it recently, so was curious about checking out Shannon's other titles.

I could have done this through Amazon.com or other online book directories and stores, of course, but I'm also curious about whether an author has a Web site or not; you often get more of a glimpse into the author's personality and life that way than you would from a bare-bones book listing.

The Goose Girl - by Shannon Hale


From the main page alone, without clicking on any of the navigational links, you immediately know about one Shannon's recent projects as well as being able to read a snippet from her most recent blog entry. This site has the look of being frequently updated; I'm more likely to check back sooner than later.

Navigation is straightforward, with the FAQ and "Who Is Shannon" links prominently displayed at the bottom. The leftmost navigation bar looks as if it uses Flash. While it looks very cool, I've always been somewhat torn about the use of Flash...a 3rd party plug-in is required to view it (though most users do have the plug-in) and because many search engines (including Google) can't index Flash animation files. Flash-based pages are also somewhat harder to maintain.

However, use of other text on the page helps with the search engine limitation, and I had no trouble finding Shannon's Web site. The site also wisely offers the reader the option of text-based navigation links along the bottom of each page.

Exploring the site more closely reveals a wealth of interesting and useful information on this site, not just about Shannon and her books, but also about writing. Having this extra content is not only a boon to writers, but it also gets more attention from search engines and more people linking to this site. Someone may come across one of Shannon's articles about writing without knowing anything about her work, but then might get curious after reading the article, decide to explore the rest of the site. There's even a choose-your-own fantasy story!

The info about Shannon's books is also excellent. Take the page about The Goose Girl, for instance, which includes info about how the book got started, deleted material, the original Grimm tale, awards and reviews, discussion guides and exercises, book quizzes and how to buy the book. My only (very small) quibble would be that the page could have used a tad more colour, and would be the perfect place to post the gorgeous cover of The Goose Girl.

And now that I've perused Shannon's site, I'm dying to read her other books.

:-)
Wednesday
Sep062006

Good and bad author promotion

John Blossom has an interesting editorial on Shore.com called Book Publishers Seek Out Fresh Inroads to Online-Driven Markets worth reading. "Book publishers are working hard to improve their online marketing channels for their titles, but ironically they receive the least help in many instances from the authors of those books. Most book author Web sites are weak marketing tools that are designed to do little to help build a reading community or book sales."

I don't agree with all his points, but I do agree that authors can use their Web sites to help promote their work, and that the degree of effectiveness varies widely depending on the Web site and how it's designed and used.

I covered some points several years ago in my author promotion column for Writing-World.com, but technology has improved since then, as have opportunities for writers, so I figure some of these topics are worth covering again, as well as addressing new potential marketing tools that weren't available when I wrote that column, such as blogs.

I'll be posting some of these articles here as well as in Inkygirl, and you'll be able to access the posts in this series through a new category on Inkygirl; I'll post the URL when it's available.

And of course I'll be talking about how NOT to have an author Web site like Mimi's.

:-)
Sunday
Sep032006

Looking for writing jobs on Craigslist: a caution

Apologies for the lack of update last week. Illness and work conspired to prevent a new strip.

This week's blog entry ties in with why I've decided to move the focus of Inkygirl away from regular job listings. Part of the reason is lack of time; I don't get paid to research the job boards, and I no longer comb them regularly for myself anymore since I have enough work without them. There are also plenty of blogs existing nowadays which already do a great job at posting job listings, like Deborah Ng's Freelance Job Listings blog.

But another reason is because I've been discouraged by the quality of jobs offered on Craigslist, which was one of my main source of freelance listings. Although Craiglist conveniently has a separately category of Writing/Editing Jobs for each city, I've found the pay to be low overall. Often pay isn't offered at all, but this isn't made clear in the listing.

Listings tend to be poorly written, riddled with grammatical errors and typos. Yes, this means that the company or individual needs writers...but it also reflects negatively on the reliability of the listing and the company.

I've also noticed a tendency of some companies to post their job listing in multiple city boards, sometimes ALL of them. As a result, they get inundated with applications and questions (especially if they pay anything), which helps explain why many don't bother replying to any of the applicants except for the one they want.

After compiling job listings for Inkygirl for a couple of years, I have some advice for those combing free online job boards like Craigslist:

- Only apply for those positions for which you are absolutely qualified. It'll be a waste of time otherwise, since chances are excellent that at least several people will be applying who WILL have all the qualifications.

- Avoid job boards that don't have a posting date for each listing. You'll have no idea of how long a listing has been online otherwise.

- The "telecommuting" option in the search engine of Craigslist is not reliable. Sometimes it picks up listings that specifically say "NO telecommuting" in the description. Sometimes it misses jobs that are telecommuting. Your best bet is to look for jobs that have potential and then read the listing details.

I'm going to be combing through my Job/market resource list in Inkygirl as well as other job listing sources and provide some updated, detailed reviews. If you have experience using any of the paid job listing resources for writers, I'd be very interested in hearing about it. Please send me e-mail or post below...thanks!
Wednesday
Aug232006

Author Web site survey

Congrats to Teri Walsh for coming up with "Who's Laughing Now," the title of Mimi's new horror novel. Thanks to everyone who sent in suggestions by e-mail and posted comments!

I've finally put together a work portfolio site, by the way. Sadly, I haven't been keeping proper track of my publications so the list is incomplete, but at least I finally have a work Web site. Feel free to visit DebbieOhi.com for information about my writing and illustrating. It's pretty bare bones right now, but I'm hoping to gradually improve it over time.

And that inspired me to start working on a column about author Web sites. Do you have an author Web site? If so, I'd very much appreciate you answering the following questions and either posting or emailing your reply. I'll be compiling the results for a future Will Write For Chocolate column.

1. Your name

2. The URL of your Web site.

3. Purpose of your Web site.

4. Did you create it or hire someone?

5. Has it helped you in your writing career? If so, how?

6. (Optional) What are your favourite author Web sites? What do you like about the Web site(s)?

Thanks!
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