why write? - jan. 19, 2016
TRANSCRIPT
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Coronado Adult EducationSpring 2016Why Write?
January 19, 2016
A Few Preliminaries….
• Three promises:– This will be a fast-paced two hours– We’ll learn something…and we’ll have fun– You’ll have access to these slides…take notes…or not….
• Three assumptions:– You all are interested in writing as a hobby or avocation– That includes articles of all kinds as well as books– You didn’t wake up last Tuesday morning with this notion
Course Content & Why Write?
• Why This Course?• Why Are You Here?
• We’ll Talk about the course content & objectives• We’ll all get a sense of why each of us are here
• We’ll look at writing from the 100,000 ft. level• Then we’ll look at some tricks of the trade
Why This Course?
• Writing anything is a journey• Most of us who do this have been mentored• I’ve been doing this for four decades• It might be beneficial to package what I’ve learned• This is the second time I’ve done this• We’ll learn how to do this together
Homework Assignment
• Tell us all a two minute "story of your life." A good place to start is: "I was born at a very young age."
• Tell us what you read in the last year (book, article, op-ed etc.) that inspired or moved you, or at least made you think.
• What is your top aspirational goal for writing (anthology, magazine article, non-fiction book, newspaper op-ed, etc.).
Some Suggested Ground Rules
• We can conduct this seminar anywhere along a spectrum• Some ground rules I’ve found helpful in courses I’ve taken:
– Interactive– Participatory– Mutual learning– Constant feedback
• Homework – but it is all voluntary• Opportunities to take your game to the next level• The “Golden Rule” for your fellow attendees• A word about power point• Slides available on my website after each session
Great…so now that the administrative “stuff” is out of the way, what will we cover in these six weeks?
Course Construct
• Seminar One: Why Write?• Seminar Two: First - and Essential - Steps• Seminar Three: Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market• Seminar Four: “The Great American Novel”• Seminar Five: Establishing an Online Presence• Seminar Six: Social Media - Challenges and Opportunities
Seminar One: Why Write?
• History is what writers say it is• Picking your medium• A building block approach• Due diligence the easy way
Seminar Two: First - and Essential - Steps
• Content-hungry media• Recycling and building content• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for
both parties• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of
collaboration
Seminar Three:Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market
• Being - or becoming - the expert?• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen?• Scratching itches - or entertaining?• How much to tell and what’s next?
Seminar Four:“The Great American Novel”
• Great or not-so-great? What you need to know getting started
• Mainstream or genre? Which way should you go?• Defining your audience and picking a “voice” and
point of view• Getting the sale
Seminar Five:Establishing an Online Presence
• What makes yours unique?• Beating the competition for “eyes”• Balancing content and entertainment• Doing-it-yourself…or…?
Seminar Six:Social Media-Challenges and Opportunities• Everyone is doing it• Vote early and often• Building a following• Sustaining momentum
…Whew!...now that we’ve had an overarching look at the course, let’s get into the first seminar…but first…
some suggested exit criteria….
Suggested Exit Criteria
• Learn something useful you can apply now• Focus on what kind of writing you’d like to do• Have fun doing it rather than make it a chore• Develop your network among your classmates
Why Write?
“History is what the historians and writers say it is.”
Norman Polmar(Forty books – and
counting)
Why Write?
• History is what writers say it is – what you say it is• Picking your medium• A suggested building block approach• Due diligence the easy way• If you do nothing else – Bill Terry
“There are authors and artists and then again there are writers and painters.”
Ian FlemingHow to Writer a Thriller
I keep six honest serving-men(They taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.
Rudyard KiplingThe Elephant’s Child
Some Things to Consider Before You Write
• Who are you writing for?• What are you going to write?• Where are you going to write?• When are you going to write?• Why are you going to write?• How are you going to write?
So Many Outlets – So Little Time
• A wide array of online media• Newsletters• Alumni magazines• Professional journals• Popular magazines• Newspapers• Portions of non-fiction books• Non-fiction books• Short stories• Novels – of all kinds
“Now, if you’re getting all fired up and ready to pound the keys, I might inject a word of caution. Actually, this word comes from my wife. For most of us, writing is not a team sport. An article for a trade journal or a short story is no big deal, but if you find yourself writing a long piece or a book, you probably ought to have a chat with your spouse. For most of us, writing means closing off the other people in your life for several hours a day and it’s something you may want to talk about before you begin.”
Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993
With That Caution in Mind
• Telling stories – the oldest profession• Telling stories – like your life depended on it!• We all grew up on stories• Life is a narrative• The test: So you’re in a bar with your friends…
One Way of Approaching This
• Article in alumni magazine• Article in professional journal• Newspaper articles• Non-fiction books• Mass-market paperback novels• Conference proceedings• Best-selling novels• ….
Mr. Clancy said none of his success came easily, and he would remind aspiring writers of that when he spoke to them. “I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf,” he once said. “You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired — it’s hard work.”
Tom ClancyQuoted in the New York TimesOctober 2, 2013
Due diligence the Easy Way
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or tools to write.”
Stephen King(49 books – and counting)
Due Diligence the Easy Way
• Newsletters in your professional niche• Popular magazines in your interest areas• Books that offer a compendium of information• Books that focus on a single niche• The next step – novelizing what you do• It’s all in the library stacks!
If You Write Nothing Else
My Personal Hero: and What Made Him So
Helpful Resources
• Writers on Writing (I)• Writers on Writing (II)• NYT Book Review• NYT Book Review – Last Page
And finally….
“Some men want to die with their boots on. When I cash in my chips, I want to be slumped over the keyboard. And they can plant me with my word processor. I may wake up and want to write about it.”
Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993
Next Week
First - and Essential - Steps
• Content-hungry media• Recycling and building content• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for
both parties• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of
collaboration
Optional Homework Assignmentfor Next Week
• A significant number of writers who eventually write books begin their careers by writing for journals and magazines
• Pick a magazine you enjoy, and write a short letter to the editor pitching your idea for an article
• Send it to me by Sunday night and I’ll put in into our slides for next Tuesday – tell me whether to use your name on it or not
• Don’t struggle with this – give yourself no more than thirty minutes
Note:No class on February 2
Will slip all classes one week to the right
Backups….
Why Are You Here?
• Writing is about telling stories – it’s about the narrative
• All of us have our own narratives – and that in itself is story
• Let’s all tell the story of our lives in three minutes. Suggest starting: “I was born at a very young age.”
• Some things you might include:
The Story of My Life in Three Minutes
• Where born• Family (X-generation, siblings, etc.)• Where you grew up• Where you went to school• How you happened to be in California in 2015• What you hope to get out of this course