Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Inklings Issue 1.05
=================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Newsletter for Writers on the Net
Issue 1.5 Thursday, November 30th, 1995
=================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0105.html>
In This Issue
-------------
Feature Articles:
----------------
BRAINSTORM OF WAYS TO FIND WRITING JOBS IN MULTIMEDIA
by Anne Hart
THIS ISSUE'S GENRE FOCUS: WRITING FOR CHILDREN
Regular Columns:
----------------
FRESH INK What's new for writers, best of the Web
MARKET Market information
ASK THE BOOK DOCTOR Carol Henson answers reader's questions
WORKSHOP Editing Tips
MAIL BAG Writer's Poll: Most useful reference
books.
If you or a friend subscribed to Inklings and are not receiving
issues when they come out, please check the "Bounced E-mail List"
at http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/ink/deademail.html. If you're on
this list, then I've already tried sending you at least one piece
of mail and it has been returned. Please send me e-mail letting
me know your current e-mail address and I'll put you back on the
list.
This is the fifth issue of Inklings. Within the next few weeks
you will be receiving a Reader's Survey to ask you what you
like/don't like about Inklings and suggestions for improvements.
Please take the time to fill this out... I will use reader
feedback to plan next year's issues. Thanks very much!
- Debbie Ridpath Ohi
(morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca)
=================================================================
This issue sponsored in part by:
* Samurai Consulting * http://www.samurai.com/
Services include internet consulting, WWW page design,
mailing lists, FTP sites, system maintenance, and training.
Contact Bryan Fullerton at bryanf@samurai.com for more info.
=================================================================
FRESH INK
=========
Market Maven
-------------------------------------------
Cynthia Ward writes "The Market Maven" column for
Speculations
magazine (also see Market Info). The Market Maven covers
news and market information in the sf/fantasy field.
The Market Maven
http://www.greyware.com/speculations/weasel.htm
Speculations
http://www.greyware.com/speculations/
Journalist Tracking Network
-------------------------------------------
"New service for the world media, particularly the news
media.
Now broadcasters, news agencies and the press can find
out
exactly where journalists are in the world, enabling fast
and
efficient contact to be made in those circumstances when
time is
of the essence." UK-based. Costs 30 pounds sterling per
year.
Connection sometimes a little slow.
http://www.medianet.co.uk/medianet/jtn/jtn.htm
Mary Soon Lee's Speculative Fiction Page
--------------------------------------------
Mary Soon Lee is an sf/fantasy writer and also runs
writers'
workshops. Her site contains useful info for sf/fantasy
writers,
such as "How do I find out about sf/fantasy/horror
markets?",
and "How do I go about submitting short stories?".
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mslee/wr.html
Typing Injury FAQ
--------------------------------------------
Contains an enormous amount of info about typing
injuries,
how to prevent them, treatments, and so on. Anyone who
spends
a lot of time at the keyboard should check this site out.
Also includes info on related publications, mailing
lists,
newsgroups, links, keyboard alternatives, software
monitoring
tools, furniture information, alternative pointing
devices.
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~dwallach/tifaq/
The Womack Web
---------------------------------------------
Home page of Edgar Award winning Steven Womack, with news
of
interest of mystery readers and writers.
http://users.aol.com/dfblooz/aolweb.html
PlainTalk Literary Agency
-------------------------
UK-based. Currently seeking authors with completed
fiction or
non-fiction books. Does not critique or edit ("It is our
view
that agencies that do offer these services are probably
making
their money out of authors rather than by negotiating
good
contracts with publishers.") FAQ, answers to AAR's
Checklist
Questions, Do's and Don'ts, other info available at the
website:
http://www.eclipse.co.uk/~re8463/
Or send inquiries (queries only, please) to:
Bob.Ellis@mail.eclipse.co.uk
MARKET INFO
===========
Speculations Magazine
--------------------------------------
Speculations is "a magazine for writers who wish to break
into or increase their presence within the science
fiction, fantasy, horror, poetry, or 'other' speculative
fiction genres". They are currently seeking non-fiction
articles.
Query first. Pays 3-10 cents a word for articles up to
2000 words.
Reprints considered at a lower rate of pay.
Prefers e-mail correspondence:
Sasha Miller at 76702.2032@compuserve.com
Snailmail (Editorial matters only):
Speculations
PO Box 25369
Colorado Springs, CO 80936-5369
Subscription inquiries should be directed to:
Speculations, 1111 West El Camino Real, Suite #109-400
Sunnyvale, CA 94087-1057
Speculations website:
http://www.greyware.com/speculations/
Terra Incognita
-------------------------------------
New Science Fiction Magazine: Terra Incognita has lengthy
guidelines and "a two-page [reader's] prospectus"
available. Send
SASE to PO Box 30759, Philadelphia, PA 19104-0759 or
request
guidelines from TerrIncog@aol.com (no electronic
submissions).
"We pay 1-2 cents/word for stories and articles, $5-25
for book
reviews" plus "a year's subscription to Terra Incognita
[and] two
extra [contributor's] copies."
(info courtesy "The Market Maven" from Speculations
Magazine,
see above listing).
Recursive Angel
--------------------------------------
Recursive Angel is a monthly online zine that publishes
poetry,
fiction, and art. Prefers experimental topics and
content.
POETRY: Should be sent in batches no larger than 4 poems
per
author. Mail to 3468441@mcimail.com with "Poetry
Submission"
in the subject header. Pays $4 for poems up to 25 lines,
25
cents per additional line.
PROSE/FICTION: Max 1500 words, max one story at a time.
Mail to 3468441@mcimail.com with "Fiction Submission" in
the
subject header. Pays $10 U.S.
http://www.calldei.com/~recangel/
Dr. Dobb's Journal
--------------------------------------
DDJ is a hardcopy magazine for serious programmers. They
seek
good technical articles on any subject, particularly if
the
articles deal with a theme of an upcoming issue.
"If you have an article idea, the best way to find out if
it
is workable is to contact the editor and ask. Call
Jonathan
Erickson at 415-655-4178, via FAX at 415-358-9749, or
email
at 76704.50@compuserve.com. You will then most
likely be asked to submit a written proposal of your
idea."
Responds in a few weeks.
Snailmail address:
Dr. Dobb's Journal
411 Borel Ave., Suite 100
San Mateo, CA 94402
DDJ Writer's Guidelines
http://www.ddj.com/old/ddjw009f.htm
Seeking media journalists
-----------------------------------------
ONLINE JOURNALISTS Infinet Co. is seeking innovative new
media
journalists to help lead newspapers into online
publishing.
Positions include an EDITOR to manage training and
editorial
consulting for newspapers launching World Wide Web sites.
An
EDITORIAL PRODUCTS MANAGER and MULTIMEDIA COPY EDITORS to
provide content services to newspapers. And a MULTIMEDIA
DESIGNER/ARTIST to keep our presentations on the cutting
edge.
Infinet is an internet access and publishing company that
partners with newspapers across the nation. It is a joint
venture between Knight-Ridder and Landmark
Communications.
Send Resumes to Human Resources, 801 Boush St., Norfolk,
VA
23510 or e-mail to employ@infi.net
(above posted on 11/27/95 to the E&P; Classifieds at
http://www.mediainfo.com/edpub/ep/classi.htm)
ASK THE BOOK DOCTOR
================================================================
Carol Henson is a Book Doctor/editor/author cruising the 'net on
a regular basis and would be happy to respond to your questions
about Book Doctors, editing, writing, etc.
Send your questions to Carol Henson at UBKX12C@Prodigy.com with
the subject header: "Book doctor question". Carol will answer
selected questions in future issues.
Q: What exactly is involved in having my book "doctored"? - AP
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dear AP,
The first thing you need to know about a book doctor, before you
hire
one, is whether or not you actually NEED a book doctor. Believe
it or
not, I've used editors myself for my own books. Usually when
I've had
enough of trying to FIX my manuscript myself. The next step is
to find
out if you like the way the book doctor/editor edits your stuff.
I
offer a free 5-10 page edit, just so the author can get a feel
for what
I'm going to do to the manuscript. After you've sent in your
pages and
received them back, check them over and see if the editor has
made
meaningful improvements to the manuscript. It should flow
better, be
easier to read and, ideally, make you forget you're reading. I
call
that "reader comfort." Reader comfort is often a difficult thing
for a
writer to achieve. Almost everyone is hung up on grammar and
punctuation and they forget all about whether or not the reader
is
having fun, or is "comfortable" with what you've written. IF YOU
CAN
TALK YOU CAN WRITE, is one of my favorite books about writing and
goes
into detail about what I think is the major SECRET behind a good,
readable book.
After you've decided the book doctor has helped your manuscript,
then
arrangements are made to pay the book doctor (which is very nice
for
the book doctor!<g>). I ask for half the full amount
agreed upon up
front, before I start. When I return the first half of the
manuscript,
the remaining amount is due. When I'm finished with the second
half of
the manuscript, I send it back and wait for the author to make
the
suggested corrections, then I usually ask for the entire thing
back so
I can see it as a single component. There are lots of variations
to
this depending on what the author wants. Most of all, make sure
you
and the book doctor are on the same wave link. That can only
come by
getting a FREE sample.
Q: I believe I have an idea that would be perfect for a CD ROM
project. Do you know of any resources or guidelines to help
someone
contact Multimedia production companies? - NS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----
Dear NS,
CD ROM projects seem to be the hot, new topic these days.
Unfortunately, I've never been involved in any personally. I do
know
that if you're cruising the Web, you'll see lots of messages
regarding
CD ROM projects. Inklings Newsletter for Writers on the Web had
several ads for people looking for writers and illustrators.
I'll have
to fall back on my usual answer when someone is looking for
guidelines
and resources... the Public Library. Most librarians keep up to
date
on the current reference publications out there. Of course, the
internet is also a good resource and you might trying searching
Yahoo
or Lycos search engines and see what you can come up with. If
you do
find out anything about this hot, new topic, would you let ME
know?
Thanks.
WORKSHOP: EDITING TIPS
================================================================
compiled by Lee Wardlaw (katknip2@aol.com)
for one of her writing classes
1. Cut meaningless words such as: so, just, oh, however, well,
then and but.
Example: "Well, when are you coming home?" she asked.
"Oh, I don't know," he answered.
2. Avoid beginning sentences with 'and' and 'but'.
3. Avoid weak modifiers ('helping words' that have lost their
power from overuse) such as: now, seemed, really, even,
started,
some, always, right, such, very, all, certainly, definitely,
exactly, anyway, this, and that.
Example: NOW Krista ALWAYS SEEMED REALLY excited whenever
SOME cute-LOOKING guy said hello to her RIGHT there
in the cafeteria.
4. Avoid hedging or waffly words that dilute or tone down a
statement, such as: sort of, kind of, a little, perhaps,
somewhat, began to/started to (use these only when showing
interrupted action), usually, probably, maybe, rather, fairly,
perhaps, quite, look, looking, -ish and seeming.
Example: Zack was RATHER tall, with LONG-ISH, messy LOOKING
hair which SEEMED to SORT OF cascade around his
shoulders PERHAPS like a lion's mane.
5. Watch use of 'had' in flashbacks or past tense -- too many
are cumbersome. Use one 'had' to take you into the flashback,
one 'had' to bring you back.
6. Be aware that _what_ is happening in a scene is usually
more important than _when_ it's happening. Avoid clogging
sentences with "Time" words, such as: first, next, then,
finally, suddenly, after that, for a while, in a minute, etc.
Example: Brittany FIRST opened her lunch box. THEN she took
out a sandwich and IN A MINUTE unwrapped the
cellophane. FINALLY she took a bite and AFTER THAT
began to chew. FOR A WHILE she ate silently, and
THEN SUDDENLY she swallowed.
7. Avoid passive voice. Whenever possible, change 'was' or 'were'
to a more active verb. This will spark action, move the
sentence quickly and add vivid color to your writing.
Example: Change "Jared was angry" to "Jared clenched his fists
in anger"
8. In tense or frightening scenes, use short, choppy sentences
and clipped dialogue to echo the beat of the character's --
and
the reader's -- heart.
9. Avoid adverbs; they are the sign of an amateur. Actions speak
louder than adverbs.
Example: Change "'I hate you!' Krista said angrily"
to "'I hate you!' Krista shouted."
The latter sentence _shows_ us her anger, rather than telling
us.
10. Trim adjectives. Don't use three or four when one (or two)
will do!
Example: He pulled the CRISP, PINK, FLOWERED, LINEN sheets
over his head.
11. Watch the use of 'down' and 'up'.
Example: It isn't necessary to say 'he sat down' or 'he stood
up'.
What other way of sitting and standing are there?!
12. Avoid overuse of laughter, smiles and frowns. People have
a multitude of facial expressions -- use them!
13. Watch for the roving, disembodied 'eye'.
Example: "His gaze traveled along her body" sounds better
than
"His eyes traveled along her body".
14. Use more active verbs that best characterize the people in
your story. A six-year-old won't "walk" somewhere; she'll
scamper, scuttle, skip, inch, creep, toddle, etc.
15. Read each chapter aloud to catch word echoes, awkward
phrasing,
false-sounding dialogue, run-on sentences, slow paragraphs,
etc.
16. Make sure that every word, phrase, detail, sentence and
paragraph advances and tightens your story.
17. TRIM-CUT-PARE!
---------------------------------
Lee Wardlaw is the author of 15 books for young readers, ranging
from
picture books to young adult novels. Titles include THE TALES OF
GRANDPA CAT (illustrated by Ronald Searle) and SEVENTH-GRADE
WEIRDO.
BUBBLEMANIA and 101 WAYS TO BUG YOUR PARENTS will be coming out
in 1996.
Lee lives in Santa Barbara, California.
A full bibliography is available at:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/inkspot/a-lee.html
BRAINSTORM OF WAYS TO FIND WRITING JOBS IN MULTIMEDIA
=====================================================
by Anne Hart, M.A. (wfst@cts.com)
Multimedia applications are spreading rapidly. Only about 1.8% of
the fastest-growing companies are high-tech themselves, leaving
98.2% to the applications of high-tech. That's why the
instructional and info-tainment multimedia markets require so
much how-to writing. There are opportunities in multimedia for
writers of fiction too, as the medium requires original stories
with multiple choices of branching narratives and a variety of
endings for different age and interest groups. Here are some
suggestions on how to break into this growing business.
1. Find a new, small multimedia company and ask to be their
writer. Put your writing on CD-ROM used for instructional
purposes or info-tainment. Join all the multimedia societies and
associations to find prospective employers, and advertise in the
multimedia magazines that you're in the market looking for
writing work.
2. Attend multimedia conventions and volunteer to be on the
panel of speakers on the subject of writing for the multimedia
markets. Or help out on the panel of speakers on multimedia
writing by selecting speakers. Best of all, teach a course in
multimedia writing at the local extended studies program in any
college, so people will recognize you as an expert. Call the
college and ask for the course development programming director.
Then submit a proposal on teaching a one or two day course on
how to write for the new media markets.
3. If there are no multimedia conferences or panels in your
area, rent a room in a college and ask 4 - 8 speakers to
volunteer to talk about multimedia in an all-day conference.
Offer them a chance to present before a captive audience and to
sell their products and services or at least demonstrate them.
Invite executives, entrepreneurs, students, as well as the
public at large to take a free or low-cost course on multimedia
and the future, writing for the new media, etc. Don't charge
more than $20 a person on your first outing -- if you have
self-published writing guides to sell or are seeking a publisher
yourself, hold a free presentation in a local bookstore.
4. Watch the trends and follow the baby boomers as they pass
through the python in locating markets for multimedia writing.
Transport your skills because your skills or ability is your
only job security in the electronic writing market. Contact
online news publishers and offer a continuing column on what
makes people tick at work, particularly in the new media
industries.
5. Many employers subscribe to online news and trade journal
services for their employees. So articles on behavior and trends
or new products pertaining to the workplace are consumed. To
read up on the evolution of trends in multimedia, subscribe to
research firms' studies on "hot industries" within multimedia
that are developing or will develop in the near future. And make
sure to always look into the application of technology as well
as the production of technology.
----------------------------
This article is reprinted with permission. It can be found at:
http://www.careermag.com/careermag/newsarts/jobsearch/1051.html
Anne Hart is the author of 40 how-to books (including the
bestseller WINNING RESUMES FOR COMPUTER PERSONNEL (Barron's, NY
94)) and 6 novels and writes fulltime as her only
profession--since 1963. This is an excerpt from her extensive
writings on how to write for the new media and careers in the
new media. She is also a columnist. Her web page contains a
number of useful articles and can be found at:
http://www.learncd.com/browse/jgraves/hart/hart.htm
Anne Hart can be reached at wfst@cts.com.
THIS ISSUE'S GENRE FOCUS: WRITING FOR CHILDREN
=====================================================
The Children's Writing Resource Center is maintained by the
people
who publish "The Children's Book Insider" newsletter and was
nominated for the GNN's 1995 "Best of the Net" award. This site
is packed with practical market information and writing tips,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about writing for children,
submission information, writer's surveys, links to other writing
resources. They also host a mailing list/discussion group about
writing and illustrating for children.
Children's Writing Resource Center
http://www.mindspring.com/~cbi/
How to join the children's writing/illustrating mailing
list: Send e-mail to majordomo@lists.mindspring.com with
"subscribe childrens-writing" or "subscribe
childrens-writing-digest" (digest version comes to your
mailbox once a day instead of in individual messages.)
Harold Underdown (hdu@interport.net) has written a number of
useful articles for children's writers and illustrators, and has
made these available in his web page. These articles include
"Really Basic Info for Writers and Illustrators", "The Internet
for Children's Writers and Illustrators", "Writing Multicultural
Children's Books", and "Getting Out Of The Slush Pile". There are
also sample writers' and artists' guidelines as well as articles
about trends in book sales and New York for writers.
Articles for Children's Writers and Illustrators (and
others)
http://www.users.interport.net/~hdu/articles.html
The Writer's Edge is an excellent writer's resource, and has a
section devoted to resources for children's writers. Includes
many snailmail addresses for potential markets as well as URLs.
Resources for Writers of Children's Fiction and
Non-Fiction
http://www.Nashville.Net/~edge/juvenile.html
The Writer's Edge
http://www.Nashville.Net/~edge/index.html
The Children's Literature Web Site has been around on the Web for
as
long as I can remember. David K. Brown is director of the
Doucette
Library of Teaching resources and has done an amazing job of
collecting
links and information about children's lit. This is one of my top
five
All-Time Favourite Web Sites. A more detailed article about David
Brown
and his site will appear in a future issue.
There are several sections in this site of specific use to
writers,
including "Resources for Writers and Illustrators", and
"Children's
Publishers and Booksellers on the Internet", but even those who
don't
write for children are sure to enjoy exploring the many links
related to
books, parents, storytellers, education. In my humble opinion,
it's
worth getting web access just for this one site.
Children's Literature Web Site
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
I feel a little guilty about plugging my own website in this
newsletter, but Inkspot DID start out as a resource specifically
for children's writers.
Inkspot
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/inkspot/
POLL RESULTS: MOST USEFUL WRITERS' REFERENCE BOOKS
==================================================
Last issue, I asked you what your most useful writers' reference
books were. The following titles were listed the most frequently:
WRITING DOWN THE BONES by Natalie Goldberg
WRITER'S MARKET
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White
BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott (Pantheon Books ISBN 0-679-43520-4)
THE WRITING LIFE by Annie Dillard, Harper & Row, NY
ON WRITING WELL by William Zinsser
SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Renni Browne and Dave King
(Harper Perennial)
The most popular thesaurus listed was Roget's, the most popular
dictionaries were the Oxford and Webster's.
Other listings included:
Any reference book by Lawrence Block
AP STYLEBOOK
THE ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron
AWP JOURNAL
BARTLETT'S FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS
BENET'S READER ENCYCLOPEDIA
BEYOND JENNIFER AND JASON by Rosenkrantz and Satran
BREWSTER'S DICTIONARY OF 20TH CENTURY PHRASE AND FABLE
CHARACTERS AND VIEWPOINT by Orson Scott Card
CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE
COLLECTED WORKS OF E.E. CUMMING
CRITICAL PRACTICE by Catherine Belsey
DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS FROM SHAKESPEARE by Miner & Rawson
HANDBOOK OF GOOD ENGLISH by Edward D. Johnson
HODGES' HARBRACE COLLEGE HANDBOOK
HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL I & II by James N. Frey
HOW TO WRITE LIKE AN EXPERT ON JUST ABOUT ANYTHING
INFORMATION PLEASE ALMANAC
I.P. SPORTS ALMANAC
LITERARY TERMS AND LITERARY THEORY
MAKE YOUR WORDS WORK by Gary Provost (Writer's Digest Books)
NY PUBLIC LIBRARY REFERENCE
ON WRITING by Ernest Hemingway
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
REVISING FICTION by Madden
SCIENCE FICTION WRITER'S WORKSHOP, VOL. I by Barry Longyear
SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL by Lou Willett Stanek (Avon
Reference)
THE GREGG REFERENCE MANUAL by William A. Sabin
THE RISE OF THE NOVEL by Ian Wyatt
THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED ALMANAC
THE SYNONYM FINDER by J.I. Rodale
THE TRANSITIVE VAMPIRE
THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE 1800s by Marc
McCutcheon
THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES by
Sherrilyn Kenyon
TOUNGE AND QUILL - USAF pamphlet
VISUAL DICTIONARY (Facts On File Publications, NY)
WEBSTER'S STANDARD AMERICAN STYLE MANUAL
WHAT IF? by Bernays and Painter (Harper Collins)
WILD MIND by Natalie Goldberg
WORD MENU TURNING LIFE INTO FICTION by Robin Hemley
WORDFINDER AND THE PHRASE FINDER published by Rodale Press
WRITING FICTION by Jane Burroway (Harper Collins)
WRITING FOR YOUR LIFE by Deena Metzger
SOFTWARE:
Grammar and Style References on Windows Ô95 (Word 7.0)
American Heritage Deluxe Edition
FictionMaster (Sol Stein)
WriterÕs Edge (Idea Fisher)
GrolierÕs Encyclopedia
Crawford-Grammar
(Please note I will be doing a writer's poll on useful software
in
a future issue of Inklings)
To see the full list of responses and comments re: above books,
please see:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/ink/poll2results.html
NEXT POLL: MARKET INFORMATION SOURCES
=====================================
Question:
--------
What are your best sources of market information?
Please send your answer to morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca with
"writers poll #3" in the subject header or fill out the
form available at http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/ink/poll3.html
===========================================================
EDITOR: Debbie Ridpath Ohi (morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca)
COPY EDITOR: Cathy Rutland (cathyr@rom.on.ca)
Subscribers are welcome to recirculate or reprint Inklings for
nonprofit
use as long as the appropriate credit is given and the ENTIRE
text of
the newsletter is included (including credits and information at
the end
of each issue). Other cases should contact me at
morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca or ohi@interlog.com. All articles
copyrighted
by their authors.
Inklings is a free newsletter for writers on the net and is
published
every 2-3 weeks. For more info, please e-mail:
morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca
or see http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/ink/inklings.html
WWW-VL: Writer's Resources on the Web:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/www/writesource.html
INKSPOT: Resources for Children's Writers:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/inkspot/
To subscribe send e-mail to majordomo@samurai.com with "subscribe
inklings" in the message body. To unsubscribe, use "unsubscribe
inklings". Find out more info with "info inklings".
==========================================================
