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 Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Hazards of Oversharing
Posted by maria
Hi Writers,
I am so very glad that the blogsophere didn't yet exist when I was a teenager/ twentysomething. Reading the New York Times magazine essay about blogger Emily Gould only amplified this feeling. I'm quite sure if I had acceses to a blog when I was 20 all of the stupid details of my youth would be forever digitally chronicled the way Emily's are.
Here's one brief excerpt from her long, long essay Exposed:
One of the strangest and most enthralling aspects of personal blogs is just how intensely personal they can be. I’m talking “specific details about someone’s S.T.D.’s” personal, “my infertility treatments” personal. There are nongynecological overshares, too: “My dog has cancer” overshares, “my abusive relationship” overshares.
It’s easy to draw parallels between what’s going on online and what’s going on in the rest of our media: the death of scripted TV, the endless parade of ordinary, heavily made-up faces that become vaguely familiar to us as they grin through their 15 minutes of reality-show fame. No wonder we’re ready to confess our innermost thoughts to everyone: we’re constantly being shown that the surest route to recognition is via humiliation in front of a panel of judges.
But is that really what’s making people blog? After all, online, you’re not even competing for 10 grand and a Kia. I think most people who maintain blogs are doing it for some of the same reasons I do: they like the idea that there’s a place where a record of their existence is kept — a house with an always-open door where people who are looking for you can check on you, compare notes with you and tell you what they think of you. Sometimes that house is messy, sometimes horrifyingly so. In real life, we wouldn’t invite any passing stranger into these situations, but the remove of the Internet makes it seem O.K.
This essay is a cautionary tale about the dangers of "oversharing" as Emily says. Writers, bloggers—especially you young ones—remember to be cautious when you're writing online about your private life. This isn't the way you want to be famous.
Have you ever over-shared on a blog? Did you regret it?
Keep Writing,
Maria
blogs and online writing
5/28/2008 9:50:14 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Kill Your Darlings (and other terrifying advice)
Posted by maria
Hi Writers, Following up on my previous post, the Ira Glass storytelling video, there were some interesting comments on the forum. I mentioned that I really took to what Glass had to say about killing much of your work so that the best can live. And this brought up the anxiety-inducing advice that all writers get early in their careers, "Murder your Darlings" aka "Kill your Darlings." I've heard this quote attitributed to everyone from Mark Twain to James Patrick Kelly—if anyone knows the correct source/attribution for this idiom, please share. I still remember the shudder that went up my spine the first time I heard "Murder your Darlings" from an English professor (English professors love this quote). And I've been pondering the meaning of it ever since. As a writer, of course, it seems cruel and harsh to cut out your loveliest well-turned phrases—your most eloquent lines. But I have to say, as an editor, I have no problem at all at seeing and cutting out other writers darlings. So how do you feel about murdering your darlings? Do you subscribe to this timeless writing advice? Keep Writing, Maria
writing technique
5/27/2008 9:26:51 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ira Glass on Storytelling
Posted by maria
Hi Writers, I want to share this wonderful, instructional video I came across: Ira Glass on the art of storytelling. I'm a huge NPR "This American Life" fan and I also recommend "This American Life" on Showtime, which I suppose you might call short video stories of real people. The following video was produced to educate aspiring video producers (via Current TV). Glass gives such a great description of the storytelling process, demystifying it and breaking it down into understandable pieces. Good to know whether you're communicating through writing, video, radio or podcasts—good storytelling is good storytelling. The series is broken down into four parts and I'm posting #1 here. You can watch all four parts in less than 15 minutes. Parts 2-4 will show up in the Related Videos on the You Tube page. Let me know what you think... Keep Writing, Maria
journalism | the writing life | writing technique
5/22/2008 9:10:21 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Writing through Recession
Posted by maria
Hi Writers,
Well, I have to admit to feeling more than the usual post-Catholic-childhood guilt lately. Not only is there a global economic recession and I'm actually employed in a volatile industry; The Ultimate Cheapskate (below) yelled at me for my fondness for expensive, frothy espresso drinks.
You could argue that there's never really been a positive economic forecast for those of us in the writing professions and perhaps the rest of the world is feeling just a taste of our everyday financial challenges.
I was wondering specifically how the recession is affecting writers, and I want to hear from you. Are you getting fewer bites on your queries? Spending less time at your favorite writing cafe because you're financially embarrassed? Going to fewer writing conferences? Get it out, it's good to share.
As for me, I'm thinking about switching back to plain old drip coffee just to make The Ultimate Cheapskate happy.
Keep Writing,
Maria
the writing life
5/20/2008 10:57:15 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, May 16, 2008
Maria Gets Cheap
Posted by maria
Hi Writers, I met up with one of my favorite WD forumistas this morning at the Joseph-Beth bookstore here in Cincy—the one and only "Ultimate Cheapskate" (aka Jeff Yeager). Jeff has been pedaling his bike around the country on a book tour to spread his gospel of cheapness. You can read all about Jeff and his amusingly cheap ways on The Ultimate Cheapskate website. You might also catch one of his regular guest appearances on the "Today" show. Among the ways Jeff is making his booktour extra cheap is by sleeping on the couches of random strangers and he donates the money saved on lodging to local libraries. Not sure I'd recommend this strategy but it seems to be working for him. Pictured here: * Jeff handing me the check for our coffee, which I kept, um, forgetting to pay. "You know, you actually have to pay those things when they bring them to you. It's not like a hymnal," Jeff said. * The Ultimate Cheapskate touring bike (which I think might just be a prop since I saw him load it into the back of his minivan, shhh!) There's a plastic piggy bank strapped to the back that I got to sign. * Jeff with his ultra-primo display space at Joseph-Beth Bookstore. As Jeff says, "Stay Cheap!" It's a good way for a writer to live, isn't it now. Keep Writing, Maria   ![]() 
the writing life
5/16/2008 2:00:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Procrastination vs. Writer's Block
Posted by maria
Hi Writers, There's a great piece in Slate " It's All in My Head" by Jessica Winter, that attempts to make a distinction between procrastination and writer's block focusing on the work—and lack thereof—of famous writers of the past such as Truman Capote. Here's an excerpt: Neurologist Alice Flaherty attempts a working distinction between procrastination and block—the fearsome Orthrus of the creative process—in her 2004 book The Midnight Disease: The Drive To Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain:
"A blocked writer has the discipline to stay at the desk but cannot
write. A procrastinator, on the other hand, cannot bring himself to sit
down at the desk; yet if something forces him to sit down he may write
quite fluently." But don't these two scenarios amount to different
performances of the same role? Every seasoned procrastinator loves to
tell himself that, amid his flurry of avoidance strategies—rearranging
the furniture in his office, pitching himself into a YouTube rabbit
hole, surrendering to a fit of self-Googling—his brain is secretly
marinating ideas and hatching plans. (As the underground narrator of Invisible Man
puts it, "A hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt
action.") Surely this percolation process is also happening inside the
"blocked" writer, even if he's motionless in his swivel chair?
My goodness, think of the trouble Capote et al. would have had if they had the Internet! Keep Writing, Maria
the writing life
5/15/2008 9:12:15 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Send Us To Your Site!
Posted by maria
Hi Writers,
Now is the time to bring your website to the attention of the WD editors. We're taking nominations for the best writer's website to feature in the October issue of Writer's Digest.
Here are the details:
We’re looking for the writer with the best personal website or blog that was created and is maintained without outside help. Sites will be judged on presentation, ease of use and marketing effectiveness. Send your nominations—and don’t be shy; you can nominate your own site—to writersdig@fwpubs.com with “Best Writer’s Site” in the subject line. The deadline is June 10.
Sites will be judged by Writer’s Digest editors. The top 10 sites will be listed in our October issue, in our e-newsletter and on WritersDigest.com. The writer with the best site will receive a one-year subscription to writersmarket.com and a subscription to Writer’s Digest; the nine runners-up will receive one-year subscriptions to Writer’s Digest.
If you post a link to your website in the comments section of this entry, I'll make sure your website ends up in the running. So let's see your sites!
Keep Writing,
Maria
blogs and online writing | Writer's Digest news
5/13/2008 9:54:10 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, May 09, 2008
Journalism: Breaking In
Posted by maria
Hi Writers,
To
follow up on my last post about landing a journalism career, I asked
our newly hired managing editor, Zac Petit—who graduated from J-school
three years ago—to share his thoughts.
Here's Zac:
Ahh,
journalism—long hours, low pay, shrinking newsrooms, coffee overdoses,
sadistic deadlines, weekends spent covering garage sales boasting
glamorous taglines such as “world’s largest.” But don’t fret.
There’s
also a glorious upside: seeing your first 1A story, building
impenetrable staff camaraderie with your “war” buddies, getting paid to
write and edit regularly, seeing readers take an interest in your work,
knowing you didn’t get a job in mathematics.
Journalism can
either be your worst nightmare or your best friend. For many
professionals, it’s both. As one writer here put it, “Basically if you
want to go into journalism you have to look at it as a calling. … you
have to do it because you love it, and live it, or else it’s not for
you.”
My advice? If you’re just starting out and you don’t have
any strong connections or solid clips, start small. Try a newspaper, a
routine launching pad for scores of media professionals and authors
(including greats like Ernest Hemingway and Kurt Vonnegut). For me, a
jaunt out to a small rural daily was an ideal place to quickly learn
the trade. Not only was it a journalism boot camp, but it also provided
a rare opportunity to experience everything in the profession at once,
from basic reporting and photography to advancement in bigger beats (in
newspaper jargon, beats are basically your hallowed turf, such as the
police or county government beat). If you work hard, lose a little
sleep, get all your facts right and build some solid clips, often you
can be out and on your way to a bigger publication in a year.
As
for the college degree, it may not be necessary at every publication,
but it definitely helps. A quick glance at the reporter hub
JournalismJobs.com affirms that most places require a journalism or
mass communications credential as a prerequisite. If you’re in a
college journalism program, embrace internships, write for the school
paper and seek out some freelance opportunities. If you’re not
enrolled, do everything you can for starter clips, experience and
connections: Write for free, network and talk to professionals to gain
an understanding of the industry. When it comes to that first
journalism gig, these are the things publications will be looking
for—and it just might prevent you from having to move out to the middle
of nowhere.
Yeah, journalism is hard. But when you talk to
media professionals who have stayed the course, they’re likely to
begrudgingly admit that it was well worth it—even if they did have to
cover the occasional “World’s Largest Garage Sale” once or twice in
their early days.
Zac will be contributing to The Writer's Perspective from time to time, so please welcome him. Also, feel free to post any comments or questions for him here.
Keep Writing,
Maria
journalism
5/9/2008 11:15:43 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
So you want to be a journalist?
Posted by Brian
Hi Writers,
I just hired a new editor this week to join the Writer’s Digest editorial team. In the process of screening applicants and going through the whole interview process with a number of fine journalistic candidates, I realized a few things that I thought might help those of you who are looking for a career in journalism.
The media landscape that new journalists now face has changed quickly and dramatically, and, unfortunately, merely being a superlative writer isn’t enough any more. Magazines and newspaper staffs have been downsized at just about every media company, and the editors and journalists who remain need to have a whole new set of skills.
So for the aspiring journalists and editors out there, here are a few old school and new media tips for landing a paying gig.
• Good writing and editing skills are still critical. Take all of the journalism classes you can because they will teach you to think of writing as a job and not to be too precious about your words. English classes are extremely useful too—to help you to recognize good vivid, imaginative writing. Being an excellent verbal communicator is as important as it’s ever been. But being an excellent verbal communicator who’s flexible enough to write for varying platforms—print, blogs, community sites, video scripts—will land you a job.
• Publish everywhere you can. Don’t be afraid to start small: your school paper, the local alt-weekly, whatever. Being published, even in smaller outlets will prove your tenacity, which is crucial if you want to survive in 21st century journalism. Note: a MySpace page doesn’t count as being published. But an essay published in a reputable online journal does—even if you didn’t get paid for it.
• E-Media skills worth developing:
A working knowledge of HTML
Experience with managing an online community forum
Professional blogging experience
Some graphic design knowledge, including InDesign
Digital Photography and PhotoShop
Video production and editing (in this era of free commercials via YouTube)
Digital audio recording and podcasting
And above all, you have to love it. Also, it doesn't hurt to marry well, too, just in case (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
If you have more tips for landing a journalism job, please share here.
Keep Writing,
Maria
journalism
5/6/2008 3:14:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, May 05, 2008
PRINT WINS!
Posted by maria
Congratulations to our sister publication [at F+W Publications] Print magazine, for once again winning an Ellie Award—its 4th—for general excellence in its category at the National Magazine Awards! Here's a link to all of the ASME award winners; as always, an impressive, inspiring lineup. Pictured here: a close-up photo of the Ellie Award, and the Print magazine team.  
publishing news and views
5/5/2008 1:12:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Hey, Graphomaniacs!
Posted by maria
Hi Writers,
I know I said Friday was going to be the official rant day here on The Writer’s Perspective, but you never can predict when a good rant is going to come on.
I read an essay in the New York Times Sunday Book Review: "You’re an Author? Me Too!" that really gets to the heart of what we do here at Writer’s Digest. The piece was written by NYT Book Review editor Rachel Donadio.
Here’s an excerpt:
In 2007, a whopping 400,000 books were published or distributed in the United States, up from 300,000 in 2006, according to the industry tracker Bowker, which attributed the sharp rise to the number of print-on-demand books and reprints of out-of-print titles. University writing programs are thriving, while writers’ conferences abound, offering aspiring authors a chance to network and “workshop” their work. The blog tracker Technorati estimates that 175,000 new blogs are created worldwide each day (with a lucky few bloggers getting book deals). And the same N.E.A. study found that 7 percent of adults polled, or 15 million people, did creative writing, mostly “for personal fulfillment.”
In short, everyone has a story — and everyone wants to tell it. Fewer people may be reading, but everywhere you turn, Americans are sounding their barbaric yawps over the roofs of the world, as good old Walt Whitman, himself a self-published author, once put it.
“As publishing has become less expensive, the urge to write my own self has become the opportunity to publish my own self,” said Gabriel Zaid, a Mexican critic and the author of “So Many Books: Reading and Publishing in an Age of Abundance,” a meditation on literary life in an over-booked world. Today, he added, “Everyone now can afford to preach in the desert.”
The gist of the piece I agree with. With all of the outlets now available to writers: POD, blogs, etc. it’s easier than ever for writers to get published, since the gatekeepers are taken out of the equation. And it’s true that the number of published books is increasing substantially (mostly due to POD), while the reading public, or at least the book-buying readers, is on a downward decline. I can’t disagree with any of this.
What bugs me, though is the between-the-lines implication that perhaps writers shouldn’t be getting their writing out there any way they see fit.
Think about this in comparison to the other arts.
For example, have you ever heard anyone say something like this: “There are just too many street musicians. They really shouldn’t be playing music in public if they’re not with a record label.”
Or this: “Who is buying all of the art at those neighborhood art festivals? Why do these artists even bother—nobody is going to enjoy or buy their paintings!”
Why is writing held to a different standard than the other arts? How does a writer know if he’s good or not without getting his work out there any way he can?
Power to the people!
That’s my rant. Please feel free to add yours here, too.
Keep Writing,
Maria
publishing news and views | the writing life
4/29/2008 2:43:05 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Speaking of Fonts
Posted by maria
Hi Writers,
As I mentioned in the previous posts, I'm switching fonts for my blog posts—a minor face lift you might say.
Fonts seem like a trite thing for writers to concern themselves with. But in the visually oriented magazine world, I've observed first-hand that how you present your work really can make a difference in terms of your reader's experience with your writing.
I discovered early in my writing/editing career a cool trick. Whenever I was working closely with an editor (as a writer or a lower-level editor), I'd make a point of learning that editor's preferred editing font. Usually it was a sans serif font, Arial or Verdana, 12 point, double-spaced. I worked under some tough editors who were quick with the red pen and I soon learned to give them exactly—or as close as I could get—what they wanted. And part of my method was delivering the manuscript to them in their preferred editing font.
This probably seems like a trivial matter in the big world of writing and publshing, but it really can help. I think it all comes down to respecting your reader.
Keep Writing,
Maria
the writing life
4/24/2008 11:32:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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