The Ebb and Flow of Creativity

My youngest son, Korry, is an amazing artist. He LOVED to draw from the time he was very young and would draw on anything he could find when the wave of creativity hit . . .even gum-wrappers.

One of my other sons was expecting his first child. We knew it was a boy and one night I had a dream about him before he was born. In the dream he is rescued by a Raven. I woke up thinking that maybe that was my grandson’s guardian in his upcoming journey through life.

I asked Korry to draw a Raven-man. I explained the dream and gave him an idea of what I was looking for. Korry had a unique style of drawing, kind of a dark, gothic style—like a lot of tattoos you see. I bought him a large canvas and a new box of drawing pencils. (He wasn’t much of a painter, more an illustrator.)

After a day or two, Korry brought me the canvas with the drawing. I almost fell of my chair. The drawing was so rudimentary, it looked like it was drawn by a fourth-grader.

Our conversation:

“Korry. Seriously? This is for your nephew! To hang over his crib. Is this supposed to be the ‘Raven-man’?” I pointed to the little four-inch raven character. He had a ten-year-old’s body with the head of a raven; he wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a striped t-shirt.

Korry’s reply: “Mom, I just couldn’t think of what to draw. It just wouldn’t come to me. That is why I waited a couple of days. But, it just wouldn’t come.”

Through conversations with various artists, to include writers, ‘it’ is the flow of creativity. One woman told me that she taught art in elementary school. “True artists cannot just draw what you ask or when you ask for it. This flow of creativity just bursts out when it’s ready and they heed the call. This is why it hard for them to draw on demand.”

I love to write when I am passionate about something. The writing comes easier and I’m able to make my point or tell the story. But . . . I am more of a sprint-runner not a marathon runner, so my passion runs hot but burns out quickly. This is why I stick to writing blogs or essays. Sometimes it may take me two months to write even one blog—like this one.

I believe writer’s block is really an ‘ebb’ in the process. Maybe the creativity moves inward to get more energy. If you are trying to make a living with your art, having deadlines or writing a story that was assigned to you would be far more difficult. It can still be done but the passion for creativity isn’t as potent. Just like my son’s drawing. It was what I asked for but it lacked his creative passion.

Writing to create an amazing novel would require the flow in order to really grab readers. Hey, there are readers who will devour a book—any book—to pass the time and satisfy the need to escape the daily mundane world. These readers are not as picky and if you ask them how many books, they’ve read that really grabbed them, they can quote you a handful of titles . . . out of the hundreds they have read.

If you are writing for fodder, that comes easy and quick to a talented writer. They can write about paper clips and make it sound interesting. An innate talent BUT writing powerful non-fiction will take creative passion.

Why am I saying all this?

I think that for passionate writers, writer’s block is just an ebb. One that is necessary to regroup the creative juices so they can spring upon the writer when it is ready.

Ebb-and-flow is really the part of life, not just writing. Don’t force it or fight it when you are experiencing writer’s block. I suggest going out and doing something mindless so the energies can swirl around. Mundane tasks require something to think about. While trimming my bushes, I pretend I am talking to authors and discussing the ebb and flow of writing. All of a sudden, I have to run in and write.

When the ebb appears, be comfortable with taking a break until it opens to the flow again. It will if you honor it and allow the flow. Writer’s Block is a good name for blocking the flow of creativity by trying to force the creative energy out of its rest when it isn’t ready. The writing is disjointed or nebulous, so the writer becomes frustrated, and all of the energy is wasted. This can go on for a while. Whatever happens, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Put it away and go mow the lawn, then, the energy of frustration is channeled into physical labor until it abates.

Honoring the ebb is honoring an integral part of the creative process and creates balance in the writing. Allowing the ebb and flow will make it easier to eliminate writer’s block all together. When in the flow, cancel appointments, put off unnecessary cleaning, and just write. If you have children, incorporate them into the activity in order to take immediate advantage. Write as much as the flow allows and stop when it begins to ebb.

So move with the ebb and flow, soon writer’s block will take a smaller space in your head.

Being an Author ~ A Story of Romance

I am the queen of romance, I romance so many ideas that if they all came to pass, they would be writing books about me. I would be traveling the world, a shining example of selflessness.

Ever done that? Just sitting there feverishly writing, when your mind wanders and you begin to imagine how awesome your book will be and the hoard of people tripping over each other to read it? Romancing the reward for writing a phenomenal book.

I have done that. I get ideas for fiction books and non-fiction alike when I tell myself stories while weeding the yard, or washing dishes. Keeping my mind busy while doing boring tasks has been something I’ve done since I was five. (Only at five I acted these stories out loud.) I imagine what the title would be for my story and revisit it over and over in my mind. My books on bestseller lists everywhere. It’s fun to day-dream; romancing the idea of being a famous author.

But . . . I don’t want to put the work into a book about one of my stories. Don’t want to research the subject or characters or verify whether one of the scenes would be an accurate portrayal of reality—you know, I might write a futuristic novel in the year 2071 without researching what I think life would really be like then . . . every minute detail. And details are important—vital.

Cactus Moon Publications, LLC is going on eight years in the publishing business. I am the owner and executive editor. One of the most common obstacles to success for new authors is not being aware of what it takes to make their book a success. It involves a great deal of work and effort—the images in romancing authorship are (hopefully) the end result—the end result of your hard work.

Writers are artists; the use of language flowing easily from their pen as they bring us to the brink of tears or falling over with laughter. But not every writer will do whatever it takes to be an author.

Being an author is a profession, writing is a hobby. By profession, I am referring to the author as the sole owner of a business. A book is one of the author’s products. This is the side of being published where many budding authors are taken by surprise. When you launch a new product, you need to get the information out to the public. Hopefully, BEFORE the book is published.

Here are some steps I recommend BEFORE submission to a publishing company—get ready because you will almost need to eat, drink, and sleep your book if you are a debut author.

• Write and rewrite your manuscript until you have worked out all of the bugs. You would be surprised at how many changes you will have to make to your story before it is ready. For non-fiction writers, you will need to be ready to cite your sources and experiences to ‘prove’ your information. “My grandmother always told me . . .” is not an acceptable source of credible information. You may believe it but you will have to do research to cite sources to back up Grandma’s information. Yes, I did receive a manuscript with this source.
• This isn’t a must but joining an author’s group in your area is a really good way to get tips and suggestions about your book. Not to mention the great friendships.
• Once you have your manuscript where you are ready to move forward, I suggest a ‘beta reader’. This is someone who is willing to read your manuscript and give you suggestions for improvement based on a reader’s perspective. This does not have to cost money. If you look around you when at work or extracurricular activities, you can always find an avid reader. Friends work great if they like to read, I mean really like to read. You can always hire a proofreader. If you visit Fiverr.com you can find proofreaders for a very reasonable price should you decide to hire out.
• After you have rewritten your story with all the suggestions from your readers, you are ready to submit to an editor. Editing can be expensive but if you understand the different types of editors, you will know which editor you will need. Fiverr.com represents a lot of editors as well but be diligent, there are many so you will have to put some thought into who you choose. It is not difficult to find an editor.
• Now, after editing, your manuscript is ready to be submitted.
• If you have been building your fan base and you have people ready to read your book, you can send queries out to publishers. Publishers will be interested in your ‘base’ when vetting you before signing.
• Keep in mind: Authors and Publishers have different business goals. Your product is your vision and the Publisher’s product is providing a publishing service to an author. The marketing for the book will be primarily on the release and intermittently throughout the contract. Why? Publishers represent other authors and books; they market to draw more authors. This means you will carry the bigger responsibility to sell your book. There are abundant resources where you can learn to market your book successfully.
• If you are very introverted, you can seek out an agent or publicist. The agent will help you submit your book to publishers and give you tips about the book. The publicist will market the book as is.

Still feeling the romance of being an author?

As a publisher, I don’t do everything the way other publishers will. We are all different, so I recommend knowing what you are looking for but being realistic about your chances. If you are a brand new author with no prior experience or platform, I don’t recommend hitting up the big houses. Your manuscript will go into a slush pile before anyone looks at it. Big Houses mean big money and if you are brand new with no agent it will be like winning the lottery if you are published. We are a small press and have taken many a debut author and while we assist authors in finding ways to market and build their platform through suggestions and links, we don’t do it for the author.

There are many resources online to help new authors build their platform, prepare a CV, and query to send a publisher.

If you are still feeling the romance of authorship, then you are ready to get your story out!

Currently, Cactus Moon is accepting non-fiction titles only for the next couple of years. We are a bit heavy on fiction. Need to get some balance!

We hope to hear from you.

Lily Gianna Woodmansee

Executive Editor, Cactus Moon Publications, LLC

www.cactusmoonpublishing.com

Publishers, Authors, and Agents…OH MY!

If you are a new author, moving into the publishing world can be a daunting ordeal.

Rejection is the name of the game and depending on your name and talent—this doesn’t always go hand-in-hand, by the way—trying to get published can be traumatizing.

I know it’s true.

There are many myths swirling around this industry that are based, primarily, on word of mouth and we all know how that goes.

Here are two that, as a publisher, I can dispel:

You need an agent to get published by a traditional publisher –

This is both true and false. Publishers known as the ‘Big 5’ require agented submissions. You can imagine the amount of submissions they received and agents field the manuscripts for them. Agents with a true relationship to these companies are the only agents necessary. Beyond that, plenty of publishers—medium and small—accept non-agented submissions.

Cactus Moon accepts both agented and non-agented submissions according to our guidelines. One reason we do not require agented submissions is because we aren’t large enough to require them. Not only that, but in our experience, we have received great manuscripts directly from authors and very poor manuscripts from agents representing an author.

You need a traditional publisher if you want to make your novel count—

First and foremost, the word ‘traditional’ in this industry no longer carries meaning. The word hybrid-publisher is inaccurate as well. If a publisher is a hybrid, it implies a splice from the root of another publisher into the stem of the current publisher. What is that? Every publisher does this, even some of the biggest.

The best advice I can give is to love your work. If you want to be published by a large publisher (more accurate label), plan to do the work. Find two or three of them—then find agents who truly have a relationship with those companies. Finally, revise…revise…revise. You will need to display top-notch work for a large publisher who has a large pond from which to fish. Agents worth their fees know this.

Not all agents have relationships with publishing companies. Like vanity-publishers, there are also vanity-agents. Do your homework.

With this industry as in anything else – buyer be aware.

Lily Gianna Woodmansee is executive editor for Cactus Moon Publications, LLC

http://www.cactusmoonpublishing.com

 

Anyone Can Bait a Hook

But it takes a fisherman to catch a fish.

Writing a novel or non-fiction title requires a bit of psychology if you want to catch a reader.

I think it is easy to believe that you can pen a novel, put it on Amazon for millions of readers and think you won’t miss one. Like I said, anyone can bait a hook.

Readers are like fish and right now, it is a reader’s world. There is no shortage of books out there just waiting to be read. With that much bait floating around, reader’s can afford to be picky.

As an author, you will have to be clever if you want to offer the right bait to the right readers for your novel. Otherwise, your title will float around in the water until it falls off the hook and floats to the bottom. Forgotten.

When I took a non-fiction writing class, one exercise included imagining what your reader looks like. Imagine them perusing the web or cruising through the bookstore. How will you snag their attention?

Knowing what your reader looks like will help with the plot, the book-cover, and the marketing. If you design a plot that would attract two different styles of reader from opposite sides of the personality-spectrum, your book will hang in the balance.

Here is an example – The novel you wrote is psychological fiction with a real gory bent. Your characters are complex and the plot is like a puzzle the reader will have to put together. . .then you add green slime coming out of the walls and when the characters go outside, they burst into flames or explode with their entrails flying everywhere.

Think about my example and imagine which kind of reader your book will attract. The thought I wanted to convey-your reader will be split in two – one loves the mystery and psychological complexities but what does green slime and exploding bodies have to do with it? That reader moves on. On the other hand, someone who loves reading about mysterious happenings creating a world where we have to start over – they will love the atmosphere blowing up humans and how they survive. The psychological puzzles may turn that reader off.

There will always be a few readers who will like both ends of the spectrum in my example but that is the point. A few. Sales for a few will not sustain you and it might not be a real motivator for a second novel.

Writing for fish that swim in different schools and waters will make it difficult to sell your novel. Be more cognitive of your plot and characters. My example could easily be made into two novels if the writer imagined which fish he wanted to catch before writing.

Give more thought to the readers your book will attract and market where they congregate. The easiest chance to catch a fish is to drop the appropriate bait into a school. You will still have competitive bait but at least you can catch a good haul of your own and most of all, know you are fishing in the right waters.

By: Lily Gianna Woodmansee – Executive Editor for Cactus Moon Publications, LLC

Persuasive Non-fiction

My second attempt at writing a persuasive argument in college wound up changing my perspective about the topic. I say second because my first attempt received a very low grade. This was my first journey into writing so my understanding of a persuasive argument would be to persuade my reader. Right?

I went to my professor to complain about the ‘D’ I received on my paper. In the moment, I assumed she graded me according to her own view on the subject and I marched over to her office.

I knocked pleasantly on her door with the rage of a Tiger brewing inside. Banging on the door was what I really wanted to do but that was beneath my behavioral standards. When she opened the door, in a calm voice, I asked to speak with her about my paper. By her demeanor, I believe she was already waiting for me.

I ranted, “You asked for a persuasive argument. I wrote one. It meets all of your criteria so what is this ‘D’ for?”

She looked at me and said in a tone not far from my own, “The fact that you followed my directions and wrote from a persuasive standpoint is why you got a ‘D’ and not an ‘F’.” She quickly explained, “In a persuasive argument, you want your reader to be persuaded but first you must present the contradictions and variables that persuaded you of the topic’s validity. Otherwise, it is just you writing about what you know in your own opinion. That isn’t a persuasive argument if you haven’t researched the topic from other angles, including viewpoints that contradict your own. This is necessary for persuasion. Present as many angles as possible, then present the evidence that supports your view. “

I won’t go into further details of the conversation but I sat in her office for quite a while learning the value of a persuasive argument that has been thoroughly researched.

Simply put, if you are writing a non-fiction title intended to persuade the reader, be prepared to thoroughly support your topic. The best persuasion is a persuasion that includes other facets presented through solid research. This builds credibility in the eyes of the reader as it proves you are not afraid to explore other viewpoints and evidence. If we really want a reader to believe what we write, we must be confident in the material. To be confident in the material, we must know it from every angle.

Writing persuasive non-fiction from only one perspective will draw readers who already agree with that perspective. You don’t need to provide evidence or research from opposing angles when it isn’t required by your audience. Where is the challenge in persuading readers who already agree with you? In fact, that isn’t persuasion at all.

After my discussion with the professor, she advised that I could re-write the paper and turn it in for a better grade if I present material from the opposition, as well as evidence to support my claim.

When researching as she requested, I found my original perspective crumbling under the evidence presented by the opposing view. In my case, I wound up writing a persuasive argument over the need for research in writing. I didn’t get an ‘A’ but I did get a better grade.

Not every non-fiction writer will consider researching another perspective. It isn’t against the law, or particularly taboo by today’s standards, to write on a topic from only one point of view. There are plenty of non-fiction titles available that prove this is so.

From CMP’s point of view, non-fiction titles need to be fully researched to the best of the author’s ability. If the topic is a theory or experience that cannot be proven with physical evidence, researching from angles that oppose your theory is a way to present in lieu of physical evidence. Variables are part of research in any theory or hypothesis and should be included for the reader.

Ultimately, for the success and credibility of a non-fiction title, present the whole and let the reader decide whether they are persuaded or not. To CMP, this proves the author is confident in the material they are presenting and a confident author will not cringe under opposing reviews.

Authors are not required to agree with opposing material and I encourage this truth to be stated. Perhaps the evidence says something completely different to you, as an author, than mainstream society. This is transparency in writing. Let the reader know your truth throughout and it will be broadcast through your voice.

Be confident, transparent, and thorough in writing your truth for persuasive non-fiction.

Remember: Truth is subjective.

By: Lily Gianna Woodmansee; Executive Editor for Cactus Moon Publications

 

 

 

 

The Art of Storytelling

Storytelling has been buried under so much commercialization, the art itself is lost…even to the writer.

Melissa, editor for Revisions and Edits, and I were discussing how stories have been told generation after generation. Stories that have never made it into a book and often, the author is unknown. No doubt those stories are a compilation, a story evolving over each generation but rich, nonetheless.

Storytelling was used by our Ancestors for more than the passage of wisdom. Stories provided entertainment for the children during particularly difficult seasons and illnesses. Providing the lyrics when told through music.

Imagining a life in tribal days, there had to be some storytellers whose talent made stories more compelling. The tribal actors, telling stories through shape-shifting into various characters.Some storytellers undoubtedly drew more of an audience than others.

Even today, stories provide endless entertainment and storytelling is big business.

As a publisher, I am often torn between the storyteller and writing ability. Some of the best storytellers are the worst writers. I can be a difficult task, pulling the story from deep within, putting it to paper.

This is why CMP has collaborative editors. As a young publisher, we work with budding authors and require talented, intuitive editors to help bring the story to life. Finally, we require talented illustrators to capture the story’s image. A perfect pyramid in today’s model of storytelling. The author, editor, and illustrator.

Not every storyteller is a talented writer, conversely, not every writer is a talented storyteller. In CMP’s mind, the storytelling-pyramid is an act of reciprocation. We utilize everyone’s particular talent, sharing in the storyteller’s vision, enhancing the story through collaboration on the final manifestation…the novel. Working together, the author can hone the art of storytelling.

Storytelling being a timeless art, may manifest one way today and another in the future. When a writer sets pen to paper, there should be an intention for the story. If the intention is simply – I want to publish a book… this becomes the goal. Sales may be weak since the goal has been accomplished, no thought for beyond.

When writing a story, imagine this story being read more than one-hundred years later. Maybe the story is so compelling that it continues as a legacy for future generations…The Scarlet Letter is just one example of a story still being told over two hundred years later.

If the intention is to be a storyteller, write a compelling story that can be read for centuries and watch  its value grow organically. Your intention provided the fuel to catapult the story into the cosmos. Of course, accelerants will be required. Social media, events, networking…that is just an aspect of the storytelling industry.

This doesn’t mean that in this century, the story will gain the notoriety hoped for. There is never a guarantee because genres come in and out of season. Remember author, James Allen? He wrote As a Man Thinketh in 1912. I don’t know the intention behind his writing but the book has been reprinted and is  given to salesmen by one company as a motivational tool. Over one hundred years later.

Anyone can write, but storytelling is an art.

3D Writing

What is 3D writing and how can it make a best-seller?

3D writing is a style where all five of the reader’s senses are engaged. Sounds easy enough but is it? 3D writing uses the various learning-styles to reach a broader audience.

Educational experts have discovered important differences between learning styles among children. In doing this research, they’ve learned how incorporating all of the different styles while teaching, ensures the best comprehension of the material.

There are seven learning styles broken down into four categories: Visual (spatial), Aural (auditory-musical), Verbal (linguistic), and Physical (kinesthetic). Learn more about your own learning style here.

Without going into great detail about the styles themselves, you can see from the examples above and their short description, how each style retains information.

As writers, especially fiction, there isn’t always a desire to ‘teach’ so why is this important?

Although labeled as learning-styles, these methods of learning are also methods of comprehension. Important for a fiction-writer if they desire to keep a reader interested. 3D characters and scenes can draw readers from almost every selected learning-style. The best way to remember them while writing, is to incorporate all five senses. Readers love to use their imagination but unless we give them a picture and character to imagine, many will not finish a book.

A writer’s own learning style will be reflected in their work. For instance: A writer with a linguistic learning style will have an over-abundance of dialogue but the scene-descriptions and individual characteristics of the antagonist/protagonist will be weak. For aural writers, there will be a rhythm and glide to the writing with words fitting like a piece in a complex puzzle. The scene-descriptions are generally rich with olfactory description. The smell of spring, or scents from pine trees in the forest. On the other hand, their characters may tend to be a reflection of their own personality. Ultimately leading to staple personalities given different names in a different story.

None of this is an absolute, of course. There is no such thing. Having an awareness of the learning-styles can help a writer with their own weaknesses and help bring their book closer to a ‘best seller’ by piquing the interest of more readers.