the craft of daydreaming

by Anna Maria Hansen


We've all been there.

That moment, that day, that week where writing seemed out of the question. Where taking the time to sit down and actually make the creative part of your brain actually work was simply laughable.

I sat down at the computer, clicked open the document and stared blankly at the words until they blurred. Quite some time later, I realized that I had sat there for close to half an hour and done nothing.

Wait.

I'd been daydreaming. Thinking. Not about writing, true, but I'm not writing a book about how to write a book. I'm writing about other people and their lives and their thoughts... and yes! I had an idea.

Getting over these blank stretches is a trick. Not always easy to force creativity (if possible at all). There is inspiration in everything and sometimes daydreaming is the best way to let your mind go.

A friend told me a quote from Agatha Christie: "The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes."  

Allow time to think, to let your mind play with characters, dialogue, scenes. I often let thoughts roll around in my head for days, sometimes weeks, before putting them down in print. By the time I take up a pen, I have a firm grasp on what I am trying to say. Other times, I let myself sit down at the computer and write whatever pops into my head. True, a lot of it is plain mumbo-gumbo, but there is sometimes a sliver, a fragment that can be pulled out and expanded on.

One thing to always remember when you reach a stretch in your story when you can't move forward... if the scene is boring you as the writer, the reader will have already set down the book. Don't write anything that bores you.

poetry and publication thereof

by Anna Maria Hansen


Poetry. It's supposed to be all about thoughts... concepts... imagery... brevity... right? People (who are not poets) imagine poets as being these long-haired, dreamy individuals who sit with a quill pen held between graceful fingertips, waiting... just peacefully waiting... for that beautiful thought that will be written down to stay in every human being's heart for eternity.

Umm.... I have news. Even if poets did idly catch poems like children net butterflies... there's another aspect to poetry writing.

Publishing.

Enough to scare anyone -- even a hard-core novelist, much less us fragile poets. The work and time that can go into publishing one poem is roughly ten times what it took to write the original poem. Cover letters, magazines, journals, chapbooks, e-magazines, editors, SASE, paid by the word, paid by the line, paid by the poem, not paid at all... it's a litany of unknown designed especially to strike fear into the heart of the would-be-published-poet.

However! Quell the beating heart, the knocking knees, the shortness of breath. There is hope. To be found in the pages of the Writer's Digest Poet's Market -- a handy guide for poets looking for publication. Published every year, with excellently organized lists of publications that accept poetry, this book is a must-have for those who fear the rocky path of publication. It includes names of publications, contact information, what the publication is looking for, how they want submissions to appear, what they pay, who they've published, what kind of poetry they want.

With a pen and paper, anyone can quickly read through and jot down names of publications that mutually suit poet and publication. A few more minutes of online research of the websites provided will get you each publications submission guidelines. In the front of Poet's Market is a section that shows poets how to write a cover letter and format their poems -- slide it into an envelope with a SASE (self address stamped envelope), address... and you've sent off your first poetry submission. Bravo!

Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!

four things a good query does

guest post by Kourtney Heintz


1) The Opening Paragraph Anchors And Introduces
This is where you tell the agent what you have and why it’s right for them. You lay out the title of your book, the genre, the word count, and why you think this specific agent would be interested in your book. Make sure you personalize it. Do some research on the agent and mention how you read on their blog or in an article in Writer’s Digest how they like x or represent y author and you think they would like your book because it has x or something like x or is similar to y author in q respect.


2) The Summary Explains The Main Plot Arc

You’re book is amazing. It’s got so many layers and themes. You are sure if you just convey all of this to an agent, they will love your book as much as you do.

But if you try to cram in every detail of what makes your book unique and interesting, including all those secondary characters and cool subplots, the agent won’t know what your book is about. And the whole point of the summary paragraph is to answer that one question--what is this book about?

Strip away the subplots. Forget about themes. Figure out who your main character is. Concentrate on what your main plot arc is for that character--what is the hook of your book? Write a one sentence summary. And then build that into a paragraph or two. 


3) The Summary Is Gripping And Intriguing Without Sacrificing Clarity

Once you’ve got that summary paragraph drafted, now it’s time to make it zing. Use action verbs. Strong nouns. Infuse the voice of your novel into that summary. Make sure it captures not just the plot but the heart of your story.

You’ve got to make it read like the back cover of a book. Reveal enough to make it clear what the plot is and what is at stake for your character, but keep it tantalizing and end with a cliffhanger. Get them wanting to read your pages to find out what happens.


4) Closing Paragraph Provides Credentials

This is the bio that is relevant to your writing this book. What makes you the person to tell this story? What are your credentials for writing? Do you have a degree in English? Do you belong to national writing organizations? Have you had anything published? Did you win any major writing contests? Is your book about ADHD and you’ve raised a child with ADHD? Here’s the place to let the agent know you are serious about your writing career and/or you have unique knowledge of your subject matter.



Author Bio: 



       Kourtney Heintz resides in Connecticut with her warrior lapdog, Emerson, her supportive parents and three quirky golden retrievers. She dreams of one day owning a log cabin on Butternut Lake. Years of working on Wall Street provided the perfect backdrop for her imagination to run amuck at night, imagining a world where out-of-control telepathy and buried secrets collide.

       Her debut novel, The Six Train to Wisconsin, is a 2014 EPIC Ebook Awards Finalist, a 2013 USA Best Book Awards Finalist and a 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Semifinalist.





One Sentence Summary of The Six Train to Wisconsin:



        When Kai’s telepathy spirals out of control, her husband Oliver brings her to the quiet Wisconsin hometown he abandoned a decade ago, where he must confront the secrets of his past to save their future.





Where to Buy:
         Signed paperbacks are for sale at the Novel Idea Book Shop in Park Falls, WI and the Butternut Area Historical Society Museum in Butternut, WI.
        You can also purchase ebooks and paperbacks at Amazon, B&N, iTunes.