Barbara's Meanderings: critique groups

My Writing Resolutions

critique groups Friday, January 01, 2010

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If It's Thursday It Must Be a Guest Author Interview!

critique groups Thursday, March 26, 2009

Welcome to my second guest author interview with Tim Hooker. Today this is also part of the Red River Writers Blog Tour and I hope that any of you who are not part of this great group will join. Thank you to April Robins for arranging all of this.

Tim's bio is extensive. He has been an Instructor for several colleges, a Director of Public Relations and Marketing, a Manager of a college Reading and Writing Center, a Radio Announcer, a newspaper columnist, and a Program Coordinator for Student Services. Tim has both a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in English. He currently has three published books: Rocket Man, Duncan Hambeth, Furniture King of the South, Looking for a Ci

ty and many articles of his are published in several magazines. He edits a blog with several contributors called Sushi Tuesday. Please check out his full bio, which is too large to put here.

Here is the interview and please leave your question or comments. Tim has promised to answer all and will

stay through tomorrow to answer if you were late coming.:) I'm always late, so I understand.:)

Interview with Tim Hooker

I noticed as I was reading your bio that you took your Masters twice. Why did you decide to get your MFA?

I did two masters, including the M.F.A., for several reasons. The M.A. in Writing was one of the best experiences in my life. It gave me a good grounding in all aspects of writing-- Composition, Rhetoric, Professional Writing, and Creative Writing. But, in one sense, it was still a generalist program. And, the M.F.A. was the fine-tuning I wanted in Creative Writing. Professionally speaking, I wanted the academic clout that came from holding a terminal degree. But, more specifically, I saw the M.F.A. as being to a writer what Parris Island is to a Marine. I went into the program thinking I was a writer; I left knowing I was a ***-****** writer.

Going through the M.F.A. program soaked me in the Creative Writing discipline until I became the discipline. I couldn’t take the writer out of me now, if I wanted to. And, whether I’m ever at the top of the best-seller list, the experience has gone beyond taking classes. The process has significantly contributed to me becoming me.

Your latest book, Duncan Hambeth, Furniture King of the South, is a play. What made you decide to write it in play form?

Duncan Hambeth started off as a thought experiment. It dawned on me that there were an awful lot of parallels between Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “MacBeth.” And, the more I studied the two plays, the more convinced I became that they were structurally the same play. Both had questions about who should be in charge. Both had strong female characters. Both had elements of the supernatural. Both had political maneuverings. And, both were resolved with violence. The big difference was that “MacBeth” was told from the perspective of the one who stole the throne; “Hamlet” was told from the perspective of the one who had the throne stolen from him.

With this in mind, I typed both plays into my computer. And, then, I started merging them along a time line. Then, I started fusing characters together. King Duncan and Hamlet’s Father fused together. Gertrude and Lady MacBeth fused together. Hamlet, Malcolm, and Donalbain fused together. And, Claudius and MacBeth fused together.
Then, I got scared. It was working . . . too well.

So, I deflated Shakespeare. I took his beautiful words and melted them down into modern Southern vernacular. And, it still worked.

But, reading plays is a dying art. So, now, I’m writing the novelization of the play, entitled “Memphis Knights.” It gives me the opportunity to fill in the backstory. And, hopefully, it will be out this Fall.

What inspired you to begin writing?

Mick Jagger asked, “What can a poor boy do, ‘cept sing for a Rock’N’Roll band?”

When I was seven years old, one of my chores on the farm was to go out to the big trough and water the cows. And, in the mud around the big aluminum trough, I’d watch the ants crawl along and it reminded me of desert terrain in a TV show I was watching-- “Rat Patrol.” So, out of boredom, I’d tell myself little stories. And, I just knew that my stories would be what I’d be remembered for.

I felt the impulse to be creative early on and, in my neighborhood, there were not a lot of opportunities for upward mobility. There were musicians who played in church, but I couldn’t afford an instrument. I wanted to paint, but that required supplies I couldn’t get. But, as a writer, with a broken pencil and a scrap of paper, I knew I could be in business.

So, I took Mick Jagger seriously.

Would you share with us the story of how you got your first novel published?

There’s really not that much to tell. I wrote Rocket Man in the Summer of 1990. I wanted to be able to tell myself that I’d written something of value before I turned thirty. But, it sat in my strongbox for approximately fifteen years for two reasons. One, the further I went through graduate school, the more I heard about how impossible it was to get anything published. And, two, I found out years later that I have Avoidant Personality Disorder. In layman’s terms, that means a person received so much negativity in their childhood that their psyche simply saturates with it and can’t absorb any more. People with APD have an extremely difficult time dealing with rejection and negative feedback. So, I was caught between the proverbial Scylla and Charybdis, compelled to write and equally compelled to not go through the rejection process so common to pre-digital publishing. Self-publishing through Xlibris helped me negotiate those treacherous waters.

What do you think of the importance of networking in relation to book sales? Which social networks do you think work the best for marketing and why?

A writer has to be careful when networking. There are plenty of people who are willing to take free copies of your book, as long as you’re giving them away. But, that takes money out of your writing business; it doesn’t bring money into it.

So, you have to develop a business plan. How can money come into your writing business?
1) Book sales
2) Speaking engagements
3) Teaching opportunities

What else is critical to business? Advertising.

So, Sushi Tuesday is my loss-leader. At www.SushiTuesday.com, I am daily giving away literary product, so folks will sample my goods. Through direct visits to my site and through catching the feed via SinfoniaCircle, Twitter, and Facebook, I am building a loyal following around a brand-- the writers of Sushi Tuesday.

When I wrote the Sunday Op/Ed column for the Cleveland Daily Banner, there were more than a few people who would come up to me and tell me I was the reason they bought the paper. They wanted to hear what that Hooker boy had to say this week.

Think about it.

Professors don’t buy books. We have desk copies given to us. It’s ordinary folks who buy books. And, just like every other aspect of their lives, they’re looking for value. They want something that is thought-provoking and entertaining. They want to stretch their minds and they want people who will speak for them.

So, I give away samples. I build a customer base. And, every quarter, I get a royalty check from Xlibris.

Would you please share with our readers the steps of your writing process?

I write at two different speeds-- big project and small project.

With big projects, I’m very much a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. I want outlines. I want character profiles. I want to know what’s going to happen before it happens.

With the small projects, the Sushi Tuesday essays, I keep my eyes and mind open for that story that comes across the screen that has a kink in it. With my FeedDemon RSS reader, I scan a ton of news stories every day, looking for that quirky story that I can bounce off of.

But, having done that ground-level work, I move to the next step. The story is told that, when Bette Midler is rehearsing her band, they bring in the sheet music and pass it out to the players. Then, twenty minutes later, they take up the music and the players make it their own. Within that twenty minutes, they’ve either gotten it or they haven’t.

The best writing advice I ever received was when a colleague of mine told me to “write about what breaks your heart.” You can block out movement all day long. You can tweak dialogue ad nauseum. But, then, you’ve got to get to that level of the text where you’re writing straight from your heart. When I have to stop typing so I can wipe my eyes so I can see the screen, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.

And, the audience does, too.

How important do you think critique groups are for writers and do you have one?

The only thing I learned in creative writing workshops was how much I hated creative writing workshops. I avoid them. They are evil.

A friend of mine is trying to get one going and I’ve agreed to come in and do book reports about writing books. But, I want nothing to do with a hack-and-slash group.

Having said that, when I write a big project, I do assemble what I call The Greek Chorus. I want three people to read along as I’m writing, not unlike the judges on “American Idol.” Randy loves everyone that comes across the stage. Simon hates everyone who comes across the stage. And, Paula’s actually been on a stage. Likewise, I want one reader who loves everything I’ve ever written. I want one reader who hates everything I’ve ever written. And, I want one reader to be a fellow writer, someone who’s been in the trenches, too. I figure the truth will be somewhere in the middle.

All of your books are meant for adults. Have you ever thought of writing for a younger audience?

I have been working on a project for some time that could find a following among younger writers. It’s called “The Warrior’s Guide to the Battle of the Sexes.”

Years ago, I ran across a translation of Sun-tzu’s Art of War and the back cover blurb talked about how it was the definitive work on conflict management and that, whether it was two companies vying for the same market or two armies on the same field or two people in a relationship, the rules of resolving conflict were the same.

Two people in a relationship.

It dawned on me that any two people could be a couple, as long as everything was going good. But, it was during the conflicts that couples broke up.

I realized, also, that guys were clueless when it comes to relationships. Women have entire sections of bookstores devoted to them understanding relationships. But, men didn’t get diddly.

So, the premise of “The Warrior’s Guide to the Battle of the Sexes” is a fictional advice column written for guys about relationships. And, the columnist takes something men don’t understand (relationships) and relabels it with something men understand instinctively (war).

I can sit down with any guy and listen to his awful love-life and then retell him what he just told me, using military jargon, and see the light-bulb go off over his head. He, then, knows what he needs to do.

So, hopefully, it will gain a following among teenage guys.

How important do you think it is for a writer to have an agent? Do you have one?

I don’t have one. Someday, I may need one. But, I know, ultimately, an agent’s allegiance is going to be with a publisher first and me second. So, I’ll have one of my attorney buddies riding herd over my end of the contract.

Your blog, Sushi Tuesday, has several contributors. Would you please describe how you met and why you decided to blog together?

Sushi Tuesday came into existence because I got to a place in life where all I was seeing were students and patients, and I needed more. So, I called a fraternity brother of mine that taught in another department and suggested lunch. He agreed, and we went to a sushi bar on a Tuesday. And, we’ve been meeting ever since. Our group has grown. We include an English professor, a music professor, a violin instructor, a sociologist, two psychologists, a lawyer, and a physician. We’re like Cleveland, Tennessee’s version of the Algonquin Roundtable.

Out of the luncheon came the idea for the website. I’d dabbled with blogs before that and had been unsatisfied. And, then, it dawned on me that I could replicate on www.SushiTuesday.com the op/ed column I’d done before for the Cleveland Daily Banner, at www.clevelandbanner.com. As such, the site was born.

Initially, I did all the writing and I garnered some good hit numbers. So, I invited one of my former students, Ashley Ledford, to write a weekly column. Then, I found Dr. Niama Williams on BlogTalkRadio, at www.blogtalkradio.com and invited her to write for the site. I found Dave Tabler and his Appalachian History blog at www.appalachianhistory.com , when I wrote a piece called “What’s a hillbilly?” Soon, he was writing for us. Then, I attended a meeting of the Cleveland Writer’s Guild, where I met our Poet-in-Residence, Celia Shaneyfelt. And, then, I found another fraternity brother, Michael Evans, on Facebook and found he’d already written a novel. He was the next piece of the puzzle.

Meanwhile, I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and soon found I couldn’t crank out a piece daily. So, I devised a system where each of us take a day and have a separate section for features. Dave’s podcast runs on Monday. Ashley’s column runs on Tuesday. Michael’s column runs on Wednesday. Celia’s poetry runs on Thursday. And, I bring up the rear with my column on Friday. Concurrently, we feature short stories from students that run the entire month.
It’s a strength-in-numbers thing and, so far, it has worked. We now have a core audience that visits the site, as well as derivative audiences through SinfoniaCircle, Twitter, and Facebook. Sushi Tuesday is a literary honkytonk, that place where writers can try out new material, figure out what works and what doesn’t, and cultivate an audience along the way.

We’re not quite Frank, Sammy, Dean-o, Peter, and Joey. But, we’re getting there.

What do you think of e-books and e-book readers like Kindle? Are any of your books in e-book form?

I believe e-books and e-book readers are the organic extension of a revolution equivalent to the invention of moveable type.

When Muddy Waters invented electricity[in music], a seismic shift occurred in music. For most of music’s history, professional musicians labored under the whims of the patrons who fed them. But, when kids named Paul and John and Mick and Keith and Roger and Peter and Eric and Stevie Ray were able to take their Stratocasters into sleazy little dives and play until their fingers bled, they were able to develop their craft on their own terms. And, the world has been a better place because of it.

Likewise, for most of literature’s history, you’ve only had a free press, if you owned the press. And, now, thanks to the Internet, POD publishing, and e-books, now everyone owns the press. I remember having classmates tell me that instructors had told them that, if they wanted to get published, they had to sleep with them. I’ve seen way too many effete academics excuse their inadequacies by proclaiming, “I write; therefore, let them learn to read.”

Those days are gone.

Now, a writer can control his/her own destiny. A writer can tell his/her story, regardless of whether it’s politically correct or whether he/she was born in the right neighborhood.
And, that’s a very liberating thing.

Presently, I don’t have any of my titles in e-book format. But, eventually, I will. E-books democratize the message. Everybody gets to speak.

Will there be some garbage printed along the way? Sure. But, there will also be some mighty fine writing rise to the surface that would have otherwise been squelched. And, that’s what scares the old literary establishment. Oh, heavens, everybody’s work will be on an even playing field; my work will be judged on its merits, and not on how pretentious my pedigree is. Oh, no!

Your books were published by Xlibris. Would you tell our readers what you think of this publisher and why you decided to go with them?

I chose Xlibris for a few reasons. There are any number of local printers who can stamp out a few dozens books and hand them to you. But, do they provide all the extras (LOC cataloging, copyright, etc.) that legitimize what you’re doing? And, once you have your box of books in hand, then what? For me, flexibility of distribution was a key factor. As an extension of Random House, I figured Xlibris would not be a fly-by-night operation. And, with the print-on-demand set-up, combined with the global reach of the Internet, I knew Xlibris would allow me to market my books worldwide, without inventory issues. And, so far, Xlibris has exceeded my expectations. I would recommend them to anyone.

I want to thank Tim Hooker for spending time with us today. Again, if you have any questions please ask them and please if you stopped by to read this leave a comment for Tim. It's like applause.:) Also, anyone who leaves a comment has a chance to win the contest for his book: Rocket Man: A Rhapsody of Short Stories. If you go to his blog you can read an excerpt of it.

Thank you to my new readers. It's wonderful to be reading all of your blogs too! Of course, to the readers who have been here awhile, thank you too. I love writing, so it's great that you like to read it too.:) I will be announcing the next interview tomorrow.

Until then, looking forward to seeing all your questions and comments and you could be the winner!!!

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Bunny Ears on a Car?

agents Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Guest Author Simon Rose is here tomorrow.

Check out this video and learn more about this fascinating science fiction/fantasy children's author.

Real life has been overtaking me in the last couple of days, but I've been getting ready for our first author interview tomorrow with Simon Rose. I hope that all of my readers who are also writers will drop by to chat with Simon. He will be interviewed by me and then he will answer your questions throughout the day. All you need to do is come by and read the interview. Then leave your comment and Simon will answer it.

So the other day my daughter and I were on our way to get our coffee when we pulled up next to the strangest looking car I'd ever seen! I had to look twice and then check again to be sure. But, yes, those strange pieces of material sticking up out of the backseat windows were bunny ears!!! Yes, it's true. Someone put bunny ears on a car!!! I was in shock so I didn't have my phone out to take the picture, but we caught up with the car on the entrance to the highway. Here it is. You have to imagine the part facing the road has pink on it. The car is white.:) When I saw it I started laughing and this is probably the most ridiculous example of holiday decoration I have ever seen on the road. Bunny ears on a car!!!! With everything that is going on today in the economy it's kind of hysterical that someone took the time to fit out their car for these appendages and either made them or bought them and attached them to the ear holders.:) This has to give you a laugh and you will want to share this so your friends can get a laugh. Trust me. The image of this is going to stay with you and if things get you down just picture this car driving along with bunny ears.:) It should at least put a smile on your face or crack through the despair that sometimes hits when you try to please too many people and fail. At least it does for me.:)

Choosing the Right Critique Group

I haven't been dwelling on writing topics too much, but yesterday I got my copy of Writer's Digest in my email and browsed through it as I usually do. Sometimes this publication has great ideas for writers and sometimes it talks too much about topics that are of no interest to me.:) This time I found a great article for writers on how to choose a critique group. The article isn't talking about online groups. This is a whole other discussion. The writer of this article talks about choosing an in person Critique Group Club.

I actually have quite a bit of experience with in person critique groups. I've been in a couple for poetry ones and one for writing. A couple of months ago a new friend of mine on Facebook told me he had one with an opening when I asked if there were any in Westchester. So I was invited to join this group for an introductory session. I brought the first three chapters of my novel which had not come back from the publisher yet. The writers who contributed to the discussion and shared their work before me seemed serious and several were published authors. We all got along great and I was feeling very comfortable and thinking I had found a new group when the last member to arrive walked in the door. He hadn't been there for the whole night, but when he walked in the group deferred to him. We were in the middle of discussing my chapters and I was very anxious to hear what people would say. The comments were going fairly well and most people were tactful, which concerned me. When people are tactful it means they didn't particularly like what you wrote. Then this guy who hadn't heard my reading wanted to read it and comment upon them. When he finished his comments were harsh and condescending. I wasn't treated like I had written anything worthy at all. He picked my work apart and I felt uncomfortable. What had been a convivial, but wary situation turned into an I-must-go-home-and -put - my -head- under -the -pillow feeling. And this guy didn't even share his writing claiming he was in the middle or some other story. The meeting ended shortly afterward and I had a feeling this wasn't the group for me. A few days later my new friend on Facebook sent me an email saying that they weren't expanding the group after all and were going to stay with the original members. I didn't care, although rejection is always hard to take. I would rather have said to him that I didn't want to be part of the group. I'll never know if it was the published women author who didn't like my writing or that they felt as a group that I didn't fit in. Whatever it was, this wasn't a great experience. She was a picture book writer and had shared a story about talking animals. She didn't know much about young adult at all.

For someone like me, who almost never gets that kind of response from people it disturbed me. My friend recommended that I search for another critique group here in Westchester. I am a member of two online groups and one, YA-authors, though it has very little activity now, was a big, big help to me. My current group, KidsMuse, is filled with great writers who understand what the author of this article has said. That there is a kernel of good in every piece of writing and that you have to be able to see that and help the writer move forward. Currently I am sharing my second novel with the group, but they did help me a great deal on my first, which unfortunately was rejected. That's another thing I have to do. I have the name of an agent and should be sending out a sample to him soon.:)

American Idol Country Night

I'm going to end with my comments on last night's American Idol. Like most of the media I had mixed feelings about Adam's interpretation of "Ring of Fire". I read one account that said that it reminded them of Jim Morrison of "The Doors". In some strange way, Adam might have been channeling Jim Morrison last night. His oufit and the psychedelic way he sang that song with the sitars in the background were very like his performance. But on the other hand, Adam brought a 21st century feel to it with his vocals. Morrison sang full out all the time, but Adam did not sing out full. Instead he seemed almost to be holding back as if tortured. Johnny

Cash, who enjoyed different versions of his songs, might have enjoyed seeing this interpretation. Whatever it was, at least he stayed on tune for the whole song and it wasn't boring.:)

The other surprise was the emergence of Anoop and the quality of his voice. He was excellent and so was Matt. Though people think Michael might go this week, I'm not sure. It could be Scott, because that would make three piano players on the show. The other one who might go is Lil Rounds, because though she is awesome sometimes, she has shown that she doesn't have variety. I don't want her to go, but she didn't do that song justice last night. Alexis seemed like Dolly Parton, but only about a half of her.:) She doesn't have the sparkle and the voice of Dolly. She tried hard, but she should have picked another song. Later last night my daughter and I watched the Top 100 Countdown for Country Music Videos on CMT and it was obvious that Carrie Underwood's song would have been much better for Alexis. The judges said that, but until I saw the video I thought that Alexis might pull through. Now, I'm not so sure. I also liked Kris, but have a feeling that he won't be there much longer. He may make it through this round, though. Danny did his usual best and so did Scott, though their inspirational songs are getting to me. But the lowlight of the evening was Megan. She had the flu, but her singing was like a form of throat singing. There is a tribe in Mongolia that does this and if you've ever heard this form of singing it sounds a little like what she did last night. Her outfit too was very torch singer and not at all country to me. I'm not thrilled with her usually so if you like her at least she had the guts to perform with the flu. Also looked pretty good, but that explains the non-expression in her eyes.:) Yes, I guess that is a little catty.:)

Why do I watch American Idol? It's a phenomenon that no one has analyzed yet, but I think it's because I enjoy seeing talented people who have not had the breaks rise to the top. I suppose it's survival of the fittest played out in a TV show setting. It's like when the Romans watched the gladiators fighting in the arena and bet on the one that would be killed. What is the difference between not voting for someone on American Idol and them being taken off the show and betting on the gladiator that will be alive at the end? Certainly there is no bloodshed on American Idol, but people are eliminated. My husband once told me that he loves when there are a lot of people and then they go down to only one. It may be that fascination that keeps us watching AI. Or maybe people enjoy watching other people look miserable. Or on the other hand, it's fun to watch the winners be happy. I'm pretty sure we don't watch it for the talent. Or could it be the interaction of the contestants with the judges or the judges bizarre behavior, especially Paula's, could be the reason.:) What was up with Paula smelling Simon's arm last night? Or was she snorting something off of that arm?LOL

Until the next time, I am hoping all of you will be joining us tomorrow for my first Guest Author interview with Simon Rose. He will be here in the afternoon to answer your questions so please come and bring friends.:) Thank you to all my readers and the wonderful comments you leave that help brighten up my day and warm my heart.

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