Wicked Wordsmith

The Mug Says It All

This site shows just how a life of crime can wreak havoc on a good-looking woman. Check it out. Think about how different the woman looks in the first mug shot and the last. Consider how a life of crime would impact your character. Would it show in the wrinkles on their face, and in their dead eyes? Is their conscience so dead that it has no impact at all?

For each of your characters, think about their physical attributes the more time their are processed by the cops. Use this knowledge for your story - even if they are not criminals. You might be surprised where it takes you.

Best 101 Sites by Writer's Digest

If you haven't already, bookmark these writing sites today.

Writer's Digest - Best 101 Sites

Tweak that Resume

Resumes are a painful necessity in today's job market. But what makes a standout resume? How can you tweak what you already have to put your credentials at the top of the job candidate stack? The Rockport Institute offers up some insightful tips on resume writing on its site.

How to Write Good

Check out this humorous, but oh-so-true post about writing improvement. Fans of William Safire's Rules for Writers will recognize some of the 52 items on the list.

Angela Wilson - Wicked Wordsmith

The Most Important - and Most Compelling - Short-Short Story of Your Career as a Selling Author by Robert W. Walker

Catalog Copy:
General synopsis of book (no more than 290 words) See example below.
Title: DEAD ON
Author:  ROBERT W. WALKER

Quote: “Walker’s prose cuts like a garrote; he is a master at the top of his game.”  —JA Konrath, author of Whiskey Sour, Dirty Martini

Synopsis:
Private Eye Marcus Rydell is fighting to keep his hold on life in modern day Atlanta, Georgia.  He is a detective struggling with suicidal tendencies due to his having been disgraced and having lost all he holds dear four years earlier.  Marc’s suicidal gun to mouth is only stopped by his cop’s instinct and the promise brought to him by Dr. Kat Holley.  She makes him an offer at the point of a gun, one he can’t refuse, for it actually provides him with a reason to live in the form of vengeance.  Rydell sets aside his plans of suicide to chase a killer who, four years previously, hurt both Kat and him in immeasurable ways.  The hunt takes them to the darkest regions of the Atlanta night and the Georgia forests where the monster they are chasing turns on them amid the spectacular Blue Ridge Lake region.  They hunt a psycho Rambo type who is hunting them.  The killer bundles people into square blocks, breaking every major bone, packages them up, hangs them on a tree, builds a fire below them and they die a horrible, torturous death.  He has eluded police and feds for four years.  Marc and Kat, who fall in love along the way, along with a black German shepherd named Paco must end the maniac’s life before he ends theirs.

Cover thought:  Cast in blue, an idyllic lake with moonlight reflecting off its center.  At right a lovely modern log home where warm glow of light makes shadows of a man, a woman, and a black dog.  At left a stand of trees, a small fire glowing below a human “package” dangling from one tree branch.  Body has legs, arms, torso and head\face crammed and bound into a square the size of the torso.  Perhaps another figure, the killer, peering through binoculars at the couple and dog at the house.  These figures could all be silhouettes in style of flat black cut outs.  Maybe a twirling abandoned boat on the water.

Author Bio:  Robert W. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia with his RN and author wife Miranda and, two daughters, two sons, a dog, a lizard, and too many bills.  Rob loves traveling and sharing his hard-won lessons on writing via his online Write to Sell class.  Contact rob at www.robertwwalkerbooks.com

This example is straight from my latest sale, some 44 in all now counting my E-books.  For more examples of “copy” or “pitches” for books see all the copy written for these at www.FictionWise.com

If and when you become proficient at clearly and concisely describing your novel in 125 words or less, then this short-short about your novel can be used in the proposal, in the oral pitch, and anywhere else that it makes sense.  To get help on this take my 3-Hour, 60 dollar online course WRITE TO SELL during which time I will look at the opening 30 pages of your novel.  Part of the course is the work you will do – read certain of my articles forwarded and the opening 30 pages of DEAD ON.

Simply contact me at inkwalk at sbcglobal dot net, and let’s get to work on your MS post haste.  I’ve never had a complaint save the one guy who called me a butcher.  You got a story to tell, you got guts, so next step is to share it with Robert W. Walker, the book shaper.

Robert W. Walker is the author of more than 40 novels including the 2006 hit [City for Ransom] from HarperCollins. Find him on his blog or on his Web site.

WW Question of the Day

What does your character's MySpace page say?

Take a minute to "create" a page for your character, filling in the blanks with likes and dislikes, favorite TV shows and music, and personality profile. Think about what type of photograph your character would use, and how this character plans to use the site (networking, dating, etc.)

What fellow MySpacers are listed in the friends section? Does the character pursue friends, or wait for invitations?

You would be amazed at what types of insights you'll get from your character - and the new plot points those lead to.

Angela Wilson - Wicked Wordsmith

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Master of Horror King Talks Better Writing Techniques

Stephen King is a master storyteller - and many authors out there hope to one day have his fame (and fortune). In this blog post from The Positivity Blog, the author reminds reader-writers of King's top tips for becoming a better writer, which are featured in his book, On Writing (available at the Wicked Wordsmith store). Even if you've read this highly-recommended book, it never hurts to refresh your memory.

Angela Wilson - Wicked Wordsmith

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Site That Gets Your Manuscript in the Hands of Agents

NovelMaker.com is a site where authors upload their works and get comments - or contracts - from agents, editors and publishers.

Check it out and see if it works for you. Here is the FAQ. Pay attention to costs in these sections:

If an agent or publisher contacts me what are my
obligations to NovelMaker.com and who do I contact?

How much will it cost me to self publish my book if I use
NovelMaker.com as my publisher and what sort of distribution will you
provide?

Angela Wilson - Wicked Wordsmith

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That Old Dusty Manuscript by George Thompson

Where’s that first manuscript you handwrote or tediously typed and used whiteout to cover typos?  Still in the original box that held a full ream of paper?  Mine is.  But not for long.

Now that you’re doing well, you’ve been published and you’ve got ideas for upcoming projects, how about digging that first manuscript out of the closet—you know, the one of the highest shelf?—and see if you can polish it up for publication.  Handwritten?  Typed?  Are you going to take the time to transcribe it into a digital format?  Have a friend who loves to type—fast?  How ‘bout contracting out if you can afford it?  It will save you time.  Got a month of your own time before you start that next paid, planned project?  Then keyboard it yourself and put it away for a rainy day.  You never know just exactly who will be interested in the first manuscript.

Just think of all the writers whose first “written” effort was not the first book published.  Some of our best known author’s first books were rejected and it was only after their second or even third book was accepted for publication that editors went back and showed interest in publishing books one and two.  Who knows?  You’re writing poetry now, it’s been widely publicized, you made it when it was published and have even gone on the circuit promoting your book and ever since then you’ve wanted to “branch out” into other genre and all along you’ve had that novel stuck away gathering dust in your closet.

My novel made the rounds of thirty-six publishing houses and the last one sent me a nice note saying that if I fleshed out the characters a little more they would be happy to look at the manuscript again.  Unfortunately, my work stood in the way and I never re-submitted my idea to them.  I often wonder where I might be now had I followed through with that endeavor.  As many say, “Hind sight is twenty-twenty.”

I face the same dilemma that many of you do:  retyping my manuscript into the computer—that is only 500 pages double-spaced!  The other problem that is the same as yours:  time.  It’s not on my side unless I make it so.  I know exactly where my manuscript is and you would think that since I’m retired I would have lots of time to sit down and start typing.  Not true.  I still have to dedicate myself to the project before anything will happen.

So, give it a try.  I’m going to surprise myself.  You may just do the same thing.  Smile while you do it.  Just think of all the “side” memories you will have when you open that box and recall sounds and smells that took place when you first started typing your great idea years ago!

George Thompson is a poet, book critic for www.PopSyndicate.com and regular contributor to Wicked Wordsmith.

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Velda Brotherton Workshop News

WW contributor Velda Brother headlines a workshop in Arkansas next month. Details:

Writing Stories from Ozarks Legends
Velda Brotherton's Fall Workshop
Saturday, Nov. 3 
9:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M.
Ozark Folkways, 4 miles south of Winslow, AR on Hwy. 71

What is a legend? It's simply a true story that is bigger than
life, a story that grows generation after generation until it becomes a
terrific tale of heroes and villains, of living, loving, laughing and
crying.


Perhaps your family has such stories, but the gaps keep you from
telling them. Or you recently ran across a tidbit gleaned from an old
newspaper article or family story and you'd like to see it become a
full-fledged fiction or nonfiction story or book.

Guess what? There are ways to research, study and interview
that will enable you to write complete stories from the bits and pieces
of these legendary tales until everyone will grab up your writings and
beg for more.


Is it lying to tell true stories like this? No, of course not.
You become the expert, then you know how the story would go, even if
you weren't there, even if you don't have all the information. Your
book or story becomes fiction based on a true story or creative
nonfiction memoirs or biographies. Or simply family stories written in
such a way that readers clamor to read them.


This workshop will help you learn to reach out for such pieces
of folk tales and fill in all the gaps with research and interviews. It
will help you recreate these characters who might otherwise fade into
the past. It will show you how to put together the story so that it
explodes with excitement, blooms with color, teases with mystery.


Velda Brotherton has been writing for more than 20 years. Her
historical columns have been published in several newspapers and other
publications. She has had several nonfiction books published as well as
many historical fiction novels and short stories, all of which are
based on true stories.


The author has also taught many workshops at writer's
conferences such as Oklahoma Writers Federation, Ozark Creative
Writers, Ozark Writer's League, Ozark Romance Authors, Tulsa
Night Writers, Sleuths Ink and others. This will be her fifth workshop
for Ozark Folkways, a nonprofit organization that regularly offers to
the community workshops teaching folk arts and crafts.


Pre-registering is recommended as the class will be limited to 20. To register, call Connie at 479-634-3791 or Velda at 479-634-3151. Cost of the workshop is $25, a portion of which is donated to Ozark Folkways.

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