Author: The Regal Writer

Business writer, editor, blogger and communications consultant seeking to help people find their writing voice and tell their personal stories.

Seven Reasons It’s Okay to DNF a Book

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Growing up, I was taught never to quit anything, whether it’s a meal, a work project, a game, or a movie I was watching. That same mindset has carried over into book reading. For years, I pushed through books that I wanted to give up on, except for that little voice inside my head that warned me not to. The voice that told me to “Finish what you start.”

 But lately, I’ve been rethinking that “rule,” especially with regard to reading books. There are simply too many intriguing book titles on the market these days, and so many genres and authors to explore. There aren’t enough hours in the day to read everything I can get my hands on, and my TBR shelf is bulging with volumes. Why would I want to stick with a book that wasn’t holding my interest when there are so many other possibilities?

Then there’s another reason for the rethink. I’m not a very patient person, and I don’t like wasting my time on a story that just isn’t working for me. Time is precious, and I want to make the most of the time I have reading those books that do interest me.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, DNF means Did Not Finish. You know it may be time to quit a book when the story in your hands drags like a snail on hot pavement. Or you’re constantly eyeing your TBR shelf, wondering what to read next.

A book needs to grab my attention from the opening pages, and keep it going to the very end. Otherwise, I toss it aside, usually for another time. I like to give most books at least three attempts before giving up on it.

So why do I DNF a book? There are a number of reasons.

  • The plot moves too slowly. This is usually the most common reason I quit a book. The premise is fine, but the story doesn’t quite live up to it or, worse, the plot moves too slowly. This is when I start eyeing my TBR shelf for alternatives. Most of the time I can gut it out. Other times, I’ve set the book aside, read another book, then pick up the first one again to finish. If I still can’t get into the story, then it’s time to add it to the DNF pile.

  • The language is too complex or difficult to understand. It’s a rare occurrence that I come across a story with complex language. It could be a detailed explanation of a boat’s features or sailing technique, or it could be the regional dialect of the characters. That’s when I can get stuck on trying to understand the language and can’t enjoy the story. That’s when I get frustrated and have to set the book aside.  

  • Life gets too busy. We’ve all been there. Sometimes, you start reading a book believing you have time to finish it, but then life happens. Your car needs to be repaired or your in-laws have decided to visit. You have the best of intentions when you start reading, but there’s too much going on in your world to give the book the attention it probably deserves.

  • Scenes made me feel uncomfortable. As I get older, I find I have less tolerance for stories with violence, offensive language and graphic sex. They no longer hold any interest for me. Granted some scenes like this can’t be avoided, but all the same, that’s another reason I might DNF a book.

  • The timing wasn’t right. You might start a book, read a chapter and can’t quite get into it. The story may be fine, but maybe the timing isn’t quite right. For example, when the pandemic hit a few years ago and everyone was hunkering down at home, I had started reading Love in the Time of Cholera. After reading 20 pages, I set it aside because the story was too heavy and somber for the times, and seemed too much like what we were all living through at the time. I realized I needed to read something more lighthearted, so I set the book aside. It’s still on my shelf, however, waiting for the right time to jump into it.

  • The author made their point a long time ago. This is especially true when reading memoir or non-fiction. The author may share their premise in the introduction, then again in the first chapter. When it seems that the same point was repeated in following chapters, I’ve put the book away. The author didn’t seem to have anything new to say. If they’ve made their point in chapter one, why would I want to read the next 20 chapters?

  • Too much backstory and not enough action. Some books I’ve read have been so bogged down in details and lacked enough action to keep me reading. This is especially true for some science fiction stories that rely on world building. The author can get so caught up in describing the alternate world that the actual plot gets lost. That’s when I’m eager to quit the alternate universe and return to reality, back to the safety of my TBR shelf..

I generally give a book three tries, usually up to page 50. I figure 50 pages is enough to determine if the story is keeping my interest. Then if it still does not grab me, I give up on it. That’s when I make plans to find a new home for the book or donate it to the nearest Little Free Library..

With so many other literary choices available, there’s no need to feel guilty about DNFing a book. You can always come back to it later or pass it along to someone who might appreciate it more. Have you ever DNF a book? If so, why? What traits does it have to force you to give up on it?

Take a Literary Tour of Chicago

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about ways to enjoy a book-themed vacation. Ideas ranged from a reading staycation with lots of beach reads to reading in a different location in your hometown. Another idea was literary tourism, either in your own town or in another location well-known for its literary history. Think London, Paris or San Francisco.

I’m fortunate to have grown up in Chicago, which has its own literary history. It’s the birthplace of numerous famous authors, such as Ray Bradbury (in suburban Waukegan), Sandra Cisneros, Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wright and mystery writer Sara Paretsky, among others. It’s also provided the backdrop for numerous books, films and TV shows.. With so much literary history, there’s much to see and do.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can experience if you decide to make Chicago a literary vacation destination.

Museums, libraries and landmarks:

American Writers Museum – One of my favorite places to hang out, the American Writers Museum provides exhibits, workshops and author discussions, all dedicated to the art and craft of writing.

Newberry Library – Not only home to the world’s largest three-day book sale, but a great place to go to learn about genealogy. It’s also the backdrop for numerous scenes from Clark and Division, Naomi Hirahara’s historical fiction/mystery novel set in the late 1940s.  

Museum of Science and Industry. If you’re a fan of Erik Larsen’s Devil in the White City, check out the MSI, which is the only remaining structure left from the 1893 World’s Fair

Poetry Foundation – For those interested in poetry, this modern building is a beautiful setting that can inspire any poetic soul. With more than 30,000 volumes of poetry, the foundation’s library is the only one in the Midwest dedicated to poetry.

The Sulzer Library – Housed in a historic building on the northwest side of Chicago. Compare that to the modern setting of the main Harold Washington Library. Take a tour of local libraries, some housed in beautiful old buildings, like the one I frequented when I was a child.

Monandock building – Located in the South Loop among many other older office buildings, the Monandock building is where Sara Paretsky’s private investigator V.I. Warshawsky had her office. In fact, if you’re a fan of Paretsky’s work, you can visit all the locales mentioned in her books, courtesy of Chicago Bike Adventures.  

The Understudy Coffee and Books – When you’re ready to take a break from all the sightseeing, visit the Understudy, a theater-themed coffee shop and bookstore. Located in Andersonville on the north side of the city, you can browse books about set design, acting technique and plays.

Author homes in the city:

Interested in finding out where some Chicago authors were born and raised? Check out this map from the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, which pinpoints key literary locations in and around the city. You can find out amazing details about some of the most prominent authors from our fine city, including:

L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, who grew up in a house at 1667 N. Humboldt Blvd. The home has received a Chicago Tribute Marker of Distinction. (Number 8 on the map)

Sandra Cisneros’ house, similar to the one that she described in The House on Mango Street. (No. 17)

Saul Bellow’s childhood home on Augusta Boulevard, which was given the honorary status of “Saul Bellow Way. (No. 11)

Nelson Algren fountain and his favorite saloon (No. 4 and 5)

Richard Wright’s home where he lived with his extended family from 1929 to 1932 (No. 33)

Outside Chicago:

Earnest Hemingway Birthplace and Museum – Hemingway may have made his home in the Florida Keys, but did you know he was born and spent his early life in Oak Park, outside of Chicago? Visit the old Queen Anne home where he was born, and check out the numerous artifacts from his childhood in the museum.
 
Ray Bradbury – Sadly the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum in his birthplace of Waukegan, closed in May 2023. However, you can still find memorabilia of his life and career at the Waukegan Public Library, such as his typewriter and a statue of him outside. His personal collection of books and artifacts will be on display at the Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie, which is under construction as of this writing.

Carl Sandburg Historic Association Site in Galesburg – Born in Galesburg, Illinois is 1878, Sandburg was a Pulitzer Prize winning author of poetry and history. He also wrote biographies, fiction and newspaper articles, and was a lecturer and folk singer. With the help of the association’s driving tour brochure, you can visit all of the Sandburg historic sites in Galesburg. 

I’m sure there are plenty more literary themed sites to visit throughout the state that I have not mentioned. Wherever you go, keep it educational, literary and fun.

Seven Ways to Enjoy a Book-Themed Vacation

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Some years ago, a friend told me he was taking a staycation with time devoted strictly to reading and seeing movies at the theater. I thought it was a brilliant idea, one that hasn’t gotten old in the years since.

More recently, I’ve come across a similar concept – the bookcation. A bookcation is a vacation in which all you do is read. You might choose two or three books of a similar genre or author, or two or three books of different genres or authors. That’s the beauty of the bookcation. You can make it whatever you want it to be. You can read how much you want and wherever you want—whether that’s at the beach, at a coffee shop or at home in the comfort of your bed.

Another variation is the literary vacation. This type of vacation is focused on the settings of famous books. The locales may be glamourous like London or Paris or India, or they can be closer to home. The state of Illinois tourism website Enjoy Illinois offers several ideas for literary tours in the state. You might find similar-themed tours on the tourism websites for your state or country.

There are numerous ways book lovers can enjoy a summer book-themed vacation. Here are a few other ideas:

For the staycation:

1. Read books centered around a certain theme. The most obvious choice is the summer beach read. These are usually light reading, usually a rom-com or women’s fiction. One author that comes to mind is  Elin Hildenbrand whose books are usually located at beachy resorts on the East Coast. Jennifer Weiner and Rebecca Serle are other good options. For summer beach read options, do a Google search. You’ll be amazed at the number of listings that show up.  

2. Read books around a certain genre. Perhaps you want to read only memoirs and immerse yourself in the lives of celebrities. Or read only cozy mysteries or catch up on the latest bestsellers.

3. Read books that take place in a certain location. If you’ve never been to Paris, for example, you can immerse yourself in all things French in the City of Light. Read French authors like Nina George (The Little Paris Bookshop) or Victor Hugo (Around the World in 80 Days). Or maybe you prefer to spend a summer checking out San Francisco without ever leaving your town. Check out this book list by Beyond the Bookends blog, which has tons of book lists based on locations.

 4. Read in a different setting every day. On day one, head to the library to read. On day two, head to park, pack a lunch and set out a blanket under a tree for your reading session. On day three, choose yet a different location. If you live in a larger city with multiple parks, try visiting a different park every day during your bookcation. Or visit a different library, beach, book shop or coffee shop. Even if you’re close to home, you can still feel like you’re getting away from it all by visiting a new place every day.

For literary travelers:

5. Become a literary tourist in your hometown. Are there destinations in your city or state that has a famous literary connection? Was a famous author born in the area? Or was there a theatre or university that was the setting for a movie or mystery novel? Compile a list of places that have those types of literary connections and visit them. Check local tourism sites to see if there are any similar tours. Or check out Author Adventures, which shares literary road trip ideas within the U.S. and by state.

6. Visit literary locations outside your own region or country. If you’re more ambitious and have the financial wherewithal, you can explore literary destinations abroad. Check out travel ideas on the Get Literary blog and TCK Publishing blog. Their suggestions include everything from visiting the site where the Outlander TV series is filmed in Edinburgh, Scotland, or visit the places frequented by Earnest Hemingway in Cuba.

7. Choose one literary city and visit book-themed locations there. For example, in London, visit libraries, universities, and bookshops. Or find a tour of famous author homes.

Whether you travel near or far, book-themed vacations are not only educational, they’re fun.

How Writers Can Support Other Creatives

~ The Regal Writer ~ 2 Comments
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Writers might spend a lot of time alone working on their craft, but they’re also part of the larger writing community. They’re also part of an even larger community of creatives that include graphic designers, photographers, videographers, even musicians.

So when members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike against Hollywood production companies several weeks ago, it struck a chord in me. While these members typically work in the film and TV production industry in New York and Los Angeles, any writer or affiliate creative can empathize with the issues they’re facing.

Issues of greatest concern are better compensation packages and improved pay equity structure. This article in Parade explains the strike much better than I can. The strike could possibly carry on for months, so it can have a detrimental effect on their income and business opportunities in the near term.

While the WGA strike may seem too far removed from the kind of writing you and I do, we should stop to consider how this might impact our own ability to build a sustainable creative career.  Because if WGA members can’t make a decent living wage doing what they do–create stories for movies and television—then how can we expect to do the same as staff writers and freelancers?

Seeing their plight made me think of ways we can support these writers, and all writers no matter what industry they serve. After all, we are all part of one large creative community, and we need to support one another.  

Here are a few ways you can support other writers and creatives, no matter what type of work they do or the industries they serve.

  • Buy their books, artwork, etc. This is obvious, of course. The best way to show your support for other writers is to purchase their work. After all, this is why many of them decide to become writers. They love sharing their work, and hopefully, make a living at it.  

  • Join a community of writers. When you join groups like Media Bistro, American Society of Business Publication Editors, or Freelancers Union, you learn about the industry and share best practices and techniques for working as a creative.  By being part of these networks, you build a strong support group for your work while also supporting others in theirs.

  • Donate to help striking screenwriters. When WGA members went on strike, it wasn’t just the screenwriters who were affected, but other related professionals in the TV and film industry, such as cinematographers, hair and makeup stylists, etc. Funds like the Entertainment Community Fund provide financial support to the entertainment crew who may suffer hardship because of the strike.

  • Be a beta reader. Whether it’s someone’s first book or their tenth, most authors need another pair of eyes (or two or three pairs) to understand how their work-in-progress will be received. It helps them gain insights about what’s working in their story.

  • Write a book review. Whether you’re part of Goodreads, Amazon or some other book site, writing a review of someone’s book can boost its popularity and sell more copies. It’s one more way to show your support for your fellow writers.

  • Follow an author on social media. Comment on something they’ve posted, or share their post to your network. By interacting with them on social media, you learn more about who they are outside of their writing career. You may even pick up a few writing tips along the way. By sharing their posts with your contacts, you help them promote their work while gaining access to theirs.

  • Promote an author’s work on social media. People are always looking for a good book to read. Don’t be shy about posting a raving review on Instagram or Twitter about an author’s latest novel. Post the book cover with one or two sentence summary of the story so readers know what the book is about. It’s also a great way to start a conversation about an author’s work.

  • Attend book signings. While they’re signing your book, tell them how much you appreciate their work. Authors, like everyone else, like getting compliments. They like to hear that they are appreciated, and they love talking about books. They’re usually happy to dispense a piece of advice too. Just don’t be too pushy.

  • Join a writer’s group. Some groups are critique groups while others are accountability sessions allowing members to chat about their latest work in progress, get advice to get unstuck on a plot point or simply to get away from the desk for a while.

  • Teach writing to aspiring writers. Whether you specialize in memoir writing, short stories or essays, consider sharing your expertise so novice writers gain experience writing in these genres. Not only do you gain experience as a public speaker and teacher, you and your students can learn from each other along the way and support each other’s growth as writers.  

  • Mentor an aspiring author. Everyone needs help every now and then. Young and aspiring writers have tons of questions about the writing process. Sometimes they need someone to listen as they vent their frustrations over their process. Be kind and listen. Dispense helpful advice, and give encouragement. Being a mentor can be just as rewarding as getting mentored.

  • Launch an online magazine. Then invite writers—especially novice writers looking to gain experience and clips–to contribute to the publication. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to pay them in dollars, but they will have clips for their portfolio.

These are just a few ideas to consider. You may have a few ideas of your own. Focus on one or two that best show your support for other writers.

I’ve always believed that what you put out in the world eventually comes back to you. Support your fellow writers and creatives today. You never know when the writer you help will one day help you in return.

Ten Recommended Books about Fathers and Fatherhood

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A few weeks ago, I shared my list of recommended books about mothers and motherhood. This week, to commemorate Father’s Day, I’ve created a similar list of great reads about fathers.

Like my Moms’ list, Dads come in all shapes and sizes and bring all sorts of drama and emotional nuance to these stories. In some instances, Dads were a minor character or a deceased one that still left a major influence on an adult child, sometimes many years later (Shoeless Joe), while others are the main character of the novel trying to make their way in the world while providing a good life for their children (The Shipping News). I’ve also included one memoir, a positive reflection on a father’s love of sports that was passed on to his daughter (The Best Seat in the House). 

In almost every book, the father character brings intrigue and conflict. You can’t ignore the impact a father has on their child—for good, bad or indifferent.

By the way, most of these are also films, so if you don’t feel like reading, you can always watch the story unfold on the screen.

Without further delay, here are my best book recommendations with strong father figure characters. You may have your own list, of course. What books have you read that featured a strong father figure character?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Told from the point of view of six-year-old Scout Finch, readers not only learn about life in the South during the Great Depression, but about Scout’s relationship with her father, Atticus, a widower and a lawyer who wants justice to be served and to bring up his children right.

Bee Season by Myla Goldberg
As Eliza attempts to win the national spelling bee, her father becomes obsessed with her success. As she gets deeper and deeper into her “training” under her father’s tutelage, the family’s connections begin to unravel. Readers see how controlling her father becomes, which impacts all his familial relationships.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Not everyone appreciates the name they’re given at birth. Gogol is haunted by his name, given to him by his father who named him after an author he had always admired but who came with a lot of baggage. The unease that Gogol feels about his name fuels many of the conflicts in his life, especially those with his father.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Set in 1964, this is a coming-of-age story about 14-year-old Lily who runs away from home with the family housekeeper in search for the truth about her mother. I included this book on this list for the impact Lily’s father had on her life and the final showdown she has with him in an attempt to claim her independence.  

Disgrace by J. M. Coetze
After being accused of sexual misconduct by a student, English professor David Lurie leaves the university “disgraced” and moves to South Africa where his daughter Lucy lives. There he attempts to mend the broken pieces of their relationship.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
Life isn’t always the way we believe it to be. Delia’s life is turned upside down when she learns that she was kidnapped by her father when she was four, an incident she has little memory of. As events unfold, Delia is forced to confront some hard truths about her father (and mother), though she stays loyal to him in the end.

Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella
The movie Field of Dreams is based on this novel by W.P. Kinsella. Farmer Ray Kinsella heeds the call to build a baseball field in the middle of his Iowa cornfield. As he follows a trail of clues, he ponders his life without his long deceased father who had longed to be a baseball player. Each step takes him closer to his ultimate reward—reuniting briefly with his father.  

The Shipping News by L Annie Prouix
When Quoyle loses both his parents to suicide and his wife leaves him for a younger lover, he moves with his children to Newfoundland to a house that was in his family for generations. What struck me most about this story was Quoyle’s dedication to his children and his willingness to uproot their lives and start over in an part of the world to protect them from the pain and grief he has suffered through.

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
One of my favorite books and a pretty decent film. After their restaurant in India is destroyed by fire, killing their mother, an Indian family moves to London, then to Paris where young son Hassain begins to find his way in the culinary world against his father’s wishes who wants him to remain true to his Indian roots. Despite his gruff manner, Hassain’s father truly loves his family, and readers see determined he is to keep the family together as they struggle to adapt to life in a new country.

The Best Seat in the House by Christine Brennan
If you read USA Today, you no doubt have read some of Brennan’s stories. She’s covered sports for several decades at a time when few women covered the sports beat. In this memoir, Brennan pays homage to her father, an avid baseball and football fan who followed the Detroit Tigers, Toledo Mud Hens (the Tigers minor league team) and Notre Dame. It’s a fun read to learn how father and daughter can bond over sports. These are all great reads, by the way, no matter what time of year. And you don’t have to be a father yourself to enjoy them.

Why Creative Ruts Happen, and What You Can Do About Them

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I’m taking the week off from my blog to focus on other writing projects. Please enjoy the following article, which was originally published in May 2019. I’ll be back next week with fresh material.
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Falling into a creative rut can feel like the end of the world, like you’re stuck in a desert with no sign of water or food or life. When they happen, you can do one of two things: fight them to the death, or embrace them.

Ruts are not a bad thing, says author and freelance journalist Kristin Wong. They serve a useful purpose, prompting you to question your life goals and career aspirations. Ruts, she says, reminds you that you are human after all, not a machine.

Other creative types see ruts differently. Author Jane Porter suggests that it’s not a rut you are experiencing at all, but impatience. You want to see results right away. You want to see progress quickly and in the right direction, just as you sketched it out ahead of time. You want to see proof that your hard work is paying off. But, Porter says, efficiency is not the same as creativity.

Do a Google search and you’ll find hundreds of articles with suggestions for dealing with ruts. But most  of them don’t address why they happen in the first place. Wong says ruts usually happen for one of three reasons:

* Information overload. The Internet provides a lot of information, and it can be easy to get lost in it. Some of the information is legitimate; a good portion is not, and we have to discern between fact and fiction. It’s also easy to get distracted with non-essential ideas that don’t fit in with your own aspirations. When you feel lost, it’s easy to seek guidance from other people and forget that you even have a brain and a voice. You need to block out the distractions so you can hear your own voice and follow your own path. 

* Burnout. Creative professionals often work on the same project for months or even years. But after looking at the same pages all the time, you can become bored. You begin to feel stagnant, and run out of ideas of how to fix your writing or artwork. Burnout is natural when you stare at a project for too long, says Wong. To counter burnout, it’s important to take breaks – lots of them. Self-care is as much a part of the creative process as the work you do. During those breaks, learn to do nothing, even if it’s just staring out the window. Breaks give you stamina and energy so you can keep going toward your goals.

* Uncertainty about your path. Sometimes you can be so engulfed in the process of creating that you lose sight of your overall vision. It can translate as boredom on the job. When you continue to do a job out of routine, and you’re unclear what the overall vision is for that job, it can throw you into a rut.

So now that you have a better understanding why ruts happen, what can you do about them? Ask any creative person and they will tell you how they deal with them. But their ways of dealing with ruts are as different as they are. Check out this Huffington Post article about how 29 artists break out of ruts. It’s important to find what works best for you. Here are a few ideas:

1. Take a break. Most creative people will tell you that frequent breaks are necessary for clearing your head. Go for a walk, take a weekend getaway, play with your pet, or take a nap. When you return to your desk, you may notice a solution you hadn’t seen before.

2. Work with your hands. Find ways to work with your hands. Try gardening, playing in the sand, mold clay, juggle, or anything that requires you to use your hands rather than your head. Playing with something tangible like dirt, water or clay can be therapeutic.

3. Take a bath or shower. Ever have an eureka moment while showering? There’s something about immersing yourself in water that releases creative energy. In astrology, water is often associated with creativity and artistry, so any activity involving water may help “flush out” new innovative ideas.

4. Try something different. Do something you’ve never done before, says Christine Mason Miller, author of Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World in a recent Psyche Central article. Sign up for a cooking class, for example, visit a nearby town you’ve never been to before or go horseback riding if you’ve never done it. The key is to open your mind up to doing something different. If you experience something out of the usual order of things in your life, that new experience can spawn new creative ideas.

5. Make small changes. Sometimes making small changes to your environment can help you look at the world differently. Miller says whenever she falls into a creative rut, she will repaint a room, rearrange a room or buy a new piece of furniture. Bringing something new into your environment can spark creative ideas.

6. Show up and be present. Give your work all the attention it needs, even if the quality of work you produce isn’t quite what you want. At least you are still working at it.

7. Allow yourself to be bored. Author Jane Porter says our brains are too occupied with information, data, news and other stuff. Our brains are too busy, and all that busyness can kill creativity. It’s okay to be bored every so often, to do nothing, to think of nothing. Use the time to stare out the window or a picture on the wall. Become a blank slate. Think of it as part of the creative process.

8. Surround yourself with beautiful things. Visit a museum, listen to classical music or read poetry. Enjoy the sources of beauty and creativity that surround you. Seeing it in nature or seeing it in the works of other creatives can inspire you.

9. Embrace your creative rut. Realize that feeling stuck is part of the creative process. Once you understand this, you can embrace it for what it truly is – a reason to keep creating.

Creative ruts are inevitable, and a natural part of the creative process. They serve as red flags alerting you that something is out of sync. When you fall into one, don’t fret. Recognize it for what it is – a chance to recharge your creative spirit so you can produce your best work.

How Reading a Variety of Books Can Improve Your Writing

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment
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When I first began my writing journey nearly about five years ago, I was inspired by Stephen King’s book On Writing, in which he encouraged writers to read often and read a variety of book titles. Around that same time, I had started volunteering for a non-profit group that provided books to incarcerated women, and I became familiar with the books they often requested from our library (most of which were donations). So I was reading everything from true crime, prison life and re-entry to African-American and Hispanic fiction.  

Adding fuel to the fire was a blog post I came across about a reading challenge—reading books under certain categories, themes, genres or book titles—no matter how crazy those titles might be. The list included everything from reading a non-fiction book, a book about motherhood, a book turned into a movie or TV series, or a book with a color/number/person’s name in the title. You get the idea. The challenge wasn’t about how many books you could read, but the variety. It simply added another layer of fun to the activity of reading.

Put altogether, reading a variety of books became ingrained in me. So what that I rarely read the current bestseller? I learned as much by reading a classic John Steinbeck novel as anything else on the current bestseller list. I learned that every book you read can teach you something about writing.

More important, reading a variety exposed me to authors I probably would never have read (Toni Morrison, for example) and about different cultures and perspectives (Indian culture through the work of Jhumpa Lahiri, for example). It showed different uses of language and unique and interesting characters and settings (fantasy, for example).

Reading a variety has also shown me the things that don’t always work in storytelling and what does and does not appeal to readers. That knowledge is helping me craft better stories, stronger plots and more interesting characters. (At least I hope it does.}

Reading a variety can nudge you out of your comfort zone and challenge your brain to see things differently. If all you ever read is the same genre, boredom can settle in and you’ll likely see the same plot lines and the same types of characters over and over again. When that happens, it may be time to mix things up a bit. After reading a couple of historical fiction novels, switch it up by reading a memoir or a classic. You can always return to your favorite genre.

Here’s what you can learn about writing by reading outside your favorite genre:

  • Sci Fi/Fantasy – Learn about world building with its own unique population and language. This challenges you to think outside the box.
  • Mystery/thriller – Learn techniques for pacing and creating suspense.
  • Literary – Learn about character-driven plots, character motivation and story arcs.
  • Memoir – Learn about a person’s history, emotions and experiences. What makes them tick? How did they become the person they are now?
  • Non-fiction – Learn to explain technical or complex subjects. Get background information about a subject.
  • Commercial fiction or current bestseller – ask yourself why they are so popular with readers. What is their appeal? Why are people buying this book?
  • The classics – Learn about the use of language from years ago. Important if you’re writing historical fiction.
  • Plays/drama – Pay attention to dialogue. How do the characters speak and relate to one another?
  • Read Latino, African-American, Native-American, Middle Eastern, Asian-American authors – Notice how their culture influences their story telling.

The way I see it, reading is the flip side of writing. Without reading, we would never experience the fine art of storytelling. So read a lot, and read a variety. Your creative writing self will thank you for it.

Recommended Books about Mothers and Motherhood

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment
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Since the calendar turned to the month of May, I’ve found myself reading novels where mothers are the key characters and motherhood the main theme. My current read is Two Little Girls in Blue, a suspense novel by legendary author Mary Higgins Clark, a story about the kidnapping of three-year-old twins Kelly and Kathy and their telepathic connection.  

Clark’s story got me thinking about other books I’ve read that explore similar themes of motherhood. With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I thought I would pay special tribute to Moms with a list of books that feature mother-child relationships. All types of mothers are included on this list, including birth mothers, adopted mothers and step mothers. Most of these books I’ve read, but I’ve included a few others worth noting.

So if you’re looking to add more to your TBR list, here are a few worth a look:

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
What would you do if you received a postcard in the mail about missing children, and one of the children on the card looks identical to your adopted son? That is the premise of this suspenseful page turner that asks the question: What would you do if you suspected that your adopted child was kidnapped from another family?

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
With clearly drawn characters and crisp writing, this was another book I couldn’t stop reading. Hannah is a new wife and stepmother to 16-year-old Bailey, who wants nothing to do with her. When Hannah’s husband Owen disappears, she receives a note from him with one simple message: “Protect her.” Hannah knows she must protect Bailey, even as she tries to unravel what has happened to her husband.

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
With the help of a psychic and a private investigator, a teenaged girl attempts to find out what happened to her mother, an elephant researcher, after a tragic accident at an animal sanctuary. Guided by her mother’s diary that documented the behavior of elephants through death and grief, the girl follows a trail of clues that lead to a very unexpected and surprising ending.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The motherhood theme plays out in several different scenarios in  this moving novel by Ng. When artist and single mom Mia Warren arrives in the idyllic and carefully planned community of Shaker Heights, her disregard for the status quo upsets some area residents, particularly Elena Richardson, who is suspicious of Mia’s mysterious past. The lives of Mia and her daughter Pearl are intertwined with those of the four Richardson children. When friends of Elena want to adopt a Chinese-American infant, Mia and Elena find themselves on opposing sides of the debate. Elena becomes obsessed with ousting Mia from town with devastating results.

Lost by Joy Fielding
The first time Cindy lost her daughter Julia, her daughter was five years old. The second time was when Julia was 14 and she moved in with her father, which broke Cindy’s heart. But when Julia disappears again at age 21 after a promising audition with a Hollywood director, Cindy begins a frantic search for her. This time, the answers she finds reveals a disturbing truth about her daughter that she realized she never really knew.

Where Are The Children? by Mary Higgins Clark
One of the first novels by Clark, and probably the one that put her on the path to publishing success. Here’s another story about a mother whose two children disappear while playing in the front yard. In Clark’s signature style, the story is told from a variety of perspectives, including that of the kidnapper.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
It’s been a while since I’ve read this debut novel by Tan, which explores four mother-daughter relationships of Asian-American heritage. The story is told from alternating points of view of each mother and daughter, exploring how the attitudes and behaviors toward love and family are passed through the generations. The film was also quite good.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch
It’s been a long while since I read this book by Fitch. I also remember seeing the movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer. After her mother Ingrid is charged with murder for killing her boyfriend, 12-year-old Astrid is shuffled from foster home to foster home, each time putting her in complicated situations. As Astrid struggles to define herself, she continues a rather tenuous relationship with Ingrid in prison.

The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton
At times this was a difficult book to read because of the moments of violence. I give credit to Hamilton for the way she treated each of the main characters. Ruth lives at home with her mother May, who sees her daughter as a disappointment because she isn’t anything like her brilliant brother who graduated from college and works in Boston. Instead, Ruth works at a dry cleaners and falls for a Ruby, a lazy, stubborn scoundrel, who does not mix well with May. Ruby and May come to a violent clash, and only Ruth’s innate goodness and compassion allows her to have hope for her future.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity.
I love how Moriarity plays with intriguing questions and scenarios, bringing both humor and drama to her stories. In this novel, 29-year-old Alice is pregnant with her first child and is crazy in love with her husband. After falling at the gym, she wakes up in the hospital, only to learn that it is ten years later, she’s 39 with three kids, and she can’t understand why she’s in the midst of a messy divorce and why her sister won’t speak to her. As she puts the pieces of her life together, Alice figures out how to connect with her children and mend fences with her sister who has been on her own journey to become a mother.

Other books often listed with motherhood themes that are currently on my TBR list.

Beloved by Toni Morrison
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarity
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

What books about mothers and motherhood have left an impression on you? Which books would you recommend?

Tips for Compiling and Submitting Freelance Writing Clips

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment
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When you’re starting out as a freelancer (or even if you’ve been doing it for a while), at some point a potential client will request samples of your work. This is common practice, so don’t fret if you get a request like that. If anything, you should celebrate because it means they’re considering working with you and they want to see what kind of work you’ve done previously.  

But what types of clips should you send to them? How many? What do you do if you don’t have many writing clips to show? Let’s start at the beginning.

Keep track of your clips.

Whether you’re starting out as a freelancer or you’ve been freelancing for a while, you should collect your clips and keep them in one place so you can quickly access them. If the article was posted on a blog or online content hub, save a copy to your hard drive, auxiliary drive, your website or online portfolio site you might belong to like Contently. To save, select the Print option, then in the drop down menu, select Save as PDF. Then you can save it wherever you want to keep all your clips. That way you know where to find them when you need them.

Wherever you keep your clips, it might help to sort them by date, publication or subject area, such as real estate or health. Again, that’s for ease in finding them quickly when you need them.

Follow the client’s instructions.

When a client requests your clips, be sure to follow their instructions. Some clients are very specific about what they want and how they want the clips delivered to them. Some may ask for PDF or Word documents sent as an email attachment. Others may want only links. Do as they ask. It’s their way of testing you to see if you can follow their instructions.  If they ask for three sample clips, send them three sample clips. Don’t send them four, and don’t send them one. If they don’t specify how many they want, stick with two or three, which is enough to give them an idea of your writing ability.

Consider several factors when submitting clips:

  1. Send clips that are as close to the type of writing that you’d be doing for them. For example, a client looking for someone to write SEO blog posts will want to see similar types of clips from you. In that case, don’t send them research papers or marketing proposals as your samples. Your chances of getting hired improve greatly if your samples closely match the type of work they’re hiring for.
  2. Make sure the clips are fairly recent. Most editors want to see work you’ve done within the past couple of years, not what you wrote 10 years ago. Although, if that is the only clip you have in that particular genre, send that along and explain why you’re sending an older piece.
  3. Send your best work. Some writers and editors will tell you to make this the number one priority, but in my experience, your best work may not fit their genre or it may not be the most current work you’ve done. That said, if you submit three clips, designate one as your best work, even if it doesn’t fit the genre, then include two others that do fit. Make sure they’re all recently published.
  4. Pay attention to the tone and writing style. Does your writing style mesh with that of the publication? To answer that, you’ll need to review their publication carefully to become familiar with their style. If it’s a light-hearted, humor magazine and you tend to write more serious, research-based articles, your writing style probably won’t work for them. You need to match their tone.
  5. Consider the publication’s audience. If your writing experience is focused on business publications, such as magazine features, newsletters, and blog content, it may be difficult to transition to consumer-focused publications because the writing styles are different. Consumer writing is more casual, usually written at a lower grade level than a technical business publication. If you want to write for a consumer-focused publication, it’s easier to get assignments if you’ve written for consumer publications in the past.
  6. Make sure the clips are error-free. If they’ve been published, they’ve obviously gone through a copyediting and proofing phase beforehand. But if your sample is posted on a friend’s blog and hasn’t been proofed, it’s possible that a misspelled word or other grammar mistake has slipped through. Make sure your work is clean before submitting.

But what should you do if you’re starting out as a freelancer and you don’t have enough clips or the right type of clips, you might ask?

Sorry to be blunt about this, but realistically you’re probably not ready for a freelancing career. Freelancing is highly competitive, and editors want to hire only the best-qualified individuals that have experience writing about certain topics. To gain that experience, try taking a few writing classes where you can accrue samples. Or volunteer to write website articles for a non-profit group (which I did early in my career to gain experience), create your own samples or start a blog. Some editors do view a person’s blog as a legitimate writing sample so don’t overlook its potential.

When you do submit clips, it might help to keep a spreadsheet or note to yourself about which clips you sent in case the client asks questions about it later.

Keep your best published clips organized in one central place, and make sure they’re polished and error-free. When a potential client asks for clips, you’ll be ready to send them the best work you’ve done.  

Give Yourself Writing Credit

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It can be a real drag to be slaving away on a lengthy piece of writing for months or even years. It’s even harder when you’re doing it in relative invisibility. There’s no one around to cheer you on when you get stuck, no one to urge you toward the finish line (unless you have a spouse or best friend living with you). There’s no one to help you celebrate small successes you experience along the way, like hitting the 10,000-word mark on an 80,000-word novel or finishing a chapter. When you’re focused on the next goal, the next chapter, or the next deadline, you might forget to pat yourself on the back for the work you’ve put in.

Experts (both writing and psychology) say it’s important to give ourselves credit throughout a project, not just at the end. Delayed gratification is a no-no. It’s not just to keep you motivated, but to acknowledge the hard work and grief you’ve gone through during the writing process. Since most writers work in isolation, no one else sees how you toil behind the scenes. No one witnesses the blood, sweat and tears you pour into your work to get it published.

By setting up a credit system for reaching certain milestones, you can take time to appreciate the work you’ve done so far. You can feel good about what you’ve accomplished while you’re accomplishing it. No need to wait until the bitter end to pat yourself on the back. Who wants to wait that long before receiving any kind of acknowledgment of your hard work?

Giving yourself credit plays off the concept of “What’s rewarded gets repeated.” When you acknowledge that you wrote 5,000 words in one week, how likely are you to repeat that effort the following week? Of course, you’ll want to keep performing at that high level. As the words pile up on the page, so do your rewards.

The rewards should be small things, like giving yourself a day off from writing or taking a day trip somewhere. They don’t have to cost anything either, like playing with your favorite pet or re-watching a favorite movie. In fact, waiting until the end of the project for a larger, more indulgent reward, something that could be a splurge, like dinner at a hot new restaurant or a massage.

There are a few guidelines for giving yourself credit:

  • Refrain from food-related credits, which can sometimes be unhealthy and ruin your diet.  
  • Keep credits small and budget-friendly. Save the bigger splurge for when you complete your project.  
  • Consider hobbies and activities that you enjoy that you don’t get to do very often, like dancing or spending an afternoon at the library.
  • Don’t put off cashing in your credit. Take it the moment you reach your milestone.

So what types of credit should you give yourself?

  • Re-reading a favorite book
  • Re-watching a favorite movie
  • Going for a hike or walk in nature
  • Going for a bike ride
  • Going to a matinee movie
  • Visiting a museum
  • Buying fresh flowers for your work space
  • Dancing in your living room
  • Taking a day off from writing
  • Spending an afternoon at the library, bookstore or coffee shop
  • Spending time with your pet
  • Spending time with a friend you haven’t seen in a while

Here’s another fun thought, shared by book coach Jessica Conoley. Use fun, colorful stickers to decorate your calendar. Every time you meet a goal, say finishing a chapter, put a sticker in your calendar on the date of completion. Or your goal might be to write 1000 words a day. Every day you reach that goal, put another sticker on the calendar. Over time, you see how many stickers you’ve collected as “credit” for the work you’ve done. You may not see all the words you’ve written toward your finished manuscript, but the stickers in your calendar can show you how far you’ve come.

As writers, we all work hard, often in isolation. Few people see the hard work we put into our craft. Taking time to give ourselves credit isn’t frivolous. It’s a way to acknowledge that our work is worthy of recognition, even if we’re the only ones to see that progress.

So how do you acknowledge your hard work? What special rewards to you give yourself for reaching your milestones in a longer project?