Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 01/2/12

MASH-UP

A creative combination

or mixing of content

from different sources.

Happy New Year! Something feels good to me about writing 2012 instead of 2011. I don't remember feeling that way about writing the new year before. Usually it takes me a month to transition, but I must have been ready for the change this year.

Hope your holidays were happy! Ready to get back into the mashup? I am, and in my holiday internet perusing, I found lots of good information.

Linda C. Apple posted an excellent blog on the difference between resolutions and goals. Too often, we set resolutions, which, in Linda's words, are "determined thoughts that weaken over the months. They lose their freshness. Then life takes over and chokes our good intentions for the remainder of the year and our gasping resolutions hold on to enough life to make us feel guilty because we have failed--again." Wow. Now, don't you want to read more?
http://lindacapple.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/get-a-goal/

DailyWritingTips is an excellent resource for writers with a variety of useful pages including Word of the Day, Competitions, and Book Reviews. But the link I'm sharing this week is "The Best of DailyWritingTips in 2011," which includes the most visited posts for 2011 and includes such interesting tidbits as "7 Grammatical Errors That Aren't," and "50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid."

 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/the-best-of-daily-writing-tips-in-2011/

Chuck Sambuchino (remember, Chuck is a speaker at the 2012 Oklahoma Writers' Federation Story Weavers Conference in May!) has an excellent blog, Guide to Literary Agents. A feature of that blog is "7 Things I've Learned So Far." This week's post is by author, Miranda Kenneally, and I found myself reading each one say, "Yeah! I like that one!" My favorite, however, was #4: My truth isn't everybody else's truth.
In the editing process, when someone questions something I've written, often my first thought is, "But that's really what happened." Seeing Miranda's #4 was like putting glasses on. It made me see more clearly, perhaps because it was through another author's eyes, that it doesn't matter if "it really happened," if I haven't made it convincing with my story.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/7-things-ive-learned-so-far-by-miranda-kenneally

There's something about the new year that refreshes and inspires. I hope the links in this week's mashup help you get off to a good start in 2012!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

If you wait,

the only thing that happens

is you get older.

-- Mario Andretti

Morrill's Monday Morning Mashup - 12/5/11

Welcome to Monday morning! This week's mashup will test your resolve. I started and ended with positive blogs, but the meat (gamey as it may be) is in the two posts on slush piles. I dare you to chew through them. Then, be sure to follow Chuck Sambuchino's blog. Better yet, come meet him at this year's Story Weavers Conference!

Ready? Here we go . . .

I like lists. They are easy and quick to scan over, and as I tick off items on the list, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Here’s a list of books of interest to writers. When I reviewed this list, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I’ve already read a few—Bird by Bird, Writing Down the Bones. I’m looking forward to reading several of the others.

 http://www.changetheworldwithwords.com/ten-great-books-for-writers/

Many writers are in the querying process and have received the kick-in-the-gut rejection letter. Admittedly, this post will not do much to make you feel better about a rejection, but it will clarify the many reasons for rejection. Yes, the list makes the odds of being accepted by an agent sound insurmountable, but at least after reading this post, you'll know just how “wowerful” we have to be. http://agentcarlywatters.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/why-agents-take-on-less-than-1-of-all-queries/

I’m afraid this is another distressing, but necessary blog post. Though cynical in tone, guest editor and former slush reader, Ruth Harris, provides us with a bird’s eye view of what it feels like to go through a slush pile, and therefore teaches us what NOT to do. Still, she reminds us that great writers have risen, even from the bottom of stack and stacks and stacks of manuscripts. http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2011/11/confessions-of-big-six-editor-triumph.html

This blog by Chuck Sambuchino is one of my favorites. He regularly posts information on new agents, which is an invaluable resource to writers who are trying to obtain representation. As Sambuchino says, “Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers, because they’re likely building their client lists.” And here's some big and exciting news: Chuck Sambuchino will be presenting at the Oklahoma Writers Federation (OWFI) 2012 Story Weavers Conference May 3-5 in Oklahoma City!

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents

I end this mashup with Chuck Sambuchino's blog so that you won't be discouraged. When I was querying agents, upon receiving a rejection--once I regained my composure--the first place I visited was Chuck's blog or his book, Guide to Literary Agents. From one of those sources, I'd pick two more agents and send out two queries for every rejection I received. But, I found my agent, Kathleen Anderson, when I shepherded and pitched to her at the 2011 OWFI conference. You see from the posts above how difficult it can be to get out of the slush pile--another great reason to attend the OWFI 2012 Story Weavers conference!

New York Times Best Selling author, Jodi Thomas, taught me that triumph comes through perseverance. As you can see by the above posts, without perseverance, you are likely to remain squashed at the bottom of stacks and stacks and stacks and stacks of manuscripts.

So persevere!!