FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to summer! Do the seasons affect your writing, your mood? How do you keep your writing muse cool and refreshed? Check out the Inspiration section for ideas.

Over the years, I find that I've developed a problem tolerating the heat and humidity of the summer. I love spring and autumn. I like the winter, not counting the snowy, icy roads. To write outdoors is inspiring, but I find that I must do my summer writing inside. At least I can open the curtains and shades and invite the scenery of summer to peak in at me.

At this point in my life, the summers race by me. Remember when you were a kid, how long the summers were? How the end of the school year seemed like centuries ago? Time seems to be marching on. How does the passing of time affect your knowledge of the writing process?

Personally, my writing has grown tremendously over the past couple of years. I've been inspired to move back into fiction and poetry, taken many writing classes, worked as a writing coach, and began developing and teaching some writing courses. Looking back over the pass couple of years, what has happened with your writing?

Summer is the time that we take vacations, attend cook-outs, and pool parties. What about our writing? Do you take a vacation from your writing? I seem to take my writing with me, no matter where I go.

I hope you are enjoying the weather and your writing, no matter the season where you find yourself.

Waiting at the crossroads,

June

FEATURE ARTICLE:
What Do I Write?

© 2002 P. June Diehl

[NOTE: THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN FEAR OF WRITING GAZETTE IN MARCH 2002]

You're a new writer, yearning to let your passion run free. Where do you begin? Maybe you're a more experienced writer, sitting down to work, staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper.

"What do I write?" you ask yourself.

This doesn't need to be a question you are afraid to ask. Use this to spur yourself onward. It's a question I've asked myself many times. You are not alone in wanting to know what you might be able to write.

Let's look at your experiences, interests, memories, and hobbies. Through the use of several writing exercises I'll guide you along the path in your search. Then we'll see how you can use this information in your writing.

Complete at least three of the following exercises. Of course, try them all if you wish.

Exercise One. Think back to your childhood. Write down everything you can remember that interested you. For example: bugs, horses, astronomy, traveling, pets, clothes, gardening, unicorns, aliens. Are you still interested in any of these areas? Circle your areas of interest.

Exercise Two. If you could do anything or be anything in the whole wide world, what would you do or be? You don't need to be practical here, go wild if you wish. Try putting at least ten items on your list. Be creative! For example: live in the ocean, explore the deserts of the world, be an astronaut, collect the strangest pets known on earth, sprout wings, plant an exotic garden, redecorate your home in different period styles, build an elaborate jungle-gym for your pets, etc. Place an asterisk beside the three things you would be most interest in doing, not caring if it's fantasy or real.

Exercise Three. Write a list of your activities, including hobbies, outside of work. You don't need to include any housework, unless it's something you have a passion for. Put an asterisk beside each activity you enjoy.

Exercise Four. Write a list of everything you can remember that you've seen on television in the past several days. From the items on the list place a checkmark besides the ones that most interest you.

Exercise Five. What do you enjoy reading? List the last three books you're read. Look through the books in your house. Make one list for fiction and one for nonfiction. What are the common themes or interests? Look through your fiction and nonfiction entries. In each list, circle the two areas that interest you the most.

Exercise Six. Write down a place you have visited on a vacation or extended weekend. What did you do? Did you make new friends? Did you visit relatives or old friends? What exciting places did you visit? Put a check mark by the three things that you found most interesting or exciting.

Exercise Seven. Take a notebook and go to a public place where you feel safe. Sit quietly for several minutes and watch those around you. Who catches your attention? What does their body language tell you? Who might they be? What are they doing? What might they be talking about? Review what you've written. Put an asterisk beside the three or four things that you found most interesting.

On a clean sheet of paper, or new page on your screen, create a new list of the items you selected (circled, checked, or put an asterisk beside). Try grouping the items in different ways or in a different order.

Review this new list. What strikes you? What grabs your interest? What are you passionate about? What generates strong emotions, positive or negative?

On a separate piece of paper or in your word processing program, write down the one thing that grabs you the most.

Now you are ready to jot down some notes and ideas you can use for your writing.

Write three reasons this area interests you. What do you feel? What attracts your attention?

Then write five things you know about this area.

What are your experiences with this area of interest? What's your funniest experience? The strangest? The experience that touched you the most? You don't need to write in full sentences. Try only using single words or phrases. Remember, these are notes.

What's the setting for your piece? Remember, nonfiction also has a setting!

If this is a piece of fiction or poetry you are interest in writing, what characters might fit into this setting? Give names to two or three characters. Describe how they know each other.

If this is nonfiction, what characters/people are involved in your area of interest? How might you use these people in your article or book?

What events might take place in your article, story, or poem?

Take a break. Look at the last page you wrote, your notes. Read it aloud. You've made some great progress to beginning your work.

Go to a fresh page or screen and write your piece. If you wish, begin with the same first line from your notes to get you started. Now write! No editing, no going back. Get your words out, tell your story.

Congratulations! You no longer have a blank page.

You now have a resource to return to, probably several times, to sift through for other ideas for your articles, stories, or poetry. Writing exercises are great resources to dig within yourself, so keep these, or similar ones in mind if this question enters your mind in the future.

INSPIRATION:
In the Heat of a Summer's Night

Have you ever tried to write when it's so hot out that you thought your ink or keyboard would melt?

Here are some cooling summer threats: ice cream, swimming, watermelon, thunderstorms.

Can you add to the list? What images of long ago summers does this bring forth? What activities do you engage in to keep your writing muse cool and refreshed?

Email your answers and they might be included in a future edition of Writerss Crossing.

writerscrossing@hotmail.com
Subject: INSPRIATION: In the Heart of a Summerss Night

LINKS FOR WRITERS

Writer Beware

http://www.sfwa.org/beware/

Writer Beware is a website within a website. Contained within the Science Fiction Writers of America website, Writer Beware is a vault of valuable information for the writer who is looking into working with agents and publishers.

The introduction states: "There are sharks out there in the literary waters. Deceptions abound, from fee-charging agents, to dishonest book doctors, to fraudulent subsidy publishers, to fake contests. Add to that the uncertainties of copyright and electronic rights, and the opportunism of the Internet (including the growing number of manuscript display sites and electronically-based subsidy publishers), and you have a veritable minefield of literary pitfalls just waiting for the unwary writer, whether amateur or professional."

This website covers the following subjects: Book Doctors, Contests & Vanity Anthologies, Copyright, Electronic Publications, Electronic Rights, Literary Agents, Print on Demand, and Subsidy & Vanity Publishers, with an emphasis on what the writer needs to beware of in terms of schemes and deceptions.

One of the most important things I've learned is that "the money flows TO the writer" and if this is not the case, the writer needs to be concerned that the venture might not be in their best interest.

The section on Legal Recourse gives priceless information for those who feel that they've been taken in by some of these scoundrels.

If you only check out one resource for writers, this would be the one that gets my vote. Don't be taken in! Use Writer Beware before you sign on with an agent or publisher, or if you have questions about any aspect of the writing business.

BOOK REVIEW:
Writing for Magazines: A Beginner's Guide
By
Cheryl Sloan Wray

WRITING FOR MAGAZINES: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE BY Cheryl Sloan Wray is one of the best of its kind that I have read in the last couple of years. Not only does this book cover information from choosing a topic to signing a contract, but it also has exercises at the end of each chapter and is highly motivating.

You will not be disappointed in the content of this 220 page wonder. The organization and layout of material is clean and easy to read. The reader almost feels that the author is giving personal, helpful advice.

Although geared for the beginning writer, there is information that a more advanced writer might find helpful. Writer's block? Check out this chapter and the related exercises. Need some additional hints on getting published? Try the chapter on Twenty Ways to Not Get Published.

Here is a step by step guide to getting you started on the road to magazine publishing. Don't walk by this book!

Writing for Magazines: A Beginner's Guide by Cheryl Sloan Wray is available at your local bookstore or online at Amazon or Borders, or numerous other bookstores.

Visit Ms. Wray at: http://www.magazinewriters.com/

CALLING ALL WRITERS!

Writerss Crossroads is currently looking for the following:

1. Submissions for the Feature Article section. Subjects might include: Your writing journey, how to articles, creativity, forms of literature, ideas for getting published, elements of writing, the writing process, etc.

2. Articles that inspire: What motivates you to write, to keep writing? What challenges have you overcome?

3. Ideas for the monthly Writing Contest.

4. Poetry Contest - See August Writing Contest.

5. Short Story Contest - See August Writing Contest.

At this time, Writer's Crossing pays $25 US for an article used as the Feature Article. Payment is made on acceptance. All copyrights remain with the author. Writer's Crossing is granted a one time right to publish selected articles that are submitted, both in the newsletter and online/electronic version of the newsletter.

Please send all submissions to:
writerscrossing@hotmail.com
Or to the address in the Contact Information section below.

AUGUST WRITING CONTEST

Rules for submission:

1. Short Story: Your submission must begin with the following:
I peeked through the keyhole of the door, trying to see what or who made the high pitched sound.

2. Poetry: The subject this month is - dreaming.

3. The limit is 600 words for the Short Story Contest. Poems should be no longer than 40 lines, which includes blank lines. Titles are not included in the word count or the number of lines.

4. You must email your submission by midnight August 28, 2002. Regular mail submissions must be postmarked by August 28, 2002.

5. The copyright remains with the author. Writer's Crossing is granted a one time right to publish the winning submission, in a future issue of the newsletter and/or in the electronic/online version of the newsletter.

6. There will be one winner a month in each category (one short story winner and one poetry winner), if more than three submissions for a category are submitted (See #9 below).

7. Each monthly winner will receive $25 US.

8. The contest is open to all writers who have not been paid for any of their fiction or poetry.

9. If there are under three submissions in a category, the submissions will be rolled over to the following month.

Email your submission to:
writerscrossing@hotmail.com
Please put the following in the subject line: August Writing Contest Submission

Or regular mail:
I Write For You
August Writing Contest Submission
PO Box 1672
Fredericksburg, VA 22402-1672

AND THE WINNER IS? - JULY WRITING CONTEST WINNER

Congratulations, Lea Schizas, Quebec, Canada! For her winning submission: No Way (Short Story Contest)

There was no winning entry for the July Poetry Contest.

CONTACT INFORMATION

writerscrossing@hotmail.com

Or write to:
I Write For You
PO Box 1672
Fredericksburg, VA 22402-1672

http://clik.to/iwriteforyou

© 2005, 2206 by P. June Diehl