Welcome to week twenty-two of the #WritersQuick5 series - where we learn about writing from fellow writers. This week I am honored to bring you the insights of award winning author David W. Berner. I know David through the Chicago Writers Association and was recently privileged to attend the book launch of his latest memoir, October Song: A Memoir of Music and the Journey of Time, at the Book Cellar (one of my all-time favorite bookstores: win-win!). David has had an impressive career as a long-time Chicago journalist and broadcaster, working mainly for WBBM/WXRT Radio. His broadcast reporting and audio documentaries have been aired on the CBS Radio Network, NPR’s Weekend Edition, and public radio stations across America. David’s first book, Accidental Lessons was awarded the Royal Dragonfly Grand Prize for Literature and he was recently the Writer-in-Residence at the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Home in Oak Park, Illinois. In the summer of 2011, David was awarded the position of Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac Project in Orlando, Florida. David’s memoir, Any Road Will Take You There was completed at the Kerouac House and in 2013, the Chicago Writers Association awarded it Book of the Year for nontraditional nonfiction. His latest book, October Song: A Memoir of Music and the Journey of Time, was called "beautifully authentic" by Windy City Reviews. David’s writing has also appeared in publications and online journals such as Eunoia Review, Under the Gum Tree, PERIGEE, Tiny Lights Journal, Shaking Like a Mountain, Clef Notes Journal, and Write City Magazine. He currently teaches at Columbia College Chicago. Let’s see what David has to say… Question #1 - Where do you write and why do you write there? Physically, I write in coffee houses and inside a writer's shed built on my property. It's an 8x10 garden shed converted into a writing studio. There's a desk, a few of my favorite books, a fan, a space heater, a comfy chair. I love coffee houses because, well, I love coffee and I like the noise sometimes, the whir of espresso machines and the conversations. But my shed is quiet, and it permits solace and space from all the other temptations. It is my little writing world. Question #2 - What is unique about writing for your particular genre? I write mostly memoir and creative nonfiction. Although I have written a book of fiction, Night Radio, that some who know me say is autobiographical. It's not. But some of it is definitely based on my experiences as a broadcaster. What's unique about memoir? Good memoir must be honest. And I mean REALLY honest. The reader will know when you are holding back. There are so many great stories within our own lives and memoir is vehicle to tell them. I'm not a big fan of what's been called ""dystopian memoir""—personal stories about the tragically dysfunctional family, abuse, or disease. There is a place for that; it's just not my style. I write memoir about relationships, about people and their influences on us, about our inner demons and struggles to belong, accepting our lives, personal redemption, or personal journey. To write this kind of memoir one must be ready to be personally vulnerable. Question #3 - What are some of your grammar or punctuation pet peeves? Less and fewer. People get this wrong ALL THE TIME. I am far from a grammar Nazi. I make plenty of mistakes. But the less/fewer thing? It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Also, the overuse of commas. I find myself doing it and I have to cut them out constantly. But grammar is a tool. Story is a completely different thing. Focus on story. Question #4 - At what point in your writing process do you start to bring other people in to review your work? I share work often. Friends, colleagues. Please read, I tell them. What do you think? I also submit pieces of larger projects to literary magazines, etc., to see if they get accepted, roundly rejected, or looked at indifferently. It signals something for me about the larger work. I'm working on a project now about the idea of "home" and writing a lot about growing up, leaving my hometown, and then coming back to it briefly after deaths in the family. It's a memoir-in-essays approach, so the "chapters" can stand alone. I've shared a number of those pieces and one has been published in Eunoia Review. The Consequence of Stars is an essay about my parents' connection to their hometown. Question #5 - What advice would you give to a new writer about the writing process? Reject writer’s block. There is no such thing. It's does not exist. Writer's block is an excuse. Go to work; perform your craft. Sit down and get to it. Make time, set a particular time to write. it doesn't have to be every single day, but it should be on some regular basis. Even if it's just fifteen minutes on a commuter train each morning or every other morning. Get down words. They don't have to be good words but write anyway. Writers do not wait for the muse; real writers capture the muse and get to work. If you are going to be a writer you have to write. There is no waiting around for inspiration. I'm also not a big fan of writing conferences. They have their place. But for me, keep your money and use it to find a hotel room somewhere where you can be alone to write. The work is the thing. You can only talk about writing so much before you actually must do it. Read great works; works you would have liked to have written. Learn from it, learn the craft, and then get on with it. Thank you David for these incredible answers. I learned so much and aspire to have a writer’s shed; sounds perfect! I also really love the idea of “writer’s block is an excuse.” There’s so much truth to that. If you’re feeling tired - write about feeling tired. Use it. Just as you said, “Writers do not wait for the muse; real writers capture the muse and get to work.” SO TRUE. If you want to follow David, please check out his website, his blog 'The Constant Story,' and find him on Twitter and Facebook. Also be sure purchase his new book, October Song, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. *** If you would like to be featured as a writer in the #WritersQuick5 series, please just reach out and let me know. I’d love to promote your work as well! For updates on #WritersQuick5 and other info from me, please follow me on Twitter or check back with this blog for all the latest.
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Welcome to week twenty-one of the #WritersQuick5 series - where we learn about writing from fellow writers.
This week I’m thrilled to bring to you a new area of writing: the perspective of a pastor. Sermon writing, religious writing, devotionals, all have their own unique niche and voice and may have an even wider reach than any book on a shelf. (Personally, from all my years of going to church, I can attest that the power of what is said at the lecturn is drastically impacted by the quality of the writing of the preacher.) And, whether you are religious or not, as writers, we can all appreciate the craft. So today I bring you insights from Pastor Tim Brown. Full disclosure: Pastor Tim, or PT as many of us call him, was my pastor for several years before he moved from Chicago to Raleigh, North Carolina. I have personally turned to his words many times over the years, in times of joy and in times of crisis, and appreciate the craft it takes to go into the kinds of messages he conveys. Back to PT now. PT is a prolific writer. He writes devotionals, humor, editorials and book reviews. His articles have been published in The Cresset, Living Lutheran, and The Christian Century. You can find his works, including all of his sermons across his two blogs: Endless Falling and Reluctanxtian. Let’s see what PT has to say… Question #1 - Where do you write and why do you write there? Usually early morning or late at night, in my office or study. I need to be surrounded by words to write for some reason. I need to enter "the house where words dwell," as I like to say regarding my writing process. I don't need a distraction free environment, but prefer one where resources are close at hand (water/beer, books, pens, paper). Question #2 - What is unique about writing for your particular genre? I write a lot about the intersection of faith and doubt, even in my devotional writing. Religious people can be finicky, so have you to present yourself with bare honesty or else you end up with something trite. Question #3 - What are some of your grammar or punctuation pet peeves? I am in love with the Oxford comma. I am in love with run-on sentences. I am in love with winding prose, but also equally in love with short quips. Brevity is not my friend. Question #4 - At what point in your writing process do you start to bring other people in to review your work? Beta versions of articles. Let the editor slosh through the punctuation. Question #5 - What advice would you give to a new writer about the writing process? Write. A lot. Every day. Crappy writing is good writing. Thank you PT for your insights and advice. I think, no matter what genre we are writing in, we can all follow the advice that we need to “present yourself with bare honesty or else you end up with something trite.” Honestly in writing is always the way to go! Please check out PT’s two blogs Endless Falling and the Reluctanxtian. From there you can read all of his sermons and he links to any articles he has published. You can also follow him on Twitter. *** If you would like to be featured as a writer in the #WritersQuick5 series, please just reach out and let me know. I’d love to promote your work as well! For updates on #WritersQuick5 and other info from me, please follow me on Twitter or check back with this blog for all the latest. Hello! It’s me! I’m here! I’m four weeks into my new job at the University of Chicago. Life really has changed. My routine is completely different and I’m in one of those times of life where it simultaneously feels like I just started working here and also that I’ve been working here forever. Was it just a month ago I was living a life of setting my own schedule and spending most of my time at home? Part of me can barely remember.
BUT, what I really want to say is that I have been so touched at how many of you have reached out and asked me how it is going.... and particularly what my new writing life is like. So, the number one question I get asked is: have you been able to write? And thankfully, the answer is YES! First, I am still posting #WritersQuick5 every Monday. If you haven’t seen them over the past few weeks, they are worth checking out. I have featured some really great folks and have the next few weeks all lined up. You’d think that it’d get old, but it doesn’t. If you know of any writers (of any kind) that might want to take part, please let me know! Second, I am still posting chapters every two weeks to my book series, Amache’s America on channillo.com. Chapter 10 will post on Tuesday! Third, I am still sending out query letters for The Cube. I try and do one or two a week. They are more time consuming than you’d think, researching the agent and the agency and tailoring each submission to the specific submission requirements. I, of course, have a spreadsheet tracking all my submissions and I try not to obsessively check my writing email account to see if anyone has answered back yet. (They haven’t, but they will… claiming it!) Fourth, I am still engaged in writing activities. A couple weeks ago I went to a fellow Chicago Writers Association (CWA) member’s book launch party at the Book Cellar and the CWA also held an event on May 13th that I, unfortunately, was not able to attend, but I was able to help out in the event organizing process and they even gave me a nice little shout out in this thank you video. I’m also excited because and I’m signed up for a Writers Workshop in June where I will get to attend sessions and learn a lot and pitch a few agents 1:1. So, I’m looking forward to that and I’m actively prepping for that too. Finally, I’m also started in on my next book, The Samurai Prophecy. I started sending story notes around for feedback and have realized that the world building I need to do for this book is so much bigger than the world building I needed to do for The Cube. So, I have a notebook I take with me wherever I go and write down ideas as they come to me. I’m doing a lot of background work now too. It’s interesting, if not intimidating, but in a good way. Mostly though, I’m just enjoying these beginning days of writing… where I just sit down and let the words flow and jump from idea to idea, building them out, knowing I’ll be able to pull it all together later (and if I don’t use it, it will still contribute to my own understanding of the world I’m creating). This is the fun part for sure. One may ask, given that I now have two hours of commuting a day, a full-time job, a family, etc. etc. when does all this writing take place? Well folks, it largely takes place on the weekends, but I have also found that it’s good to squeeze it in whenever I can. If I’m feeling lethargic at work, or maybe uninspired, I pull out my notebook and spend ten minutes world building and my entire attitude picks up. If my daughter is in the other room playing, I’ll put in some work on the next #WritersQuick5. If there’s a spare hour on any given day, I’ll tackle some of Amache’s America. I create a new writing to-do list every Sunday with all of my writing my goals for the upcoming week. I’m pleased to say for four weeks running I’ve reached all of them. Next up I need to start setting some more aggressive word count goals for The Samurai Prophecy, but like I said, I’m having fun with that at the moment so it’s much more like a treat than work. I think that I’ve been able to keep things up in large part because I have discovered that, while writing has always been a part of my DNA, the eight months I took off made it a part of my day-to-day life in a whole new way. I can no longer live without the habits and projects that I’ve started. They are as much a part of me as anything else is, and many times, the thing I still want to do the most over everything else. So, while I’m sure that as work continues to get busier and busier I might be a little more tired or might have weeks where it is hard, for now, I’m really happy with the way things have gone so far. Am I devoting as much time as I was when I was pursuing it full-time, working from home? No, of course not. But, is it still a sizable part of my life? Absolutely. And, it is a part that brings me incredible joy. It is still feeding my soul and pushing me forward every day. Conclusion: My dreams have not changed. I still want to be a published author and I am doggedly pursuing that goal. If, for some reason, I don’t get published (traditionally or self) it won’t be for lack of trying. I’m leaving it all out on the field and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Stay tuned! Welcome to week twenty of the #WritersQuick5 series - where we learn about writing from fellow writers.
This week we bring you insights from Shawn C. Adams, a writer that explores multiple genres - fantasy, horror, YA fiction - in multiple formats - including short stories and a novel in progress. You can find Shawn’s work on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited, including his short story Ma & The Boys with more to be posted this summer. You can also learn more about Shawn on his website and via a Facebook group he started for writers to work on helping each other with writing, publishing, and writing as business. Let’s here what Shawn has to say… Question #1 - Where do you write and why do you write there? Any place I can get free time and use a computer. Mostly on the couch in my living room at the end of the day, or on a plane flying out to a client location. I will admit that sometimes the stories force themselves into my consciousness strong enough that I am unable to do anything else - even my day job. Question #2 - What is unique about writing for your particular genre? For me, I am particularly fond of the fantasy genre. I love that it provided a safe place to write about the issues that plague our world in new ways. The way the Drizzt books (by R.A Salvatore) tackle race and acceptance based on the individual, or the DragonLance books (by Weiss and Hickman) represent the ability of humanity to redeem itself against all odds. These central concepts are beautiful, and are more easily digestible when viewed in the fantasy setting. Everyone can find some piece of any fantasy setting to identify with as they read through them. For me, I tend to be writing stories with a strong female lead and/or a central male lead that doesn't take himself too seriously. Most likely motivated by how I view myself and the influence of my wife and my my mother. Question #3 - What are some of your grammar or punctuation pet peeves? As silly as it sounds, my two biggest pet peeves are: 1) Lack of punctuation (seriously WTH?) and 2) People that only put a single space between sentences. I know it is acceptable, but how about ask yourself if you should, instead of if you could once in awhile? Question #4 - At what point in your writing process do you start to bring other people in to review your work? Usually I bounce ideas off my wife and kids before I start writing. I don't expect much feedback at this point, and am probably just doing it so I can hear the ideas out loud. For actual review of my work, I won't let others read anything that hasn't been through at least two revisions. Even then I am VERY picky about who reads my work, prior to publication. Question #5 - What advice would you give to a new writer about the writing process? Writers write. I have heard people say, "you must write every day". Telling you now that is nonsense. My best advice would be to write as often as you can. If you feel a story nagging at you, don't fight it because you are working on something else, go with where you are being pulled. If real life gets busy and you can't find time to write on some days/weeks, don't worry about it. Feeling guilty and forcing the process won't make your writing better. And finally, if what you are writing feels terrible, keep writing. Get it out of your brain and onto paper/word document/etc., then fix it through the revision process. NO ONE writes so well that they are ready to go to print without revising their work. The better the writer, the more times you can be certain they have revised their work. Thanks Shawn for these great answers!
Please remember to check out Shawn’s work on Amazon and on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter and join his writing group on Facebook. *** If you would like to be featured as a writer in the #WritersQuick5 series, please just reach out and let me know. I’d love to promote your work as well! For updates on #WritersQuick5 and other info from me, please follow me on Twitter or check back with this blog for all the latest.
Welcome to week nineteen of the #WritersQuick5 series - where we learn about writing from fellow writers.
I’ve known Mike Mentz for over twenty years. We’ve watched each other grow into adulthood and into our careers and I’ve been so proud of the incredible path he’s created for himself. Mike is a singer, songwriter, and world traveler. His songs are adult contemporary, pop, rock mostly. He’s about to release his third and fourth albums later this year. One of them, “Souvenir,” was recently nominated forAdult Contemporary Album of the Year by the Independent Music Awards. Mike was also a finalist on a brand new reality TV songwriting competition which will premiere nationally later this year. His song Cigarette is featured prominently. Didn’t you just love that? Here’s another taste of his music, from a song he wrote called Lonely Tonight. Mike is a true friend, an all-around great guy, and I know 20+ years is just the start of our lifelong support of each other. Let’s see what Mike has to say… Question #1 - Where do you write and why do you write there? Literally everywhere. I travel a whole lot, and I like to take advantage of the inspiration factory that is the unplanned route. Lyrics on the back of a napkin on a flight to Miami. Working out a melody on the deck of a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Guitaring on an Airbnb terrace in Spain. Singing through a tune in the shower...every shower ever. I wrote my last 15 songs in as many countries. Not every writing spot is epic, of course. But I try to score as many as I can. For me there's a fuel found in the variety of the world and a romance to writing anytime, anywhere. Question #2 - What is unique about writing for your particular genre? Writing songs is definitely a unique animal for a lot of reasons. One I've been thinking about a lot lately is how big of a role my body plays in the process. Like most writers, I use a pencil, paper, my phone and computer to get down my ideas. But the ideas themselves are shaped in a very real way by my voice and my fingers. I write a line not just because of the idea it communicates, but also because of the way it sounds when I sing it and makes me physically feel when I play it. My body knows when a phrase and a melody are juuust right as much as my brain does. Question #3 - What are some of your grammar or punctuation pet peeves? "This doesn't really matter in the songwriting game, but good sweet baby Moses, why do we include sentence punctuation like commas and periods within quotation marks when they're not part of the quoted material? Technically correct sentence: I laugh every time I hear Jonathan Coulton's song ""Still Alive."" But why is that correct?? The song title is ""Still Alive"". It isn't ""Still Alive."" So why would you put the period inside the quotation marks? It's frustratingly illogical, and I just can't bring myself to follow the rule anymore. Also, on a barely related note, I think semicolons rule. I think they're underused like whoa." Question #4 - At what point in your writing process do you start to bring other people in to review your work? I generally don't seek others' opinions until I believe the song I'm writing is finished. Before I show a song to someone else, I have to feel that I've given it as much life as I can on my own. I have to really love it first. Getting trusted feedback is a valuable and important part of the process, but ultimately I want to first make sure I'm happy with every decision I've made. If I've created what I believe to be a really good thing, I can more confidently have a productive conversation with someone else about that thing without feeling pressure to placate them. I've found showing a tune to someone too early in the process can mess with my head; there's a real danger I'll water down a potentially kickass line or great musical idea to make someone else happy before I've fully explored it myself. Question #5 - What advice would you give to a new writer about the writing process? Sucking is part of it. Thank you Mike for this window into the world of songwriting. And you’re right. Sucking at something is part of the overall process, but a necessary part to getting to something great. Please be sure to subscribe to Mike’s YouTube channel. You can also follow Mike on Facebook and on Twitter. Be on the lookout for his albums later this year and for his television debut! *** If you would like to be featured as a writer in the #WritersQuick5 series, please just reach out and let me know. I’d love to promote your work as well! For updates on #WritersQuick5 and other info from me, please follow me on Twitter or check back with this blog for all the latest. And, bonus video. Here’s a cover of a Jason Mraz song that Mike performed at Sofar Chicago. Enjoy! |
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