Sunday, September 13, 2009

Kris and Dean Show

I spent a weekend in Lincoln City with Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch at their workshop, colloquially known as the "Kris and Dean Show."

Eye-opening workshop.

The point of the whole weekend was discussing how to be a working fiction writer...that is, how to make a living at it.

I said in a facebook post that the workshop not only showed that it was possible to make a very comfortable living as a fiction writer, but that I'd be a fool not to try.

I want to share a couple things that might help other writers.

The first are Heinlein's Rules which are simply this:
1. Write
2. Finish what you write
3. Do NOT revise (unless a paying editor tells you to)
4. Mail what you write to someone who will pay you for it
5. Keep it in the mail until someone buys it.
6. Start working on something new.

Simple, right? Well for the past fifteen years, I've only done the first two, and ignored #3 entirely, lustily revising short stories until they were limp and fraying. Three or four years ago I started #4, but quickly became discouraged, mostly because I wasn't following #6.

As a result of these rules, here's what I propose to do:
  • I will write and finish one story or 20 pages of a novel a week.
  • I will put the stories into the mail the same week I finish them.
  • I will put the novels into the mail as soon as I have a first reader copy-edit them.
  • I will endeavor to write more than one story a week eventually.
As always, I'm posting this on the Interwebs so that I can be held accountable.

So, in the 12 days since the end of the workshop I have mailed five stories (four of which were laying around from years prior), written two stories (one finished last night...need to find a market for it), and just today, I put the novel Liz A. Stratton Closes the Store into the mail to four publishers. I may even mail it to one more.

And, today is my 36th birthday, so it will be easy to remember when this all happened.

Wish me good fortune, mon amis!
m



NaNo Class is supported by OLL!

The Office of Letters and Light (the people who run NaNo) got back to me and said that the NaNo class is not only kosher, but they are really excited that people are teaching it in colleges and community centers. They've asked that I help out with some project connected with teachers and NaNo. Naturally, I will help in any way possible.

This is a great load off my mind. The last thing I wanted to do was somehow harm NaNo. Such a relief!

So, come take my class! I will help you through NaNo! yahoo!

m

Friday, September 11, 2009

Official announcement of "Nano" class

http://www.wou.edu/provost/extprogram/communityenrichment.php#firstnovel

Here's the announcement for my novel-writing class on the DEP website. I'm trying to find out (belatedly) if I am allowed to use the "nano" name, but the class will go on, either way.

m

Thursday, September 3, 2009

NaNo Class in Salem Monthly

Therese O'Neil wrote a great article about my NaNo class in the Salem Monthly.

Please tell your friends about the class. At the moment, the cost is probably going to be under $100 for the seven-week class.

m

Past-present film link

http://blip.tv/file/2548146

Hey everyone!

This is the link to the film I "wrote" for the 48-hour film project. The verb there is in quotes because 90% of the dialogue is improvised.

I think it's great. I wasn't able to be involved in any of the shooting or editing, so I saw it for the first time today. I really think our little group of filmmakers are really blossoming.

m