What Not to Do Wednesday Looks at Guidelines

So my online group has been having a lively chat these past few days about grammar and rules and dashes (oh my!). Sometimes, I suppose we can get so anxious about making mistakes that we barely start writing something, let alone finish writing it.


Of course, grammar's important if you want to be successful. So thank goodness, there's no shortage of grammar reference books out there to help any wannabe writer with comma-apostrophe-dash phobias. It's just a matter of polishing up those sentences till they shine like sparkley little thought jewels. But one of our members mentioned something along the way that caught my attention: following submission guidelines, grammatically speaking.


Here's the thing, little grasshopper. Your work may be brilliant in every way possible, but maybe you did not follow the very specific market guidelines. Let's say, for the sake of argument, you left two spaces after your sentences rather than the one space the guidelines called for (which, because of computers, is pretty standard manuscript formatting). Will your brilliant piece be accepted anyway (and thus causing the editor to go through every line, taking out that space)? Or will the editor pass over it in favor of someone who has followed the guidelines to a T (and thus saving your over-worked editor's time and trouble)? It's hard to say, but why take the chance?

Would you believe that Cathy C. Hall may have made that very same mistake? Also hard to say. But I wouldn't be at all surprised (seeing as how it's What Not To Do Wednesday).

Tooting My Horn Tuesday (Though Technically it's Ben's Horn)

I am so thrilled for a writer group friend of mine that I just had to toot my horn for him!

Ben has been sharing excerpts from his work-in-progress for as long as I've known him. Occasionally, he'll write shorter peices or speeches and share those, too. And all through these months, we've encouraged Ben to submit these shorter works (with little luck).

Until a month or so ago when Ben submitted to Silver Boomers. Naturally, we had to do a little happy-happy-joy-joy dance for Ben putting his work out there. And then, wonder of wonders, I received an email from our shy writer saying his work had been accepted for publication!

Now I can't wait to hear Ben's soon-to-be-published words. So a little Fame and Fortune for Ben and a little "See what happens when you try" tip from the Centerville Writers. And that little fluttery noise? That's me, patting myself on the back for giving Ben the push!

Going Home

Isn't it funny how a piece of unfinished writing will stay with you through the years?

One of the first essays I attempted was a bittersweet reflection on my mother-in-law's move from her small-town home into the home of one of her sons.

I wrote about a woman losing hold of a Southern way of life... of a South that is changing more and more every day. I wrote, too, of her losing hold on her own life as her memories were starting to slip away. I wrote of her longing to go home, not just to the house she'd lived in for forty years, but that home which brings peace to our hearts.

My mother-in-law has finally made it home. Though I will miss her, I know her memory will stay with me. And maybe now, I'll be able to put into words what I wanted to say all those years ago. I think it's about time I finished that piece of writing.

Finding Something Friday...Premium Green Bonanza!

What a difference a day makes, huh? Though, technically, it was Wednesday when I was in a bit of a state about contests. Let's not nitpick. The point is today, I'm in a totally happy state about contests!

I opened my Inbox today to find my latest Premium Green issue and...I won a Fortune in cool prizes in a PG Contest! And when I get those prizes, I'll tell you all about them. For now, let me just say thank you, thank you, thank you, PG! And not just for the prizes. I have PG to thank for a query tip that paid off for me, too!

Also in my inbox I found an email accepting my column for another market! (Though technically, it was the editor/publisher who accepted the column. Let's not nitpick.) The May issue of Senior Living Magazine will be running one of my columns (um, I'm not sure which column; it'll be a surprise for all of us!) It's not that easy to get a column out there, even if you're witty as all get out. Because in the world of freelance writing, if an editor isn't grabbed by your query, he'll never get around to reading your witty-as-heck column anyway.

So check out Premium Green here if you're looking for markets, or great tips in the writing business. Oh, and contests, too! See the difference a day can make? (Though technically, it's been 48 hours. Enough with the nitpicking).

What Not to Do Wednesday: Contest Feelings...Oh, Feelings

Oh, little grasshopper, I am so annoyed. Extremely annoyed. Maniacally annoyed. Okay, that's a little extreme. But I am seriously, definitely feeling ticked off.

When I considered a certain contest a few months ago, I had one of those feelings. A not good, I-can-feel-it-in-my-gut feeling. But I pushed that feeling down, sat on it, in fact, and paid my five bucks. And now I'm feeling used, bruised, and stupid.

I did not follow one of Cathy C. Hall's rules for contests: wait a bit before entering. Maybe that first time around contest is legitimate, especially if it's associated with a website that's constantly updated and/or is associated with a reputable name. But a website that's all about a contest-only can be a money-making mill for a savvy web designer. And do you, little grasshopper, have any recourse if a website takes your hard-earned Fortune and runs?

Er, no. So wait a bit if you come across a contest website that has a "dicey feel". Give the contest time to establish its credentials. Then, if you pay your five bucks and lose it, all you'll feel is rejected. Which is way better than feeling stupid. Trust me.

Finding Something Friday...Fruit?

Here's a Finding Something Friday mystery for you: What does this lovely basket of fruit have to do with Cathy C. Hall?

And please don't say that I'm a melonhead. Instead, sit back and I'll explain how these delicious melons, grapes and strawberries connect to the Road to Publication (and Cathy C. Hall).

Think of these fruits as your wonderful pieces of writing...essays, short stories, poems. Perhaps you've placed these documents in a safe place, like a file on your computer. Maybe you've made a hard copy, too. Or zapped them onto a flash card. The point is, you've saved them and you think they're safe.

But wait! Here comes a tornado! (Or some other natural disaster; I'm not that picky) Are you going to scramble around, looking for your flashcard? Laptop? The plastic crate filled to the top with your notes and manuscript? I don't think so. My guess is that you will run for your life and lament your lost words later.

Unless you've already set up another email account and sent copies of all your files to said account which you use primarily as storage. Then you could access every single word you'd ever written. All those wonderful strawberries, melons and grapes will be just as fresh as ever and waiting for you.

I found that little storage tidbit in this month's Writer's Digest. And I found the basket of fruit in my kitchen today. It was delivered to yours truly and Mr. Hall for our anniversary.

Granted, it was a bit of a stretch connecting that basket of fruit to my tip for the day. But hey, us melonheads are smarter than we look!

What Not to Do Wednesday: A Back-Breaking Problem

How many times has this happened to you?

The most brilliant idea ever comes to you and you race to the computer to typity,typity,typity away and when you look up, five hours of your life have passed by? Wow! That's exhilarating, isn't it? Until you stand to take a bow and bam! Your back is killing you.

Or maybe your leg has fallen asleep and bam! you hit the floor, your mouth full of carpet and dog hair. The point is, sitting all that time, hunched over at the computer, moving only a few brain cells and fingers, can be detrimental to your health. I was reading a post over at Writer Unboxed last week about Deep Vein Thrombosis and how it could affect those who remain in a sitting postion for long periods of time. If you're encouraged to walk around on long plane rides, it stands to reason that you should also get up and walk around during long periods of writing.

When the weather turns warm, I don't have this problem. I'm forced to get up every half hour or so and find my "lizard-bashing" stick (Don't worry. I don't kill the lizards. I just give 'em a little bash so Sally dog will quit whining at the window).

But during those long, cold days, I have taken a tumble or two when my leg has fallen alseep after prolonged sitting. And I've taken an ibuprofen or two for my back as well. To tell the truth, I'm not as young as I used to be. Those backache spells take longer and longer to heal.

So don't sit at your computer all day without taking a little break, grasshopper, no matter how scathingly brilliant your writing is going. Get up and put a load of clothes in the washer. Take a shower, for heaven's sake. Or help me find a bashing stick. 'Cause Sally dog just found another lizard.

Children's Lit Bits: The Age is the Thing

For those of you who regularly follow the Road to Publication, you know I'm working in children's lit these days through a course at the Institute for Children's Literature. For those of you just dropping in, now you know, too. Isn't catching up grand?

I love this course. And not just because I happen to have an instructor who loves me. I love it because I'm learning so much. To be honest, I thought I knew the ins and outs of children's writing. I took the course for the one-on-one feedback. And I get plenty of terrific feedback. But I've also learned a ton of children's lit tidbits. And I thought, gee, why don't I share? Maybe some little bit will make the difference in that children's story you're working on.

Like the age thing. I'd written a dozen stories and never given much thought to the age of my main character. But here's the thing: the age of your main character determines your reading level. That's important to know. You don't want to write a story at a fifth grade level if your main character is six and a half years old. I had some revising to do in more than one story. In every single instance, the story improved.

Just that one little bit made all the difference.

Finding Something Friday...Looky, It's a Book!

You know how sometimes you send a story in, wait forever for it to be accepted, then pow! Just like that, it's in your mailbox!

Well, this is not one of those times. But I did find a book in my mailbox this week. After months and months of changes, Silver Boomers was finally published and sent out to authors. If you want to check it out, I'm afraid you'll have to order a copy from Amazon. Unless you happen to know one of the authors, like Cathy C. Hall. Otherwise, you'll just have to take my word that it's chock full of interesting essays, intriguing fiction and lots of poetry that I don't quite understand. But don't let that deter you. There's lots of poetry I don't get.

What I do get, thanks to Lookybook, is a chance to read picture books without having to buy them first! Lookybook is a website where registered users can flip the pages of any number of picture books. It's sort of a look before you buy site, without having to leave the comfort of your chair. So if you're a librarian, wanting to purchase books, or a godparent, looking for that special book for a child, you can check out the book in its entirety and then place an order.

Of course, there's lots of other reasons why you might be interested in finding Lookybook. I like that I can take a look at a ton of children's books without having to check them out and pay the fine because I've forgotten the due date. And if you're a children's book author, it's a great promotional tool.

Take a look at Lookybook here to see what I mean. Too bad you can't click on the pages of Silver Boomers to see what's inside. But if you're anything like Sally, you'll love it!

Tooting My Horn Tuesday on April First

I don't like to brag, but I am known far and wide (or at least in my neighborhood) as quite the prankster. So you can imagine what April Fool's day is like on the Cathy C. Hall Road to Publication (or at least in my humble abode).

As I type, I'm thinking of all the jokes I've played on the clueless, yet beneficent, Mr. Hall. Because if I can remember a really good one, I can win some bucks over at Uncliche. And even if I can't remember a prank I pulled, I could write about a prank pulled on me. Yeah, like that's ever happened.

It doesn't keep Mr. Hall from trying, though. You should try, too. Writing about your prank to win money at Uncliche, that is. Check out the details here. 'Cause if Cathy C. Hall can win, anybody can win.

And that's no prank, fool!