“Week 4: Educate and Motivate the Creative Muse” by Joan Y. Edwards
During Week 4 you can spend time to educate and motivate the creative muse within you. Here are a few choices:
1. Experience Life, attend workshops, take courses.
a. Bake cakes.
b. Go on a tour of historic houses.
c. Attend a weekend workshop.
d. Volunteer at a homeless shelter for children.
e. Take a writing course at a community college or other learning institution.
2. Read three books about the craft of writing.
1. Darcy Pattison: Novel Metamorphosis
2. Donald Maass: The Fire in Fiction
3. Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel
4. Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
5. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel
6. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II
7. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Mystery
8. James N. Frey The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth
9. Karl Iglesias: Writing for Emotional Impact
10. Margaret Lucke: Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories
11. Noah Lukeman: The First Five Pages
12. Jordan E. Rosenfeld: Make a Scene
13. Katharine Sands: Making the Perfect Pitch
14. Remni Browne and Dave King: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
3. Read three best-selling books in your favorite genre.
4. Watch three movies in the genre you write.
5. Study the websites of three best-selling authors. Here is a list of many to choose from or search for your favorite online.
Best-Selling Authors for Children
James Patterson http://www.jamespatterson.com/
Rick Riordan http://www.rickriordan.com/
Jeff Kinney http://www.wimpykid.com/
Victoria Kann http://www.ilikeart.com/
Jane O’Connor http://www.fancynancyworld.com/
Suzanne Collins http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
J. K. Rowling http://www.jkrowling.com/
Best-Selling Authors for Adults
John Grisham http://www.jgrisham.com/
George R. R. Martin http://georgerrmartin.com/
Catherine Coulter http://www.catherinecoulter.com/
Janet Evanovich http://www.evanovich.com/
6. Study and find three matching three publishers and agents for your manuscripts:
a. Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents 2011: Who They Are! What They Want! How to Win Them Over! by Jeff Herman http://www.amazon.com/Hermans-Publishers-Editors-Literary-Agents/dp/1402243375/
b. Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide http://stuartmarket.com/default.aspx
c. Children’s Writer’s And Illustrator’s Market, Writer’s Digest Books.http://www.amazon.com/2012-Childrens-Writers-Illustrators-Market/dp/1599632314
d. Writer’s Market by Writer’s Digest Books http://www.amazon.com/2012-Writers-Market-Robert-Brewer/dp/1599632268
c. Visit the Preditors & Editors website to check out the editors and agents you’ve chosen. It’ll tell you if they are legitimate or warn you about them. http://pred-ed.com/
f. Check the submission guidelines of the websites of the publishers and agents of three of your favorite books.
7. Write.
Surround yourself with other Pub Subbers. Great minds wander in the same plane.
I invite you to join the Pub Subbers Yahoo group to post successes, receive encouragement when you receive a no, ask for advice or help, etc. The group has automated reminders for the weekly steps to get your work ready for submission. Join by sending an email to pubsubbers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or joanyedwards@earthlink.net to let me know.
See my other Pub Sub 3rd Fri posts for more reasons to submit your work often: http://joanyedwards.wordpress.com/?s=pubsub3rdfri.
Thank you for reading my blog. Leave a comment, please. I love reading about you.
Celebrate Yourself
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2011-2012 Joan Y. Edwards
