Dancing Word Writing Workshop

with Sharon Dunn

 December 13, 2007

 

Hosted by Anne McDonald

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

Anne McDonald: Lord, thank You for laughter and fun. Thank You for bringing us through another week. Please bless our time tonight. Help Barbara be able to stay in the chat room. Help us learn to be the best writers we can. Let us be a blessing to You and to others. Thanks for Sharon's willingness to teach us tonight. Bless her socks off. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Protocol reminder: When the floor is open to questions, please raise your hand by typing ? for questions, ! for comments and wait to be called on in turn when you have finished typing please remember to use ga. ga = go ahead, and will keep us from stepping on each others' toes.

Tonight, I'm tickled to be able to introduce one of the sweetest writers I've ever had the pleasure to know. She's been a blessing to many of us writers. Please give a warm welcome to Sharon Dunn. Sharon, Welcome!

* Annie leads the applause and turns the floor over to Sharon

* Dragon Riding Mouse applauds wildly, then nestles down in a furry ball next to Spitfire, ears perked as he listens to the chat

Sharon Dunn:  Thank  you. Delighted to be here. Let me say a little bit about my teaching style before I launch into the workshop. I teach Freshman comp and I far prefer discussion to lecture so I will basically give an intro and then I have the workshop divided into four parts. I would like to have discussion after each part. If we don't get to all four parts, no biggie.

I got the idea for this workshop from a verse in proverbs that says  "guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life".  I would argue that is it also the wellspring of creativity and that we are in a business that often wounds our hearts. This is a business that is all about rejection, sometimes from editors, sometimes from members of a critique group. I wanted to do a workshop that would equip people to deal with some of the emotional ups and downs of this business, so in short form, here are the four things that I think help writers deal with the emotional ups and downs and stay in the game long term.

One: set realistic measurable goals

Two: connect to a healthy writing community, healthy being the optimal word

Three: accept the nature of the business

Four: be honest about your emotions and willing to grow from them.

Before I get into goals. I just want to add that I think that are lots of really gifted writers who end up quitting because of the emotional beating you have to take as writer not because they lack talent. I hope this workshop helps prevent some of that.

Okay goals.

Set goals that take into consideration what you have control over.  We do not have control over whether an editor buys our manuscript or not.

Here is an example of an unrealistic goal: "I want to be published in three years."

What do we have control over? What would be a more realistic goal? Also, I have found that making the goal measurable is also helpful. Here are some examples of realistic goals that will get you to the big prize of publication.” I want to have a completed manuscript by the end of the year” or "I am going to write three pages a day" or “I am going to attend 2 conferences and take three online classes” or “I am going to read one book a month on improving craft.”

Okay let me throw is out to questions. How many of you have set goals? Did it work for you ? why or why not?

Anne McDonald: Yes, I set a goal of finishing the first book in our adventure series. We made it! woo hoo!

Sharon Dunn:  did you give yourself a time frame to finish.

Anne McDonald: Yes, the first goal was to finish the first draft by March. We did meet that goal, though Jason needed a bit of prompting.

Dragon Riding Mouse: I've never tried it much. Once I set a goal to write for at least 30 minutes every night. That worked for a few days, then I forgot. :P That's my memory for you...as fuzzy as I am.

Barbara:  I set goals, but then other things seem to get in the way. perhaps they're unrealistic.

Sharon Dunn:  what gets in the way?

Barbara:  work mostly. I live on a farm, run an editing business, writing

Sharon Dunn:  This leads me the next thing about setting goals. They need to be set within the time frame that you have. If you only have one Saturday a month to write, it is probably not realistic to think you can get a novel done. But maybe some articles could be done in that time. Does anyone else have time struggles?

Miralee: I struggle with using my time wisely when I do have time.

Sharon Dunn:  There are two things that helped me get my time struggles under control. I kept reading articles that said if you wrote a page a day on a novel by the end of the year you would have a 365 page book. The second thing that motivated me to quit wishing for more time and manage what I had better was a story I read about a Christian writer named Cec Murphy. Cec was a pastor working sixty hours a week. He found though that he could get the secretary to keep people away for an hour each morning. So he used that hour to its fullest.

I don't remember the exact number but he published a couple of books and many articles with just that hour. He writes full time now.

 

Okay, I am looking at the clock and I am only to number two—connect to a healthy writing community. You need community for two reasons: one—support and encouragement; two—critique and instruction

I am here to tell you that I would probably not be here if it was not for the encouragement I got from my ACFW group and the in-person critique group I attended. At one point the book that eventually became Romance Rustlers almost sold. It got turned down in the final stage. The finance committee said they didn't know how to market it. When I shared my pain with ACFW, they offered me prayer, encouragement and most important war stories. I heard from authors who were further down the road than me that similar things had happened to them. I felt less alone.

The support and encouragement of community is easier than the critique group part. 

I was part of a really functional critique group for 15 years. Some key people moved away and the group dissolved, so now I am in the process starting over with a new group.

The first group was really functional and healthy.  I think one of the reasons was because ground rules were set right away.  Writing is such a heart thing and critique is one of the biggest places for wounds to happen.  Can any of you share your crit experiences (no names please) good and bad?

Anne McDonald: I've had both good and bad. The good. I've had some fantastic critique partners over the years, both face-to-face and online. One of my best is here in this room. But then I've had groups that have totally ripped apart manuscripts without having much of an idea of what they were really doing. As a wise woman says, “a critiquer should never leave their own voice in someone else's manuscript.”

Sharon Dunn:  I think ground rules might help to end some of the vindictiveness. It’s easy to shut down a writer and its easy to shut down a critiquer.  One of the ground rules we had was that the person being critiqued couldn't justify or argue. The person doing the critting had to keep in mind that the purpose of critting is to make that person a better writer.  When giving crit it is so important to remember the purpose of crit. people forget.

Anne McDonald: Critiquers also need to be careful not to assassinate another writer. If you aren't familiar with a particular genre, be careful about making sweeping statements.

Sharon Dunn:  We had a lady come to our group who critted everything as though it were a romance.

Miralee: One of the ground rules of our crit group (online...I've never been in a face to face one) is that we need to point out the positives in the MS as well as the negatives or suggested changes. Two of the gals in our group got wounded from past groups that were vicious in their critiquing. We've found you can learn a lot from positive input as well as constructive criticism.

Sharon Dunn:  Yes, you can always find something good about a manuscript. That is so important and remember the purpose of critting is to make that person a better writer.

Anne McDonald: For those stuck in a negative critique group, how would you advise them to graciously leave?

Sharon Dunn:  I think it’s important to let the people who were helpful know that you appreciate them and maintain contact with those people. Groups are all very different and we are talking about heart. Sometimes a group has what I call a "dominator." Dominators happen in home groups and Bible studies too. Do you all know what I mean by Dominator?

Anne McDonald: for those who don't could you explain?

Sharon Dunn:  In group dynamics, sometimes a person comes into a group and takes control. Sometime they do that because they are needy. Sometimes they do that because they are mean. I think the focus needs to be on healing. A dominator tends to poison a group, but you have to remember that a dominator has a heart that can be wounded too.

In this new group that is just starting up I am the most experienced writer. When I started my first group, the one that went on for 15 years, I was the least experienced writer.

What I found with this new group was that I model how I wanted to be critted. So they were less afraid to share their stuff and less afraid to give me a hard but helpful crit. I told them specific things I wanted them to look at in my manuscript. I had question at the top the page like "Is my main character likeable?" Even being more directed like that helps prevent destructive comments.

Okay, I just want to touch on the two other things that are helpful if you want to stay in this business long term.  Three: understand and accept the nature of the business. It takes an average of about ten years to learn to write a novel. In that time you will have books that don't sell and never will sell. They are just part of the learning curve. When I quizzed other writer to find out how many books they had to write before they sold one, the average was around five. I wrote two books that will never see the light of day. The winner was Hannah Alexander who told me she had written 13 books before she sold one. Just because you sell your first book doesn't mean you will be putting in the pool and hiring a maid. This really is a business and you build your career one reader and one book at a time

KC: (so depressing!)

* Annie pats KC on the back

Sharon Dunn:  KC I know you wanted that pool. Here is a stat that surprised me. Only 1% of published writers make their living solely from writing. Stephan King says in his book that it is like 5% percent. David Morrell (a thriller writer) said it was like 2,500 writers in the US are making their living only from writing. The point is there are lots of writers who are selling books and other things and still not making their living solely from that.

 

Miralee: Chip M told our Portland group that less than ..I think it was 10%, but it may have been 5%....of all published authors earn back their advance.

Sharon Dunn:  Yes I have the stat on that. Give me a minute to find it.

Miralee: So that pretty much shows we're not going to be hiring too many maids real soon, LOL

Sharon Dunn:  The numbers are always broken down in different ways. Here is how I heard it. Of every 5 books published 3 will lose money, one will break even and one will earn out its advance.

Miralee: so that would make it 20%

Sharon Dunn:  Those stats aren't meant to depress you, just to keep you from going through emotional turmoil when you do sell a book and you still have to mop your own floors. They didn't say there would be math on test. Miralle where do you get 20 % ?

Miralee: 20% of all published authors earn back their advance, LOL

Sharon Dunn:  Thanks, math has never been my thing. That sound about right. The stats vary. Some might be lumping fiction and non fiction together. My stats are more hopeful than Chip’s

Miralee: Yes!

Sharon Dunn:  So anyway I thought my whole life would change when I sold my first book. And here I am still mopping my own floors and cleaning my own toilets. Before we move on to point 4 does anyone have any comments or questions?

Anne McDonald: It's hard for family members to understand that publishing doesn't mean you are a millionaire…so, we have to break it to them gently.

Sharon Dunn:  So true. My hubby thought I would buy him a new motorcycle

Miralee: Sharon—I missed the intro—how many books do you have published?

Sharon Dunn:  The 5th one will be out in January.

Anne McDonald: woo hoo!

Sharon Dunn:  thanks

Miralee: What genre? Sorry I don't know...but congrats on the new one!

Sharon Dunn:  I write humorous whodunits, mysteries with a little fun thrown in.

Linda: Sharon's books have great strong female protagonists. They kick butt...in some cases literally. VBG  I love them....

Sharon Dunn:  LOL Thanks Linda.

Okay the final thing that we need to do to stay in the business long term is "be honest about our emotions and willing to grow from them". Let me list some emotions and you tell me if they have been a part of your writing life. How about envy ? How about depression?

Linda: do you really want us to tell you…or just say it in our heads?? Cuz I would yes and yes so far......

KC: LOL

Sharon Dunn:  Show of hands. Okay that is just about everybody. Don't lie to yourself if you are jealous or depressed.  Don't pretend, have some coping things in place. Two things I do: I journal through my emotions. And I have people outside of the writing community (it is not a good idea to tell another writer you are jealous of her).  I have people outside writers who are safe to share my feelings with. Anybody else have ways to deal with these emotions?

KC: eat chocolate!

Sharon Dunn:  I was going to say chocolate.

Anne McDonald: I try to put them into perspective...the big picture.... That I need to do what I can, and put the rest in God's hands... but no chocolate for me. that would be instant death. literally (give me caramels! lol)

Sharon Dunn:  I agree. Prayer is really important. When I journal sometimes it is simply really honest letters to God. Are there any final comments before we wrap this up

Anne McDonald: Sharon, thanks so much for being such an encouragement.

Sharon Dunn:  you are welcome

* Annie prepares to do the drawing

Anne McDonald: Sharon has donated an autographed copy of Death of A Garage Sale Newbie. Tonight's winner is....

Anne McDonald: Linda Baldwin!!!

* Annie does her infamous Snoopy Dance

Linda: r u serious?? I never win nothing. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE her books

KC: congrats

Noelle: congrats

miralee: Congrats Linda!!!

Sharon Dunn:  congrats

Anne McDonald: congrats, Linda

Noelle: thanks so much Sharon

KC: g'night all—it's late out here on the east coast

Linda: nite!

Sharon Dunn:  Good night all. It was fun

Dancing Word Writing Workshops Is A Production

Of Dancing Word Writers Network

 www.dancingword.net