When Writer’s Round-About became The Craft of Writing Fiction I felt experienced a fear of change because I’m a non-fiction writer and rarely spend time writing fiction. As I was chatting with my writing colleague, Kimberlee Ferrell, about the changes, I realized my relationship with fiction isn’t as distant as I thought.

Precious Memories

In fact, while reading Kim’s latest post (Reading and Writing: Develop Your Child’s Love of Language) I realized that fiction hits close to home–real close. Not only was my childhood passion for reading based on fictional books and stories, it’s the genre I first started writing!

One of Kim’s tips from that post is:

“Of course, before kids can learn to write well, they need the fundamentals of the alphabet, and reading. I try to read every day with them. Right before bed is the traditional reading time, but don’t be surprised if they come running to you with their favorite story in the middle of the afternoon. Anytime is a good time to share a story with your kids.”

And she goes on to suggest the library as a fabulous place to nurture your children’s reading and writing skills:

“Be sure to take them to the library as often as possible, to expose them to the wide variety of books available. Many libraries have summer reading programs that encourage children to read (or be read to), with many rewards along the way. You could also join (or create) a parent-child book club to encourage the sharing of books and stories.”

Wow. Kim’s words jostled my memory of the countless trips my parents and I made to the library when I was growing up. And they read to me, bought me (both new and used) books to keep in my personal library, and always, always encouraged my passion for reading, writing, and spelling. Those were the days!

Fear of Change

But see, I’ve been hesitant about the new turn this site has taken. As someone who simply detests change – even though I know in my heart and soul it’s usually always for the better in any situation – my heart kind of sank when I found out that Writer’s Round-About had become a new and improved site: The Craft of Writing Fiction.

Here’s a snippet of what the site owner, Rebecca Laffar-Smith, has shared regarding the changes:

We’re still Writer’s Round-About deep within our souls but we’re so much more than that too. And we want to develop a powerful presence, an inspirational community, and a go-to resource for writers.

The new domain name, craftingfiction.com also has a strong sense of purpose and commitment. It is a strong foundation for growth and expansion. It’s forward thinking and innovative. It’s driven to succeed and we are too.

I’m sure these changes are for the better. And, just like children learn and grow and change, so do we as adults. It’s how we improve and move further down the path of success.

I think my hesitation comes from feeling such a closeness to Writer’s Round-About’s history. I’ve read this blog from the beginning—when it was born on Blogger! And I’ve been around for the switch to self-hosted WordPress. I eventually shared a few guest posts with readers here and now (with close to 40 posts published) I guess you’d call me a regular contributor.

Rebecca and the other bloggers here have become more than writing colleagues or friends—they’re family. And this blog feels like a place I’ve always been welcome to come to, kick off my shoes, grab my favorite drink, and get comfy.

And that hasn’t changed, I know.

My (Comforting) Epiphany

The epiphany I’ve had about this whole “fiction theme” –and what Kim helped me see during our talk today—is that my roots with fiction date back to my earliest years.

Although I love writing non-fiction and telling real-life stories now, my passion for reading and writing was actually born as I read countless pages of fictional stories.

When I was a little girl, my all-time favorite book was Danny and the Dinosaur. Next in line was Charlotte’s Web and Judy Blume was one of my favorite authors. As a child, I felt such a sense of peace with a book in my little hands, reading a make-believe story that took my mind to far away places. And even today, when life overwhelms me, there’s nothing like a good novel to help me cast my worries to the wind and transport my mind to another world.

And now, finally, I’m at peace with the new direction this site has taken.

I owe a special thank you to Kim and Rebecca, for helping me search my heart and remember how much fiction has played a significant role in my life. Thanks, ladies!

What about you? Do you gravitate toward non-fiction? Or does your imagination carry you away to a place of innocent make-believe? Do you love the new look, feel, and theme of this site? ‘Fess up!

Photo credit: mexikids

When writing a short story or novel, writers are advised to begin “In medias res“ – “into the middle of things” (Latin). The introduction needs to instantly captivate the reader. In media res plops the reader into the middle of the action or an intense situation, revealing only what is necessary to propel the story forward.

However, when writing such a compelling beginning, it is very tempting to explain everything that is going on. How can readers relate to your protagonist, if they don’t understand why she is challenging her grandmother, or fighting off soldiers attacking her castle? The urge to add in hefty amounts of exposition explaining the heroine’s backstory is hard to resist, yet it will bring your plot to a screeching halt.

Dance Through Chapter One

To keep your story moving forward while still delivering important past information, think of the first chapter or scene as a carefully choreographed dance. You begin the scene where your characters are at, no matter what interactions, arguments, or past influences are in play. Then you bring the scene forward two steps, by showing how your characters react to each other and the situation, through dialogue  and action. After establishing the scene firmly, then you can give the reader one step back by illuminating a bit of the backstory.

This two steps forward, one step back approach will ensure that your characters keep moving forward, while your reader remains engaged in the story, in both its present and past elements. Backstory can be sprinkled amid your powerful in media res beginning via your protagonist’s thoughts, speech, and actions. Your hero wouldn’t be so determined to save the necklace unless it held a special meaning to him. He can either muse over its importance to himself, or tell his friend that it holds magical powers. If they’re running for their life, he won’t be able to go into much detail, so keep it brief.

What is Important Now?

In media res focuses on the present moment in your story. Anything that pulls the reader out of the present will jar their sense of suspended disbelief in your story. The forward momentum will slow down with too much past details, and causing your story to be muddled and disjointed. Eventually, your reader will grow more confused, and set your story down for something easier to follow.

When choosing to reveal past information, ask yourself, “Is absolutely necessary to move the story along?” If it can wait for a calmer moment, then it should. If your reader can easily figure it out on their own, then let them. Readers love deducing things from clues sprinkled throughout the beginning pages. Allow them to wonder for just a little while, and confirm their suspicions later on in the story.

My rule of thumb for introductions is to only include what is necessary for the characters to move through the story. If the heroine’s friend won’t help her break into an abandoned house without knowing the reason behind the heroine’s motivations, then share it. If she’d follow the heroine no matter what, then it can wait. Just as there are no unnecessary steps in a dance number, there need not be any unnecessary descriptions or dialogue in media res.

Take a Bow

Once you’ve successfully choreographed your characters through chapter one, allow them – and yourself – to take a breather. They’ve escaped the burning building, and have to decide what to do next. Now they can discuss their options, as well as more of the past that led up to the first compelling pages. They’ve earned a standing ovation for their first performance, and so have you.

In media res is an exciting way to begin a story, that will draw you and your readers into the thick of the story. Once you learn how to gracefully navigate your way through, your story will have an alluring introduction that will leave your readers cheering “Encore!” and reading on for the next compelling chapter of your novel.

How do you write enticing introductions? Have you actively chosen to start your story in media res? What challenges did this type of introduction bring?

Photo Credit: 08-22-07 © Adam Mandoki
Photo Credit: 04-22-10 © Jacom Stephens
Photo Credit: 11-03-09 © Juanmonino

Wow! Can you believe June is almost over? It’s exciting to be here again today and with another big announcement. This week I’m announcing our three lucky 3rd Birthday Bash winners. Do you remember what those great prizes were? Here they are again:

1st Place [valued over $100]

• Anthemion‘s Writer’s Cafe Software with Storylines



• AND “How To Create Believable Characters” from Men With Pens
• AND “The Unlimited Freelancer” from Mason Hipp and James Chartrand
• AND Problogger‘s “31 Days To Build A Better Blog“

2nd Place [valued over $40]

• “How To Create Believable Characters” from Men With Pens
• AND “The Unlimited Freelancer” from Mason Hipp and James Chartrand
  OR Problogger‘s “31 Days To Build A Better Blog“

3rd Place [valued over $19]

• “The Unlimited Freelancer” from Mason Hipp and James Chartrand
  OR Problogger‘s “31 Days To Build A Better Blog“

But, without further ado, let’s find out who our lucky winners are.

Drumroll please…

In 3rd Place we have…

• Thorey O

2nd Place goes to…

• Kelly Smith

And finally, our luck 1st Place winner is…

• Amy Young

Congratulations Ladies! I’ll be in touch with each of you by email very soon.

Now, if you didn’t win you might want to get your hands on these things the old fashioned way. I promise you they’re worth every penny. And, if you use the links above when making a purchase you’ll be supporting The Craft of Writing Fiction and future contests and prizes. So please, invest in yourself and your writing career because your investment in you is an investment in us.

Next month The Craft of Writing Fiction will have some new goodies to give away so keep an eye out for that. And, don’t forget to make sure you update your RSS or email subscription to our new RSS feed so you don’t miss a thing.

Finally, if you linked to Writer’s Round-About in the past from your blog or website, THANK YOU! You’re awesome! Don’t forget to update your links to our new domain http://www.craftingfiction.com and site name, The Craft of Writing Fiction.

Click here to get HTML code snippets for easy linking to The Craft of Writing Fiction

“Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it – whole-heartedly — and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings.” ~ Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (1914)

First drafts tend to be unusually long winded. We write at length because it is the surest way to express those thoughts and impressions most profound. We over-describe. We add chatter. We include thinking words. In the process of writing a first draft we write with a freedom of expression that is uncensored and unfettered.

A first draft is NOT a final draft.

Recently, a client emailed me with a request to edit the first chapter of their first draft. I don’t recommend hiring an editor for your first draft. The story has barely begun to be formed after your first pass and it requires at least one (preferably two) more drafts before it should be handled by others. In this case, the fact that it was a first draft wasn’t the issue. The fact that it was an 11,000 word count first chapter was.

There are no hard and fast rules about how long a story should be. Even the standard guides aren’t concrete. A story is as long as it takes to tell the story. But there are conventions that we tend to follow to increase our odds of being read. Very few readers will be comfortable facing such lengthy chapters.

When Writing Long Is Writing Long-Winded

The best way to handle the obesity of that first draft is to follow Stephen King’s Ten Percent Rule. In 1966, when King was still in high school he received a rejection slip that offered profound advice for the young writer.¹

“Not bad but puffy,” the editor wrote. “You need to review for length.”

That wise editor gave King a winning formula:

“2nd Draft = 1st draft – 10%”
~ Stephen King (2002)

But you’ve got lots of darlings in your first draft. How do you really know where to cut the fat and prune the weeds? Which words are fat? Which words are weeds? Each story is different but there are some words we use in modern language that are unnecessary when writing fiction.

Words You Should Search And Destroy

When you examine a draft for superfluous words or seek ways to be more concise you can sharpen the language of the manuscript and reduce the word count. There are a selection of words you can almost always cut without changing the meaning of a sentence. The first five words you can cut are:

1. Just: The only time this word is actually a word is when you use it to mean, “guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness”.² There are other meanings but the word is cruelly misused so when it appears in your manuscript odds are it can be obliterated.
2. Really: I would “really” like to obliterate the word “really”. This is an adverb that is always underwhelming. It has no substance or measure. If you feel inclined toward hyperbole find a more distinct and effective word and no, “totally” doesn’t count.
3. Quite: This word often feels like it is trying to justify its existence. It is timid and quiet which is perhaps why the word “quite” often gets misspelled as “quiet”. The words in your story should be empowered and confident.
4. Perhaps: Sometimes your characters may use this to indicate uncertainty. The trouble is, “perhaps” reflects uncertainty to the reader too so use it with care and only in dialogue.
5. That: This word needs careful consideration. It’s not always one that can be cut without thought like the four above. In that sentence, and this one, the word “that” is used to define the subject of the sentence. But sometimes, even when used in this way, it is not necessary.

A Sixth Word To Cut

6. So: My personal pet-peeve word is “so”. I believe this word can be obliterated in every single instance. Prove me wrong! If you can think of a sentence that requires the word “so” to make sense, share it in the comments. Until you can, search and destroy “so” in all of your writing.

What other words do you feel should be obliterated from fiction and what other ways do you reduce the word count of your first draft by ten percent?

References:
1. Poynter Online, The Ten Percent Solution First Draft by Chip Scanlan
2. Dictionary.com – just (adj.) 1. guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: We hope to be just in our understanding of such difficult situations.

Photo Credit: 09-18-07 © archives
Photo Credit: 11-27-08 © mark wragg

A number of people I know are launching, re-designing, abandoning, or selling their blog right now. An equal number are starting new blogs. One fellow writer mentioned how hard it is to keep a high level of enthusiasm after blogging for a while — more than a few months, but not quite a year.

I liken it to writing the middle of a novel. You may know where your story is going, you may have goals and some idea of how to achieve them, but getting there is another story. In the case of novel-writing — and blogging — you just need to plow through. And a support system of fellow writers can help.

Another way to avoid the middle-of-the-blog doldrums is to enter blogging with a clear business plan. If you are blogging to make money, approach it as you would any other business. If you started selling Mary Kay, opened a corner deli, started a day care center in your home or launched any other kind of business, would you give up within the first year just because you were bored? Since most of these businesses require an investment of time and money — and a certain level of commitment to other people — you’d keep it going. When you launch a blog, you have a commitment to your readers. If you plan to stay the course, start with a solid plan.

Identify your target market.

The first step in your blogging business plan is to identify your target market. The target market should be easy, but you might be surprised by who you think your blog is targeting versus the potential readers you actually attract. That audience may be much larger than you imagine.

For instance, my new blog, targets parents who intend to raise their children following the principles and beliefs of the Law of Attraction. But I may also attract life and business coaches, people who love shopping for baby and household products, and fellow writers. I may even gain a following from other blogs — people who just enjoy my writing. Knowing who you’re targeting will help you when you reach out to potential readers on social media sites — and may also give you new ideas for posts.

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Identify and evaluate your competition.

When I say “evaluate your competition”, I don’t mean to look over your shoulder at other blogs you fear are better than yours. In fact, the blogging world is so friendly, once you find your competitors you may forge relationships with them. Trade links. Share guest posts. Inspire each other. Like wealth, readers are abundant in the Universe and there are plenty to go around.

Set goals.

When one blog owner I work with set goals that were tremendously high compared to where readership was at that time, I chalked it up to the old adage, “Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars.” But in the first month of tracking results, we came incredibly close to reaching those goals. Dream big — you’ll never know what you can accomplish until you work at it, but if you aim too low, you’re limiting yourself.

Make a promotions and marketing plan.

Once you have your goals written down (don’t forget that important step!) make a plan to reach them. Does it involve increasing your social media following on Twitter and Facebook? Growing your mailing list? Guest blogging on high-traffic sites? Landing radio or TV appearances? All of these things can help you grow your blog readership — and keep you inspired when the going gets rough. If you intend to monetize your blog, research the best ways to do so and put those programs into place.

Track your results.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Many professional bloggers use Google Analytics for tracking their traffic but there are plenty of ways to measure your hits and, of course, income from your blog. Whatever you use, follow it closely, tracking results weekly.

Blog, blog, blog.

Regular, high-quality content and community interaction keeps readers coming back and attracts new fans. This is the hard part when you’re in those middle stages, where it feels like you’re almost there but you’re not getting much feedback. Keep going. Keep your goals in sight (literally and figuratively!) And remember that you’re not alone.

Of course, there are other elements to running a successful blog, but getting back to basics can keep you going when the going gets tough.

Have you launched a blog? What did you learn in the process?

Image Credit: 06-29-06 © Stephen Sweet

I have two small children, who are just learning the building blocks of reading and writing. They have a keen interest in what mommy is doing, typing away at the keyboard all day, putting letters together to make words, and to tell stories. Reading and writing are critical skills; I want to do everything I can to make sure they love what reading and writing can do for them.

“We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.” — B. F. Skinner

Here are my favorite ways you can encourage your children to play with words. Please add your ideas in the comments below. What has worked for your children, and what hasn’t?

Reading Time

Of course, before kids can learn to write well, they need the fundamentals of the alphabet, and reading. I try to read every day with them. Right before bed is the traditional reading time, but don’t be surprised if they come running to you with their favorite story in the middle of the afternoon. Anytime is a good time to share a story with your kids.

Be sure to take them to the library as often as possible, to expose them to the wide variety of books available. Many libraries have summer reading programs that encourage children to read (or be read to), with many rewards along the way. You could also join (or create) a parent-child book club to encourage the sharing of books and stories. Keeping track of the stories your child has read will let you know when it’s time to expand your personal reading library.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss

Literacy Videos, Flashcards, and Games

Today there are a variety of materials geared to young children to encourage their reading and writing capabilities. Videos and television shows are often designed for preschool age children, exposing them to a wide variety of words and phonics sounds. Flashcards encourage letter and word recognition, which is suitable for the beginning reader.

Websites with children’s games are a unique way to encourage reading, without making it feel like study time. With both written and spoken instructions, kids will learn how to play the games and how to read at the same time. Always supervise your kids when they are on the computer, and don’t let computer time cut into book reading time.

Material games, such as word jumbles, rhyming sounds, and even board games also enhance your child’s reading skills, showing them how letters form words, and what sounds are created with different letters. You could even play an oral version of round robin, where you start a story and let your children come up with the next scene. Your children will learn the basics of plot and character creation, even when it sounds very similar to the stories you already read to your children.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends: they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” — Charles W. Eliot

Give Your Children Their Own Writing Tools

Budding writers will need their own writing materials, so they can work alongside their writer-parents. Even if they haven’t mastered writing their letters yet, the practice will encourage them to keep trying. My kids have their own notebooks, where they can draw, scribble, and write to their hearts’ content. They also have small kids’ laptops, where they can type away while I’m typing.

Besides your growing library of children’s books, consider getting them their own subscription to a children’s magazine. Kids love receiving things in the mail that are just for them, and they will learn the value of the written word, as it becomes a special monthly treasure. They will also associate the words with the pictures, and may even make their own story books! Give them construction paper and crayons, and let them create their own magazine, scrapbook, or cards with a little help from you.

“Happy is he who has laid up in his youth, and held fast in all fortune, a genuine and passionate love of reading.” — Rufus Choate

What other ideas do you use to promote literacy with your children? Do they share your love of reading and writing?

Photo Credit: Genista

One thing we need to consider as writer’s is which hours to set aside for work. Can you write full-time or part-time? Outline some type of writing schedule (even if you don’t strictly adhere to it) so you’ll have a set time when your priority is putting words on the page. Trust me on this, if you don’t set aside writing time you’ll never find any.

Even if you don’t have “other” work outside the home, you should decide when you will write. It may take a little experimentation for you to figure out when you’re most productive. There are many things to take into consideration.

For instance, do you have small children? Does your spouse or housemates work at home, too? What hours do they work? Are their times when they have company over (ball games, parties, card games, etc.)? Do they practice a loud instrument? Are there certain times of the day that family and/or friends always call? Are you more productive early in the morning, or late at night? Do you need complete silence to think and create – or does music or other loud background noise push you through to the completion of your tasks?

The Early Bird Special

I’m not a morning person. I don’t wake up chipper and clear minded. I tend to write my best late in the day or at night. Some people are morning people, though, and you might be too. You may find it easiest to get into your writing groove early in the morning–even as early as 3 or 4 a.m. That thought actually horrifies me. Although, I have found myself on a roll before and ended up writing through the night and early morning hours!

I asked around and these ladies chimed in as early birds:

• “I’m a lark (morning person). I do my best work between 7am and 1pm, then get another creative kick around 3-5. I am useless in the evening so I read or chill out. For anything requiring deep thought or creativity, morning is it for me!” — Jeanne Grunert
• “[I] prefer early in the morning but will work all day if it is a difficult project or not focused.” — Reesy Floyd-Thompson
• “I start early in the morning, sometimes at 5:30am, so I can be finished with all the “I need quiet to concentrate” work before the kids get off their bus at 3:15 p.m.” — Jenny Greenleaf
• “Personally, my set hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 12:30 to 5:30, because that’s when I have childcare. Of course, I’m also known to stay up late at night or to sneak in a quick article or press release during Sesame Street, nap time, or even when the little one is distracted in the high chair. My office hours, however, make up the majority of my work time these days.” — Lorna Doone Brewer
• “Morning hours are best for my creative stuff.” — Janna Qualman

Night Owls

When I first started actively pursuing my writing career, I crossed (cyber) paths with Misti Sandefur. She had been freelance writing for around 10 years and besides spending her writing time working for clients and various publications, she had also authored a couple of books.

I caught up with Misti on Facebook recently. When I put the question out to social media sites, asking which hours writers adhered to, she responded, “All night. I have a household size of 7 (including myself), so it’s better for me to work when everyone in the house is sleeping. I write better when it’s quiet, so I’m a night owl. Besides, I’ve never been a morning person.” — Misti Sandefur

I’m sure there are a lot more night owls–they just weren’t on Facebook when I asked fellow writers to share their favorite writing time!

Time Spurts

As I mentioned above, my muse visits later in the day and at night. But I have also grown accustomed to writing time in whatever chunks I can squeeze them.

Stacey Graham shared that she squeezes her writing time in whenever possible too: “I set my clock by Vyo’s nap schedule and when I can fit it in on the weekends – which sometimes aren’t possible. Luckily Vyolette still naps 3-4 hours so I can get quite a lot in.”

And there are probably a lot more of you, like Stacey, who write in spurts whenever you get the chance.

I’m curious. Are there are more early bird writers than there are night owls?

When does your muse strike? Are you an break of dawn, office hours, after dark, or spurts writer? What hours suit you best? Do you get to write at the times you write best? Or do you have to work through whatever time you’re given? Do share!

Photo Credit: Michelle Meiklejohn

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Have you ever felt like you needed a makeover? As we grow and change the old look and feel becomes yesterday. Sometimes we need to put on a fresh face, cut our hair, buy a new outfit, and wear our classiest shoes. We can makeover our wardrobes when our old fashions are becoming drab. We makeover our homes when that old couch starts being more spring than fabric. And we makeover our lives with every birth, death, and marriage.

With new style and a jazzy new name I’m proud to introduce, “The Craft of Writing Fiction.”

Now, I know, you LOVE Writer’s Round-About. And we’re still the same great resource for writers in every genre but I hope you’ll be as excited about our new direction as I am.

WRA Was Great, Why Change?

Writer’s Round-About has been fantastic for three years now. Earlier this month I announced our third birthday with a 3rd birthday bash and great prizes (you still have a chance to get your entries in so go do that right now and then come back and finish reading) and every year I feel the site grow, change, and reach for a greater future. But, for some reason, it seemed to plot along rather than gaining the momentum I’ve always felt this site deserved. We were a great little site but it was always a battle for recognition. Lets face it, “Writer’s Round-About” isn’t a very compelling name so how could we expect great things from it?

In fact, “all in a name” is where I started when I tried to figure out exactly why WRA struggled for every viewer. It certainly wasn’t the content. Every weekday our writers bring us a smashing new post full of wisdom, insight, and experience. They cover a range of writing-related topics from freelancing to fiction. The quality of writing at WRA is excellent and I’m very proud of the contributors who have stepped up to write regular content.

It wasn’t in the design or the search engine optimization either. I’ve done enough work in this field and had a hand in creating some fantastically productive sites. I used my knowledge and experience in every aspect of Writer’s Round-About and I constantly tweaked the optimization to create a strong foundation for driving search traffic.

But something was missing…

Running the Numbers.

Then a friend talked about how she had recently had a Numerology report done and was amazed at how the numbers reflected her to perfection. I’ve always been fascinated with Numerology too and I’ve noticed from readings I’ve had for myself and read of others how remarkably accurate they can be. So, out of curiosity I ran the numbers for Writer’s Round-About. And, they were dismal.

I ran the numbers of a few other sites I know of and the ones that outperformed the others also had better Numerological standing. Interesting…

When you consider how important it is to write compelling titles, use strong headings, and select the right word each and every word we write is it any wonder that a name and domain name could also have impact on the potential growth and development of a site, product, or book?

More than Numbers and more than a Name…

WRA’s numbers were terrible. And I knew that the name and domain name ranked horribly based on the training I’ve had over the years since I created the site with market research, niche marketing, and keyword placement. It was time to approach things as I would any other site I’d consider designing now. Like a professional and from the very bedrock of the site’s foundation.

I spent hours researching with my favorite niche market research and SEO tool, Market Samurai. I ran permutations of potential names and browsed their Numerological reports. I consider exactly what direction I wanted Writer’s Round-About to take and like magic, a new name and a new direction drove forth.

Color Me Blue – For Communication, Learning, and Growth

Another change I’ve made is in the color scheme. You see, I LOVE purple. And when I first created Writer’s Round-About it was a site just for me. I wrote about whatever I wanted to write about and I really didn’t care if anyone read it. The site was my baby and I liked to feel comfortable and at home in it, surrounded by all the things I love.

Did you know that color has meaning and power? Do you know what power the color purple has? Do you know where its strengths lay? Purple is about higher learning, spiritual connection, and open-mindedness. And when I first created Writer’s Round-About those things were a big part of the sites purpose. Now we’re more about teaching, learning, and community.

Blue is about communication, learning, and growth. It’s about developing a voice and sharing knowledge. Blue is about never being afraid to say what you think and feel, to take command of your voice and your right to use it. It’s about having something worth saying and sharing it with the world. That’s what writers are about too.

And that’s what The Craft of Writing Fiction is about.

Introducing The Craft of Writing Fiction

So, without further ado, I’d love to introduce you to, “The Craft of Writing Fiction”. We’re still Writer’s Round-About deep within our souls but we’re so much more than that too. And we want to develop a powerful presence, an inspirational community, and a go-to resource for writers.

The new domain name, craftingfiction.com also has a strong sense of purpose and commitment. It is a strong foundation for growth and expansion. It’s forward thinking and innovative. It’s driven to succeed and we are too.

You’ll see other smaller changes over the coming days and weeks as I streamline the transformation from Writer’s Round-About to The Craft of Writing Fiction. There are a lot of stages involved and one of them includes going backwards through our hundreds of posts to clean up any lingering remnants of our old name. I’ll also be restructuring our categories again and working on search engine optimization at every level of the site.

So, please, bare with me through the teething stages of our metamorphosis. If you notice any errors, glitches, or strangeness, please contact me.

Meanwhile, what do you think of The Craft of Writing Fiction? Share your thoughts and impressions in the comments. Do you love it? Do you hate it? Are you excited about our new look, our new name, our new direction?

Do you know your when to wish your characters a happy birthday? Many writers neglect the most important day of their protagonist’s life. After all, if she was not born into your imaginary world, you wouldn’t be able to tell her story now. But there are stronger writing issues to consider when deciding your male and female characters celebrate their birthday.

Happy 29th, Again

What is your character’s attitude toward her birthday, and her age? Does she dread every passing year, or does she celebrate with a blow-out party that includes everyone she’s met in her life? When are the birthday’s of your character’s family? If you don’t know, you are missing out on a key area of characterization that you could explore.

More importantly, you may miss her birthday all together! If her birthday falls right into the middle of your story, your character wouldn’t completely forget. At the very least, she would comment to herself about how she is far too busy to go out with her friends this year. Perhaps she’ll miss visiting her parents, because she has now moved halfway across the country to start her new job. Are your character’s kids celebrating their birthdays with a crisis filled birthday party? Her new love interest may forget, and schedule his monthly golf game on the birthday weekend she expected him to take her to his beach side villa. Unless you know, your characters will never age, and gain the wisdom that comes with reflecting over the course of their lives so far.

What’s Your Sign?

Another consideration is that you or your characters may have an interest in exploring what their birthday stands for, in the universal scheme of things. Astrology and Numerology use a person’s birthday to determine their personality traits, and the possible issues they might have to deal with throughout their lives. If you are struggling to flesh out a character, you can look up their birthday, and discover how they might act in their relationships, careers, and home lives. If you don’t like what the results turn up, you can change their birthday to a different sign, and start over. Even if you don’t care about such things, your young college student heroine might read her horoscope every morning, and you ought to have an idea what it would say.

Other uses for birthdays include exploring what happened on that day in history. If your historical hero was born on the day the Civil War started, he would have a different upbringing than someone whose parents raised him during the Great Depression. Many websites and books have such “Day in the Life” descriptions, or you could scan old newspapers near your character’s real world hometown. Even less famous events could play into your character’s life, such as if she were born on the same day the water tower fell and flooded her home.

Planning For Other Character’s Birthdays

Even if your story covers a short amount of time, it is wise to know when all of your characters are born, not just your protagonist. She may be planning a surprise party for her best friend, when she suddenly loses her job and can’t afford to do so anymore. Your antagonist may decide to cause havoc on his birthday every year, because local bullies wrecked his 18th birthday party.

Birthdays are a great rite of passage that everyone goes through each year. It marks new growth, beginnings, and a chance to start life with a clean slate. Your characters could use these same milestones, to take your story in new and unexpected directions.

What do birthdays mean to you, and your stories? Have you explored how your characters react to growing a year older?

Editor’s Note: Know another birthday you shouldn’t forget? Writer’s Round-About! We’re turning 3 this month so come and win some prizes at our birthday bash.

Image credit: Dan Taylor

A writing friend of mine recently turned down a relatively low-paying assignment for a well-known print publication widely distributed on newsstands. Until now, she’s only written for the Web, and it stung a bit to say “no” to an actual “printed-on-paper” clip.

But the topic just didn’t appeal to her and she realized it would be a lot of work for a very small amount of money. Since she really doesn’t want to write for print in the future, a clip holds very little value for her.

Since the majority of my writing experience has been in print publications, she asked my opinion about the concept of “clips.” What are clips? And do you need them?

What is a “Clip?”

A writing “clip” carries the broad definition of any writing sample that has been published anywhere (including on the Web.)

The word “clip” comes from the days when writers would use scissors to cut (“clip”) their article from a newspaper or magazine, glue it on a sheet of white paper (for uniformity), make a clean photocopy and send it to their favorite magazine along with a winning query in the hopes of getting an assignment.

Nowadays, most writers scan in their clips and attach a PDF to their e-mailed query. (Am I showing my age?)

Do You Need Clips?

Some prospective clients today actually request “samples” rather than clips. There’s a big difference. A writing sample is simply something you wrote. It doesn’t have to have been published. A clip, however, has been published and implies experience. It can give you the leg up over the competition when you apply for a job or submit a query.

Ideally, you will accrue a variety of the clips in the fields you want to work in. A well-rounded magazine writer, for instance, wants to have clips of:

• Q & A interviews
• News items
• Feature stories
• Personality profiles
• How-to articles

Many beginning writers ask me, “I don’t have any clips, and they ask for clips. What do I do?” Easy — send a sample. Don’t let a lack of clips hold you back from applying for your dream job or submitting to your dream publication. If they say yes, Voila! You have your first honest-to-goodness clip. Now what do you do with it?

What Should You Do with a Clip?

Scan it in to your computer and save it in a folder titled “Clips.” If it’s already electronic, then do a screen capture and, again, save it on your hard drive. Just because your article is on the Web now, don’t assume it will be there forever. Whether it started life digitally or on paper, also put it on some sort of back-up source, too… an external hard drive, flash drive or CD.

To easily find your clips on the Web, set up Google Alerts for your name. If your name is frequently misspelled, set up Google alerts for alternate spellings, too.

Then, when you need a particular type of article to showcase your writing skills, you can go to that folder on your hard drive and pull out an appropriate story. You can choose to sort your clips by date, publication/industry or style of story. You might even want to cross-reference them so you can find what you need easily.

Remember, only include an attachment if the client/editor says it’s okay. Otherwise, copy and paste the text in the body of the email, including the name of the publication where it originally appeared, and the date (if it’s less than one year old).

It’s totally okay to use older clips if they’re relevant, especially if you can’t see the date on the clip. It’s also okay to use a clip with no byline, or a clip with a pseudonym. (Although you may want to point it out in your query or cover letter.)

For my friend, who really has no aspirations to write for print magazine markets in the future, it was smart to turn down the assignment. Clips are worthless if they can’t help you achieve your writing goals.

Learn from My Mistakes

The answer to the question, “What should you do with clips?” is very different from the answer I gave when my friend asked me: “What do YOU do with clips?” I have clips dated from 1990 and on piled in Rubbermaid containers in my attic. They are, essentially, acting as home insulation.

No one told me back when I got my first clip to start scanning them in so I’d have a digital archive forever. But then I guess I’d have to buy fiberglass insulation to keep the upstairs offices warm all winter, so maybe I’m ahead of the game?

What do YOU do with clips?