Ms. Deb Sez
We're gonna have a blast with this newsletter, guys and gals, because YOU are going to have an active part in it!
Send us your articles or stories (up to 230 words); send your news tips, your favorite free games, cool sites, Christmas stories for our next edition, Christmas recipes, ideas, suggestions, etc. We will publish as many as possible.
Note: All submissions must be G rated. Entries may be edited.
Send your best entries to: ms.starr@cwinst.com.
Make a Living at Writing
Hundreds of thousands of writers have had one united thought - "I wish I could make a living writing".
Why do you think you can’t write for a vocation? Is it the way you were raised? Low self-esteem? Insecurity? Lack of education?
Here’s a NEWS FLASH for you: Even mediocre writers can make a living using their writing talents!
So why do they oft times fail? Usually because they don’t try hard enough and/or because they don’t get the proper training. However, there is one more good reason why writers often fail these days, and that’s because they are drowning in credit card debt.
But for the sake of argument, let’s say you are not encumbered with such debt, and that you would be satisfied with making a moderate living at writing. The question then becomes, how do you do it?
Most people would think that writing magazine articles would be the key, but it isn't. Let's pretend I submit an article three times before it is accepted. Each submission takes about three months response time, so I will have nine months waiting time invested in that one article. The publisher will usually pay upon publication, so I will have to wait another three to six months to get paid. That is a total of 12-15 months waiting time.
However, if you write articles for newspapers, you can write them faster, submit them easier, and get paid $15 to $20 per article almost immediately, (plus another $5 for each picture).
There is an inexhaustible supply of newspapers to sell to, and you can resell the articles all over the nation. When you have this rotation down to a fine art, then you can submit articles to magazines in your spare time.
Writing for a living is not romantic. It's very hard work, and you won't get rich doing it. But if you really want it bad enough, it is certainly within your reach.
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Ask Darla
DEAR DARLA
My boyfriend is acting weird and I think maybe he's seeing another girl. How can I tell for sure? Asia
Dear Asia:
Here are signs of a cheating boyfriend: his phone is tied up all the time, his mind seems to be elsewhere, and he's moody. He wants a lot of extra time out with the "guys" or he has other excuses for not being with you. He may buy you something, and seem very apologetic.
Keep in mind that he could do all of the above (but not at the same time) and perhaps nothing would be wrong, but if he fills the bill for most of these things (at the same time), you have a problem.
If you have decided he is cheating on you, I suggest that you not bring the issue up. Instead, tell him you would like to date around. This gives both of you a graceful way out, and you will be free to date others, too.
Two of the best ways to win a boyfriend back is to date other guys, let him get jealous, and then ignore him for a couple of weeks.
Write to Darla! darla@cwinst.com.
THE FORESHADOWING TECHNIQUE
by Ms. Deb
Your readers have a full life. They yak on the phone, run daily errands, care for their children, pay their bills, do laundry, clean house, work full time, chat online, answer emails, watch sports, and do everything else they can cram into life. And you want them to get off their busy merry-go-round to read your story? Then you must have a good story to draw them, and lots of great techniques to keep them.
One excellent technique is foreshadowing. You have seen it used a zillion times in novels, stories, movies and television shows. Writers can use this technique anywhere – in opening lines, dialog, imagery, songs and advertising.
Foreshadowing is the skill of manipulating the reader’s (or viewer’s) mind with layered clues until the reader follows those clues.
For example: If a story has a prowler on the loose and there is a scene with an open window in an otherwise locked house, the reader believes the obvious
— whether it is true, or not. A more direct way to use foreshadowing is with fortune tellers, séances, and Ouija Boards.
(cont'd. in the next column)
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(The Foreshadowing Technique cont'd.)
Alfred Hitchcock was the master foreshadower, and he put his own unforgettable twist on the art. He fed the audience false clues to make them think the wrong person was guilty, then at the last minute he revealed the true killer. This is called a red herring because the clues did not carry through to the conclusion that the reader (or viewer) expected.
In my story, There’s the Someone I Will Kill, a teenage girl named Danielle suffers a breakup with her boyfriend. Long story short, she cries and drinks her father’s bourbon all evening until she is drunk, and then she decides to kill her boyfriend. She goes to her dad’s bedroom and gets his gun.
(Do you see the foreshadows? The reader knows something is about to pop.)
But Danielle changes her mind and decides to win her boyfriend back. However, her devilish mood must be satisfied, and she decides to kill someone.
In her twisted reasoning, a crippled person or an old person must surely want to die, so she drives to the corner store to grant someone their wish.
She staggers up and down the aisles with one hand in her pocket gripping the cold steel while she muddles through the process of selecting her victim.
Now, let’s look at all the foreshadowing used thus far:
1. Crying (setting the scene)
2. Drinking (psychological development)
3. Plot to murder (thought processing, twisted reasoning, building tension)
4. Devilish mood (anger and hate, about to be acted out)
5. Gun (physical element)
6. Victim shopping (high tension; my reader is trapped)
All of these bread crumbs escort the reader to the anti-climax. Some people say the first half of the story should be foreshadowed and that the last part should be the foreshadowing acted out. That is probably true. No doubt you have used this technique. Now that you understand it better, you can use it more effectively.
Huh? You want to know how my story ends? Write to me and I'll tell you!
deborahowen@cwinst.com
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Letter from Mr. L. Carroll, Mentor of Writing for Children and Non-Fiction Writing
I am coming to Creative Writing Institute at a time in my life when I should be sitting in a rocking chair and basking in my laurels. However, I’ve never been one to live in the past, and I seldom turn down a chance to experience a new adventure. Writing, and the teaching of writing, has energized my life beyond all my expectations.
As a member of the staff at Creative Writing Institute, I have the opportunity to interact with a team of very talented and creative folks who are dedicated to teaching the craft of writing.
I see myself as part of a team of bridge builders. Our mentored bridges connect writers to a new world — the world of hopes, dreams, and professional writing.
As I think of all the people who have struggled and given up on becoming a writer, it makes me sad. Perhaps one or two words of encouragement would have made the difference for them. That's what Creative Writing Institute is all about, and that's why our team is so dedicated to teaching
Letter from the Editor
by Ms. Starr
Greetings, and welcome to
The Writer's Choice
When I was a child, I always loved the anticipation of going back to school, seeing old friends I had missed over the summer, and feeling the excitement of new classes. That's what I'm feeling now.
Writing for the newsletter reminds me of the first day I decided to become a writer. I had allowance “burning a hole in my pocket,” as mother used to say, so we went shopping.
I wandered down the long aisles until I saw a huge tablet of paper. It seemed to be calling me, and all at once I knew what I wanted to buy. I bought the paper, took it home, and put it on the table in front of me.
When you're a kid, there's always that feeling of “I can do anything, be anything.” So when I gazed at all those empty lines, I had an enormous feeling of possibilities. Worlds were waiting to be opened
and explored.
As we begin our journey into Creative Writing Institute's first year, catch the excitement! Be a part of CWI's newsletter by sending in submissions. (See Ms. Deb Sez for details - top, left column.)
Send them to: ms.starr@cwinst.com
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