Ready To Publish Friday - Punctuation

Ready To Publish Friday presents you with another good article found on the net.

The Finer Points of Punctuation

by Kristy Taylor

Perhaps the best way to illustrate the importance and effect of proper punctuation is to imagine reading a piece of writing without it. Supposing you were to read this entire article – all 900 words of it – with absolutely no punctuation. Not just the obvious periods and commas, but no colons, dashes, exclamation marks or question marks.

Punctuation hasn’t always been a part of writing. It evolved over time, as the printing process itself evolved. Prior to the development of printing, punctuation was almost non-existent and when William Caxton first printed books in English, he used three basic punctuation devices, mainly to indicate pauses and sentence endings.

Throughout the 17th century, more punctuation was devised, the most recent being the quotation marks. Eventually we had punctuation as we know it today, consisting of at least a dozen different punctuation devices (depending on your definition) – although some people would have difficulty naming all of them.

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Ready To Publish Friday - Editing

Ready To Publish Friday is bringing you another helpful article found on the net. Hope you enjoy!

Editing Made Easy
by Lee Masterson

So you've finally done it. You've finished your prized manuscript - the one you've spent months creating - and the temptation to pop it into a postal package and ship it off to a welcoming editor is tugging at you mercilessly.

I urge you to resist that temptation. For now, anyway.

After spending so much of your time and effort in producing what you have so far, it would seem a shame to rush things at this crucial stage in your manuscript's life. Once the first draft is done, almost every writer realizes that an edit or partial rewrite is going to be a necessary task.

There are almost as many different ways to edit and rewrite as there are writers. Some prefer to edit as they go. There are those who prefer to chop and change storylines midway through the creation process. Others seem to race through the first draft and spend time polishing it up once they're done. I'm one of the latter.

It makes no difference which technique you prefer, as long as it works for you. The point is to end up with a professional manuscript which an editor will hopefully buy.

So let's take a look at 12 polishing techniques that could mean the difference between a sale and a rejection.

Show all
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Ready To Publish Friday--Overused Words

Welcome, welcome, welcome to another Ready to Publish Friday article feature found on the web. Overusing words is something writers tend to do. We become pretty fond of certain words and sometimes they creep their way into our stories over and over and over... Then there are some words that despite how we feel about them, we use them because they're easy and readily available. Check out the article to find out which words we tend to abuse. Happy Friday.

10 Overused Words in Writing

David Bowman, Owner and Chief Editor of Precise Edit, wrote this article. (c) Copyright 2008, by Precise Edit

All words are good words. Some, however, are overused without adding value to what you write. As a result, they reduce the readers’ interest, make text seem redundant, and cause the writer to appear amateurish.

We have created a list of 10 overused words, based on the documents we have edited over the last 5 years. We don’t recommend that you remove these words from your writing. Instead, we recommend that you become aware of how often you use them and that you revise your documents to limit their use.

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Ready To Publish Friday--Who's Got Style?

Welcome to another Ready to Publish Friday. In previous weeks we've read articles about inspiration and courage. This weeks article about style comes from everywoman Shon Bacon a.k.a. ChickLitGurrl.

Developing Your Writing Style

Becoming a Lifelong Learner of the Craft of Writing

By author, editor, educator Shon Bacon aka ChickLitGurrl™

If I told you to develop your writing style, would you know what I meant?

If your answer is “No,” then this new column of The Write Life for You is…FOR you!

Here’s a quick definition of style: the way you put together a sentence or group of sentences.

The problem with figuring out style is there is no one sure way. It’s subjective. Depending on different forms of writing (essays, articles, stories, etc.) and different disciplines (science, art, humanities, etc.), style may differ.

Click HERE for the rest of the article.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Ready To Publish Friday - Courage

Welcome to Ready To Publish Fridays!

Last week we showcased an article about inspiration and we hope you found it helpful in someway. This week we're presenting an article about courage. How does being courageous relate to being ready to publish and writing in general? Here's a little teaser, but for a complete answer click the link.

Developing a Thick Skin: How To Accept Criticism
by Betty L. Meshack

I'm sure your mom, like mine, taught you, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Unfortunately, during childhood, other children did not have the benefit of my mother's advice, or of her trusty and quicker-than-lightning index finger and thumb which, painfully and with regularity, enforced her edicts on the fleshy part of my upper arms.

So when the inevitable evaluations by other children of, inter alia, my hair, my clothes, my size, my speech patterns, and my grades were "thumbs down," and I came running to her for solace, her advice was, "Stick and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Let it roll down your back as if you never heard it. You are all right. You're my baby." Great advice to instill a modicum of self-esteem in a little girl from South Central, right? Sure it was, although the scar tissue from the barbs exists to this day; echoes and reverberations from the teasing and rejection are often replayed mentally at the most inopportune times.

Click here ===>> Developing Thick Skin

New to Ready to Publish Fridays

Wednesdays & Fridays Blog would like to take Ready to Publish Fridays in a new direction. Thanks to all the authors who have thus far graced our pages and thanks to the many readers who continue to stop by to enjoy the conversations.

Ready to Publish Fridays will be featuring articles, essays, and resources pertaining to writing.

Our first selection hits on a very important element in writing.


When we think of the process of writing, many times we neglect to think about the inspiration that most must have to begin creating something. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to find inspiration in anything. Then there are those of us that seem to lose the ability to feel inspired. And we lose it for a lengthy period of time.

Touching Ones Soul: The Ultimate Inspiration For a Writer by Edward B. Toupin talks about why people write and I'm sure there is something in it that every writer can benefit from.

Here's an excerpt:

From smoke and dirt to pollution and oil, it is amazing how much gunk
can collect on a window over time. I sit here in my office looking out
the window that appears to look the same as it did when it was new, but
wondering why it was always a gray overcast outside. I was just used to
the slow collection of crud so I never really noticed how opaque the
window was becoming. It took a lot of cleaner, four rags, and a lot of
elbow grease to make the window acceptably transparent again, but it'll
never be the same as it was when it was new.

Just as with the window, from birth, we all collect some level of gunk
on our souls. This gunk consists of misinformation, prejudices,
conflict, trauma, and myriad other experiences that layer over our
creative insides. These layers slowly change the way we see our world
by creating an opaque film over our soul's eye. With that we begin to
see the world in a way that we assume that it is and not necessarily in
a way that it truly exists. Our reality becomes tainted preventing us
from perusing and becoming everything that we could possibly become.
However, somehow we need to clean off that gunk to obtain a clear view
of life.


To read the entire article, click HERE

Enjoy!

Writer George Taylor

Writer and Poet George Taylor

Let’s start getting your shine on. Who are you?

University of Detroit High ’66. Irish American third generation native Detroiter. Had one job my whole adult life: poet laureate of nowhere. Michigan Wolverine ’70;

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

When I walked into my principal’s office in high school and told him that I needed to take the classics curriculum. Something embedded in languages and ancient stories had a hold of me and wouldn’t let go.

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

I write every day. To do so, I give up paid employment, concerts, trips to museums and art galleries, seeing my family and friends, and travel. I don’t regret a moment of the huge swatches of unpaid time I spend to do the thing I most love.

Name two authors with whom you share similar writing styles.

Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac.

What makes them similar?

A free uninhibited search for a language and rhythm that is truly American, which hints at the depths of love and suffering inherent in the American soul.

Name and thank one author that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

I thank Pablo Neruda for his artistic genius and his enormous dedication to the people of Chile. He was an artist who cared for more than himself and his publishing track record.

What does your audience look like?

Proposed Market for book:

(Magnitude of Audience Gets bigger as we go down the list.)

1. Detroiters who are fascinated by stories of their own era and of the historical changes they have seen.

2. Midwestern Rust Belt Residents who want a fresh look at the history of Detroit and other manufacturing centers.

3.‘Green’, ecology loving readers who want to redeem their own vision of American industry and see a new breath of creativity and hope

4 Anyone looking for a new inspiring vision of America

5. Poetry lovers in the US and other countries.

What genre does your story fall under?

Poetic Memoir

What distinguishes you from others seeking to be published authors?

I know how the business of publishing works, and I am methodically pursing a marketing program for my manuscript. Also, Detroiters and other Americans need to read my story.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about things beyond the page?

(I think your question is about the business side of writing.) Having self-published two books and started an on-line bookstore, I know that the main thing I have learned is ‘don’t undercapitalize.’

You need a lot of money to make a business work here in America. Whatever you think you need to publish a book, ou need to double or triple that figure. particularly for marketing costs.

What are your thoughts on rejection letters?

I wallpaper my office with them, to remind me of what bad taste most people have.

And I keep a list of people I intend to write to after I get published.

If you approached an author with questions about writing, how would you expect them to respond?

I’d expect them to be too busy writing to bother with me. Or to generously remind me of the one thing that writers need to hear: Strap yourself to your desk and keep writing.

Are you ready to really shine? In 100 words or less, tell the Wednesdays & Fridays Blog readers why your manuscript should be published.

Detroiters hunger for an updated new vision of our hometown, as the seedbed of the new America: community based, appreciate of art, and supportive and protective of its citizens. My manuscript inspires confidence that the American vision, when it is compassionate and inclusive, is still great. It carries the message that Art is the healer for a confused, hurting culture. Plus my stories are funny, heartbreaking, scary, and above all, the ‘troof’.

Author Dywane D. Birch

AUTHOR DYWANE D. BIRCH

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you one of my (Dj Frazier) personal favorite authors, Dywane D. Birch. He is the author of When Loving You is Wrong, Shattered Souls, From My Soul to Yours, and was a part of the anthology Another Time, Another Place: Five Novellas. Today he's getting his shine on and introducing us to his upcoming release Beneath the Bruises.

Tell us a little bit about you outside of being an author.

Okay, this is always the part of interviews I like the least. But, I’ll say this: socially speaking, besides being an author, I love traveling to Europe and Egypt. Professionally speaking, I have a master’s degree in psychology and I am a clinically certified forensic counselor, which is just a fancy title for someone who is credentialed to work with offenders in prison-or community-based settings. I’m also a former director of an adolescent crisis shelter, and currently work with adult offenders of domestic violence, as well with adolescents remanded to a youth detention center.

What is your earliest writing memory?

My earliest writing memory is writing in a journal when I was eleven years old. However, writing was never something I aspired to do.

Why do you write?

Honestly, I write to enlighten, entertain, and encourage others. I understand the power of words, so knowing that I am able to touch someone else in some way (no matter how big or small) with my words is what keeps me inspired to write.

What feelings do you experience once you are satisfied with your completed manuscript(s)?

I typically experience a feeling of relief once I am satisfied with a completed manuscript. It’s like WHEW, I’m finally done!

You have the great ability to write, true to form, in a female voice. Besides studying your craft, who else played a part in shaping this skill?

To keep it real with you, I don’t study the craft of writing, never have. However, I guess I should give credit to my mother, aunts, sisters, female companions, and those women who have been a part of my life in some form or fashion for allowing me to listen to them and really hear them. Other than that, I really believe my ability to write in female voice is a gift.

Tell us a little bit about your work in progress and/or your upcoming release.

My most recent project releases November 4^th. It’s titled Beneath the Bruises, and it’s an inspiring and touching story about a thirty-something year old mother of five who is trapped in an abusive marriage, but with counseling she is able to find her voice and begin to heal through the power of self-love, self-acceptance and self-discovery. I’m actually really excited about it.

I'm a big believer that word of mouth creates more sales than advertisements. Let's say I've never read any of your books before, how would you pitch your latest release to me if we were standing in a checkout line?

Yes, I agree. Word of mouth is the greatest seller. Speaking of which, I need to thank YOU for being a big supporter of my literary work, and always spreading the word. I truly appreciate the love! Okay, so back to the question. If you were in a checkout line I would pitch my latest book by saying, “hello, my name is . . . if you are looking for a fast-paced, in-your-face book that is filled with drama and steamy sex, then I have just the book for you. It will make you laugh, cry, scream out loud, and wanna slap somebody all in one sitting, and still have you hanging onto the edge of your seat for more. And after you have finished reading it, if you honestly don’t like what you’ve read, I will personally send you your money back.” Then I would flash you my mega-watt smile. lol

How important are book reviews to you?

Good, bad, or indifferent, I believe book reviews are very important. It helps stir interest in your books, and it also gives me the opportunity to honestly consider what is being said/written about my works. I want to know what others think/feel about my writing. I am not able to grow as a writer without honest, constructive feedback.

What authors influence your writing dreams, goals and aspirations?

I cannot say that my writing dreams, goals or aspirations are (or have been) influenced by any other authors. I don’t know if I should feel some kind of way about that, but it’s my truth—and my reality.

What books would you recommend on writing?

I probably should be embarrassed to say this, but I can’t make one recommendation for a book on writing. I’ve never used one. I probably should pick one up, but I haven’t felt the need to. Nor have I ever taken any writing classes.

If you could change one thing you did during your road to publication, what would it be and what would you have done different?

I wouldn’t change one thing. My road to publication has been a very interesting and fulfilling one. That’s not to say that there haven’t been some disappointments and frustrations along the way. But, for the most part, everything I have done thus far has been on my own terms. And, overall, it has been a beautiful journey. One I am still travelling and learning from.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

I would tell any aspiring author to be patient, set realistic goals, be tenacious, be open to criticism, and write for all the right reasons, whatever they may be.

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

Well, there’s not much about me readers will learn, but they can definitely learn more about my books by going onto www.myspace.com/dywaneb, www.blackplanet.com/Adulfictionwriter2 or www.freewebs.com/dywanebirch

Off Topic

The last book I read was: the galley for Allison Hobbs’s “Big Juicy Lips: Double Dippin’ 2”

The last CD I purchased was: Wow, it’s been a minute. I think it was Meshell Ndégeocello’s “The World Made Me the Man I Am”

My biggest distraction is: Hmm. Nothing comes to mind. I’m typically a focused being.

My guilty pleasure is: *hangs head* Expensive, designer shoes.

The one thing I want people to know about me is: that I am a private man (with flaws) who strives to be the best that I can be; that I love (and live) life to the fullest with no regrets, and no excuses. Okay, okay, I know, that was more than one thing.

Thanks for extending this interview. And, again, I thank you for your continued support of my literary endeavors, and for spreading the word to whoever will listen. I am sincerely grateful.

Until the next time . . . peace, love & happy reading!

Thank you, Dywane! The pleasure was all ours.

Author Samara Leigh

Author Samara Leigh

Let's start getting your shine on. Who are you?

I'm Samara Leigh, a writer, entrepreneur, mom, and wife living in Northeast Ohio. My business writing revolves around topics of interest to job hunters and career changers. My non-fiction and creative writing usually centers on my respect and admiration for women on a journey of self-discovery and growth.

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

I've enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember. It gave me a voice, even after I'd talked my poor parents to death and they just wanted some peace and quiet. What sealed the deal was getting recognition for an essay I wrote in grade school.

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

There are two things that I love about writing:

#1. It gives voice to the stories and opinions floating around in my head at any given moment (and I assure you that there is no shortage of them).

#2. I love the latent power of words. One person reads the story and thinks, "That's stupid." But, the next person is moved to tears and - more importantly - to action by those same words. Written words allow us to connect with people that we do not know and will never meet. People who lived centuries before us. Yet their story gives voice to our feelings. It is this power to connect with others through the written word that I find empowering, enchanting, addictive.

Name two authors with whom you share similar writing styles.

As a yet-to-be published author I dread this question. You never really want to compare yourself to other authors, especially the great ones. Being completely honest, I can't really think of any authors that I'd compare my style or voice to. However, there are elements of the writing styles of several authors that I find similar to elements in my writing.

What makes them similar?

I love the quirky, sexy, but not trashy style of Erin McCarthy; the self-deprecating humor of Meg Cabot; and Benilde Little's ability to draw her readers into the internal conflicts experienced by her characters, just to name a few. These are elements that often surface in my writing.

Name and thank one author that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

If I have to limit it to just one writer, hands down it is Judy Blume. I loved reading her books as a pre-teen and teen. You could identify with her characters and you felt for them. There were elements of their lives that reflected my own. I wanted to have the power to inform, educate, entertain, comfort, and motivate my readers in the same way that she'd impacted me.

Now let's get to the nitty gritty. What does your audience look like?

Hmm... I'd have to say my audience looks a lot like me. LOL. Not necessarily my age, my height, my size, or my race. But, women that have gone through a similar experience. They've overcome or endured some type of adversity in their lives and are now at a point where they've discovered their beauty, their value, their self-worth. Whether they are 15 or 55 they are getting to know themselves. Not the person that everyone wanted them to be, but the person that they truly want to be at this stage in their lives. If I am forced to put a label on my audience, I'd say that they are are a multicultural cross-section of women ranging from the ages of 29 - 45.

What genre does your story fall under?

Multicultural women's fiction

What's the strangest thing you've seen or heard that somehow made its way into your story?

That would be my best friend's loud declaration at the cash register in Target that I should put back a pair of "baby panties" that I was purchasing for myself. That one made its way into a short story I wrote.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned about things beyond the page?

Being an entrepreneur has taught me the importance of marketing, creating a business plan, and being systematic in executing your plan. I am trying to incorporate the business lessons that I've learned (many of them the hard way) into my mindset as an author.

What are your thoughts on rejection letters?

Sad, but true story: It was a single rejection letter that made me abandon writing as a career for well over a decade. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I pursued the thought of being an author again. I now realize that rejection letters are as much a part of the business of writing as is being published. I find stories of famous writers' struggles to get published hugely inspiring. Even writers that we now consider to be veritable geniuses have suffered through their share of rejections. It is a part of the publishing game. But, if you don't play; you won't win.

If you approached an author with questions about writing, how would you expect them to respond?

I imagine that she would cringe at being asked the same question that she's been asked 1,000 times before. But, hopefully she'd be gracious about answering it for the 1,001st time.

Are you ready to really shine? In 100 words or less, tell the Wednesdays & Fridays Blog readers why your manuscript should be published.

My current work in progress is the story of a young woman raised in a super-restrictive, ultra-religious household where freedom of choice and freedom of thought were never on the menu. After two years of saving she goes away to a women's liberal arts college to discover herself, much to her parents chagrin. During Livia's delayed college experience she discovers love, sex, friendship, and long-held family secrets that will either completely destroy her family or begin to heal their seemingly irreparable rift.

Thanks for the opportunity, Ladies.

Thank you for spending time with us!

Poet Jeff Brown

Poet Jeff Brown
A.K.A.
Poeticsoldier

Let's start getting your shine on. Who are you?

My name is Robert Jeffrey ( Jeff) Brown aka Poeticsoldier

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

I realized that I had a passion for words when I was Junior High School when I was helping some of my friends write notes to girls.

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

I love words because the words can pain pictures in the minds and hearts of people. Words are able to draw someone into the world of the writer. Words can also be used to express a persons affection, desire, passion and fantasies.

Name two poets with whom you share similar writing styles.

I really admire Langston Hughes and Maya Angelo

What makes them similar?

The things that makes us similar is the passion that they express in their poems. Their poems reaches out and grabs the reader making you sit up and pay attention

Name and thank one poet, dead or alive, that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

Langston Hughes

Now let's get to the nitty gritty. What does your audience look like?

That is a tough questions because I have found that audience consist of women of all ages , backgrounds, geographical locations, and races. I have some something for everyone, erotic, uplifting, and self awareness.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned about things beyond the page?

I still consider myself as young because I still trying to get myself published.

Give me one to four lines that will make us go 'hmmm.'

Cum see what lie's in between and underneath the outer shell of a Southern brother like me. As the blood pumps through these veins of mine shooting adrenaline from every side. As the oxygen causes my life to live the wisdom will always be revealed. Unshaken and unbreakable the poetic word will shape the world.

What advice would you give an aspiring poet regarding publishing?

The one thing that I have found out is that if you want to get yourself published you have to pro-active and think out side the box.

Show me some skills. In fifty words or less, what is poetry to you?

What is poetry to me?

Spoken words

Is away to speak without opening my mouth to express the words that sometimes evades me when I am with that special person. It is a direct line into the heart and mind of the poet

Tickle my ears with your words spoken softly. As your caressing words soothe my soul gently touch my surface. That strokes my dormant desires; those spoken words have been longed for to break the silence in my heart. As your words form in your mind I want to be there from the start. The words that you use must be chosen carefully to ensure that they convey your heart. Spoken Words!!!!!!!!!!!!

Author P. Chez

P. Chez

Let's start getting your shine on. Who are you?

On an everyday basis, some may say that I am a proud mother, a devoted wife, a big sister, a respectful daughter, a loyal friend, and a hard worker. When a pen is in my hand, I have the tendency of becoming a fantasy, a nightmare, a passion, a teacher, or simply put, an emotional piece of artwork. However my response will always be, “I am, PChez, a blessed child of God, all day, baby!”

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

My mother bought me my very first diary when I was a young girl (maybe 10 years old). It was a Hello Kitty diary that I loved so much. It was full of drawings and every little thing that I felt I wanted to say but dared not to say to my parents or whomever. If you did not see me drawing, then you definitely saw me writing. Those journal entries led to my passion for every type of art there is (literature, fine arts, etc).

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

Imagine a canvas with a multitude of brilliant colors splashed on it. Imagine that floating amongst the colors on this canvas are bold shapes and random letters. To the average eye, on this canvas are just colors, letters, and shapes. However the eyes of an artistic soul would see a plentiful source of beauty (beauty in the abstract). I am those random bold shapes and letters. The multitude of colors represents different mental states that have arisen spontaneously in my life (sorrow, hate, love, desire). Emotions are a part of life. Writing is my life. The pen and I are one. A marriage that is yet to be broken.

Name two authors with whom you share similar writing styles.

I like to think that I have my own style of writing, but … Terry McMillan and I are kind of similar when it comes to novels. As for the poetic side of me, I love Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni; which are two of the many poetry greats that I look up to.

What makes them similar?

Although some may disagree, Terry McMillan is known for using life experiences as part of her stories. Maya Angelou’s disrupted life inspired her to write. Nikki Giovanni is known for presenting things as she sees it. Most of my writings were started from different encounters that I was either told about or actually ran up against. Regardless if I am writing a story or a poem, like some of the mentioned writers, I love “putting a twist to things” to get my own point across.

Name and thank one author that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings really spoke to me. I want to thank Maya Angelou for making me a believer. To me, she illustrated ways in which dramatic situations can be overcome by a strong character and a love for literature. I won’t say that she is the reason why I started writing, but I will say,”Thank you. I am now a woman who has incarnated wisdom and hope, because of your writings”. I enjoyed Mama by Terry McMillan and Black Girl Lost by Donald Goines, but my all time favorite is The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

What does your audience look like?

My audience are mature, everyday people

What's the strangest thing you've seen or heard that somehow made its way into your story?

I once wrote a children’s story with my 5yr old daughter. Most of my work, however, has been written for adults.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned about things beyond the page?

At one time in life, I thought that the harder my drink was, the easier it will be for me to handle a bad situation. After trying that tactic so many times, I realized that the only thing I was handling was a hangover on the following day. To me, pen plus paper doesn’t equal writing. Instead, pen plus paper equals therapy.

What are your thoughts on rejection letters?

Had you asked me that a few years ago, I would have probably said that rejection letters were like nightmares to me! Now, I believe that there’s a time and place for everything. If I am rejected on anything, I look at it as if it just wasn’t meant for me at that time. Rejection means to refuse consideration, but it definitely does not mean to give up on considerations.

If you approached an author with questions about writing, how would you expect them to respond?

Honestly.

Are you ready to really shine? In 100 words or less, tell the Wednesdays & Fridays Blog readers why your manuscript should be published.

If you are looking for a book that your child can actually enjoy and learn from, then The Talking Tree is your book! Learn facts about Giraffes and their characteristics. Enjoy laughter with your child while reading a story they can comprehend. Bring a child’s imagination to life as they travel with the giraffes in The Talking Tree. A book written for pre-school and kindergartners … Parent and teacher approved!

Author JC Martin

JC MARTIN

JC Martin is an aspiring author, a mother, and a wife. She has been reading books as far back as her memory will allow her to remember. She has always used books as an escape from her everyday life. Her passion for words became evident to her English teacher in the eighth grade. Since then Jennifer has been writing non-stop, but it was not until 2006 when she finally realized her passion. She reviews books because she truly loves reading, and wants to spread the word to more than just the people she knows.

Let’s start getting your shine on. Who are you?

This all depends on which name you are referring to. Jennifer Coissiere is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, shoulder to cry on. She is also a student, and a reviewer for APOOO. JC Martin is a writer of poetry, chick-lit, erotica, contemporary fiction and the list goes on. She is also one of the contributors to Wednesdays and Fridays Blog. Bizarre JC Martin is a person who rambles and sees the world without the rose-colored glasses and doesn’t take any type of mess.

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

I have had this passion for words since junior high school. My first notebook of poetry is here in a drawer. I would see things and write a piece of poetry to capture what I saw. I would feel things and write to capture my emotion. It was one of those pieces of emotion that qualified me as a semi-finalist in The Mule Bone contest back in 1991. That piece was also showcased in my yearbook for all to see.

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

If you ask my husband he may agree I’m having a relationship with words and books and he’s my side piece. LOL! No, but seriously words wake up my inner most desires. I experience a feeling of euphoric bliss when I can take my words from the jumbles in my mind and create a place where all is not perfect and I could make a difference by just erasing. In writing I have power that I certainly don’t have in my reality. If writing was taken from me, my spirit would die. I would not be the person I am right now. This I know, because I’ve tried before to step away from writing and I couldn’t do it.

Name two authors with whom you share similar writing styles.

Wow! That’s a hard one. Choosing someone with such great talent and saying I have a similar style…I hope I don’t disappoint them once I have a book out there. Victoria Christopher Murray and Terry McMillan.

What makes them similar?

VCM doesn’t write Christian fiction per se, but she has hints of faith helping the main character get through the troubles. Now both VCM and TM have strong women characters. I believe when you put both of these ladies together, you can empower a woman who, at first, seems a bit whiny. By the end of the book they are strong and independent.

Name and thank one author that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

I have met quite a few authors this year alone, who have encouraged me to write. Then there are two who have been there all along proofreading and offering advice. The question is which one do I want to thank the most? Both! Shonell Bacon and Angelia Menchan have reached out to me and have kept me focused and determined to get my writing out there by my standards and not by someone dictating to me how my writing should be. Thanks Ladies, I love you both from the bottom of my heart.

Now let’s get to the nitty gritty. What does your audience look like?

My audience is any random person you see in a crowd. I don’t want to only write for African Americans. I want people outside my race to pick up my books and appreciate the message I have between the lines of a good story.

What genre does your story fall under?

It depends on which one. I have a contemporary fiction book finished. I am currently writing a Paranormal and Christian fiction book. I have a volume of poems finished as well. I also have witty, short stories featuring erotica, romance, and chick-lit.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen or heard that somehow made its way into your story?

I once received over 50 phone calls from this loon bat in a day. It was really more like 200, but I lost count after 50.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about things beyond the page?

If you are not willing to market yourself, chances are you will fail in this business. Writing is a craft, but selling books is a business, and without proper marketing no one will know about your business. Who better to advertise you than you?

What are your thoughts on rejection letters?

I wish I could get one. I submitted my manuscript to a publisher and never even got a rejection letter.

If you approached an author with questions about writing, how would you expect them to respond?

I’m a believer of Paying it Forward. I would love for an author to take the time to answer my questions without making me feel like I am bothering them. No, I don’t want them to read and critique my manuscript but at least share some insight into the literary world without annoyance lacing their voice.

Are you ready to really shine? In 100 words or less, tell the Wednesdays & Fridays Blog readers why your manuscript should be published.

My manuscript should be published because I offer more than just sex on a page. I have conflicts and drama that would have your tongue hanging from your head. I provide a view into the life of a woman scorned by not just one person, but two. In the same token I provide another woman who went from having low self-esteem to high independence. My unique voice and storytelling will keep the reader guessing the outcome while begging for more.

Poet Tzynya Pinchback

POET TZYNYA PINCHBACK

Let’s start getting your shine on. Who are you?

Tzynya/mother to serendipitous girl child/poem and prose-maker using narrative as shaman, lyric as landscape/is vessel ‘out to sea’, weathered, with one foot on dry land/at home in Georgia, at home nowhere/is love song, bawdy limerick, and swamp boogie fiddle repurposed as syllable and form.

When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

When I was very young, like 5 or 6, I used to sit with my Dad as he composed music or wrote songs - that is probably when I fell in love with rhyme. I wrote silly stories, and horrid, sappy love letters in the diaries I kept as a teenager. But it was college that I started to realize a passion for writing. After changing my major from Marketing to Journalism, I turned down an intern with a major hospitality company to work in the campus library. I spent an entire semester re-cataloguing various interpretations Julius Caesar, and went to my advisor and changed my major to Literature.

All writers adore words. Describe your love affair with writing.

I am writing’s forlorn mistress. Writing has had its way with me. We fight often over my (mis)use of language, broken metaphor, lackluster observance of grammar rules, etc. I’ve left writing and it has left me. I’ve dismissed lovers, abandoned country and home, ignored children, gone days without properly bathing -high on caffeine and squares of caramel - all for the promise of writing. Some days I lie in bed, dressed pretty, waiting for writing to maybe come around and take me out for a meal.

Name two poets with whom you share similar writing styles.

Out of respect to the poets I enjoy, and the Because of the relationship I have with my writing, I don’t feel my style is tight enough in its own skin that I can make a real comparison with other poets yet. That is to say I am still defining my voice, and cannot be trusted to stick to any form or method for too long. There are plenty of poets whose works I relate to, and whose works seem to echo long after I have put them down. I can’t imagine narrowing the list to two. Poets you will find in the small basket next to my bed: Sandra Cisneros, Chris Abani, Anne Sexton, Jayne Cortez, Lucille Clifton, Ntozake Shange, Lord Byron.

What makes them similar?

The singular thread, if one has to exist, weaving together the poets I am reading currently (and read most often) is imagery and voice. Whether I am reading traditional forms (Haiku, Sonnet, Ghazal) or reading free verse, prose poem (which happens to be my favorite), performance poetry, I am always drawn to poets who write from the vein, unbridled, and who paint a landscape within a few syllables. And I also like a damn good love poem.

Name and thank one poet, dead or alive, that has been instrumental in inspiring you to write.

Pablo Neruda. Nuff said.

Now let’s get to the nitty gritty. What does your audience look like?

Like me, they probably have strange hair and can be found sitting cross-legged on the floor of a bookstore between the Graphic Novels, Self-Help, and Erotica sections. They sew quilts for Grandchildren; are high school sophomores standing on the front porch, holding hands, lingering in Good-bye. They run the PTA and boast a hot Tupperware collection. They spew conspiracy theories and understand the virtues of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes at 3 A.M. They still believe in the power of the boycott. They voted Republican in the last election. They collect ceramic teapots and lace handkerchiefs; tailgate before the game, and drink raspberry ale or Corona for breakfast. They are overachievers. They are on line, right now, at the Unemployment Office, hoping to make it to the Check Cashier before closing time.

New authors usually lack the business knowledge of writing. What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about things beyond the page?

The best piece of advice I have is something that was shared with me. Ask yourself if you want to sell a million books, or if you want a million people to read your work. Once you determine your objective, it will guide how you tend to the business of writing. Oh, and do research, lots of research.

Give me one to four lines that will make us go 'hmmm.'

Tears do not know words/are laid hot on skin, do not dry in sun/take center stage without orchestra or script, carry own spotlight and finger cymbal in side pocket/are conjure woman without tooth or shoe, head thrown back caterwauling, “Pa!”

What advice would you give an aspiring poet regarding publishing?

Publishing is a hard knock life (and that is a bad cliché). Get accustomed to rejection slips; collect them in, if you will, a pretty box next to your computer, and on rainy days fold the little papers into origami cranes. If you are particularly whimsical, you might string them over the hearth in winter, or fashion them into a belt. Fellowship with other poets and artists who you can share work with, attend workshops, and submit to anthologies. From that will grow opportunities to publish. You should be mindful to research publications for style, audience, and theme prior to wasting the cost of postage to submitting. And try to avoid those messy submission fees - a poet has to save their pennies.

You have actually been previously published quite a few years ago. How would you say publishing now differs from publishing then?

Yes, I published a chapbook of 6 poems under the title EveSongs in 1996, under the advisement of Dr. Okunor and the University of New Mexico African Studies department. I had a great support system, and the University really helped to promote and encourage exposure. But back in 1996, I printed, distributed, scheduled signings, hustled for book reviews myself. Now, PODs are very popular and provide a quick turnaround. I think it’s a great opportunity to see your name in print, but also it’s a great opportunity to have your work delivered as a sub-standard product. So it’s imperative to do the research and choose what works best for you: self-publishing or traditional publication. Concerning my manuscript, Sinner Woman Gospel Song, I am in the process of submitting to a few small presses, but I am not counting out the self publishing option, especially because the collection is small – 10 poems. I just want to deliver something of quality, something artful.

Show me some skills. In fifty words or less, what is poetry to you?

To paraphrase Kierkagaard: “A poet….a being whose heart is torn by secret sufferings, but whose lips are so strangely formed that when the sighs and the cries escape them, they sound like beautiful music... and then people crowd about the poet and say to him: "Sing for us soon again;" that is as much as to say. "May new sufferings torment your soul."”

Tzynya L. Pinchback

a Writer

http://tzynyawrites.blogspot.com/