This month learn how to write the perfect pitch with Simon Whaley, improve your characters with our Ten Top Tips, get motivated by the successes of other students and find something useful in Useful Websites.

E-zee Writer
Top Tips For Writers

Issue 105
June 2009

Hello again and welcome to the June issue.

Is it June already, surely it can’t be, where does the time go? It’s the longest day on 21st June in the UK, which also marks the start of summer – yippee – well, you have to be optimistic!

First, a gentle reminder that those of you wanting to enter our Poetry and Short Story Competition need to get your skates on – it closes at the end of June.

I could not resist mentioning this charming Japanese ceremony called Tanabata or ‘star festival’. Held at night on the 7th of July this festival of wishes celebrates two gods – Orihime and Hikoboshi – who are separated by the Milky Way for all but one night of the year. Modern day Japanese celebrate the day by writing wishes, usually in the form of a poem, on small pieces of paper, called tanzaku papers, which are attached to bamboo. They are then set alight or afloat at midnight. Perhaps you could write your own Tanabata poem, I wouldn’t want to encourage you to set it alight or afloat for fear of inciting the wrath of the council for littering or the fire brigade, but you could send them to me and I will print the best ones in the July issue. If you’d like to have a go at this but don’t feel poetry is your greatest strength you could enrol on our poetry writing course to improve your skills.

A pitch or query letter is something you might think is easy, but in fact it can be difficult and we all know how crucial it is that you get it right – first impressions and all that. So, we’ve picked the brains of Simon Whaley for some expert advice on how to construct the perfect pitch in Expert Advice. Student Stories feature Polly and, for the first time under my command, a story from a Polish student, Barbara, living in the UK. (If you’ve any Polish friends who aren’t using their full potential perhaps you could nudge them in our direction.) Ten Top Tips will help you breathe life into your characters and Useful Websites offers you, well, useful websites.

If you can get out and about this June you may want to visit Scotland where Rory Bremner will be hosting the Borders ‘09 Book Festival in Melrose starting 18th June. This is four days and nights of book-based fun with a clutch of fabulous speakers including Michael Palin, Joan Bakewell, Tom Holland and Chris Bonington. Plus, there’s a selection of events to keep the little ones happy with a reading and sing-a-long by Julia Donaldson amongst the delights to tempt them. Some items are free and the rest range from £3.00-£12.00. More info here.

Or you could drop into the headquarters of Writer’s Digest in Cincinnati, Ohio 20th-21st June for ‘exclusive panel discussions and one-on-one manuscript critiques’ with a selection of top editors. There’ll be workshops featuring topics such as ‘Website and Blog Tools and Techniques’, ‘Why I Stop Reading’ and ‘10 Secrets for Succeeding as a Writer in a Transformational Time’. Sunday will be devoted to 30-minute, one-to-one meetings with editors for discussion of current projects and reviews of manuscripts. The cost is $349.00 which entitles you to submit 25 manuscript or book proposal pages. More information here.

And, thinking a little ahead as this gets sold out early, Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival, apparently Europe’s most famous annual crime writing spree, is taking place at the Crown Hotel, Harrogate 23rd-26th July. Here’s what the website has to say about the event “Whether you dip into a bit of Dalziel and Pascoe on the beach, are hooked to The Wire on the box, or want to tell your favourite author you’re a frenzied fan, you can. The biggest and best crime authors, screenwriters, agents and publishers are to gather for this hotly awaited long weekend.” There’ll be discussions with famous crime writers including Val McDermid, quizzes and even a murder mystery event. Prices range from free- to £26.00. More information here.

I’ve saved the best news ‘til last - our new website is up and running and it looks great. Well we think so, but what we’d really like to know is what you think of it. Take a look, have a nosey around the forums, I’ve posted the answers to some of the frequently asked questions on there, and let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see on it. If you are a student and have not already received your log in details for the forum please email us so we can set it up for you.

Shelley

P.S. Subscribers to FMN please note – there is no edition in July. And don’t forget the next edition of Chapter and Verse is accepting submission on the themes of ‘The Reward’ and ‘Rejection’. Send your work to candv@writersbureau.com for 30th June deadline

THE WRITERS BUREAU
STUDENT STORIES

 
If you would like a prospectus for the courses studied by Polly or Barbara email us here with your full name and postal address.

Or, to share your success stories with others, just send an email to ezeewriter@writersbureau.com with 'Success Story' in the subject line.

FREELANCE MARKET NEWS
an essential guide for freelance writers

For up-to-date market information, Freelance Market News is invaluable.

Issued 11 times a year it's packed with information on markets in Britain and around the globe, plus you get all the latest news and views on the publishing world.

Every subscription comes with FREE membership of The Association of Freelance Writers. Your membership also entitles you to discounts on books and competitions, a free appraisal worth over £30 and a Membership Card which confirms your status as a Freelance Writer.

FREE sample copies are available to view at the website, along with more details about the magazine and how you can subscribe.

www.freelancemarketnews.com

Please remember there is no issue of FMN in the month of July!

EXPERT ADVICE

 PERFECT PITCHES

By Simon Whaley

Do you spend time researching information for your articles, then writing and submitting them, only to have them rejected? Annoying isn’t it? It’s such a waste of time. What if you could sell the idea to your target publication first, before investing all that time and effort? Well, the good news is, you can.

A pitch, or query letter, is a sales technique that many professional writers use to sell an idea to an editor first before they write up the full article. That way, if the editor says ‘No’, the writer hasn’t wasted their time writing anything more than a query letter. And remember, there are many reasons why an editor can say ‘No’, such as:

• He’s just accepted an article on a similar topic,

• He’s about to redesign the publication to appeal to a new market, and new readership, 

•  He’s looking for a more unusual angle.

None of these reasons would be apparent to any prospective writer undertaking a market analysis of the publication. Also, psychologically, it isn’t quite as demoralising having an editor reject an idea, as it is the whole article. But don’t think that because you’re sending a short letter or email, that you don’t need to work hard at your pitch. You do. In fact, you need to work really hard. This pitch is your one and only opportunity to express your idea - and how you will tackle it to appeal to the editor’s readers. Sell the idea correctly and the editor should come back to you with a “yes, I’d like to see this.”

So how do you write the perfect pitch? 

• Be professional. Use the editor’s name, just as you would for a submission letter. Show them that you’ve looked at a copy of the magazine and done a bit of research.

• Be succinct. This is not the place to waffle on about how much you enjoy reading the magazine, how you’ve been a dedicated subscriber for umpteen years, or how you would like to have the editor’s babies! 

• Grab the editor’s attention. Hit him with some startling facts! 

• Be clear. Explain what your idea is and how you will tackle it. Don’t hold anything back thinking the editor will steal your idea. He won’t. It’s surprising how many writers come up with similar ideas. Believe me, you will not be the only writer to come up with an article idea about how to survive during a recession. 

• Tell the editor why you are the best person to write this particular idea. What makes you the expert on this subject? Are you qualified in it? Have you secured an exclusive interview? Have you experienced a life-changing event and want to show others how to do the same?

Remember, editors are busy people, so treat them with respect. Be business-like and professional.

Here’s an example of a query letter I sent to Holiday Cottages magazine.

Dear David Kernek

FEATURE PROPOSALS – HOLIDAY COTTAGES MAGAZINE
Would you be interested in the following two feature ideas for Holiday Cottages magazine?

Much Wenlock – The Olympic Connection. Did you know, if it wasn’t for the Shropshire market town of Much Wenlock, the Beijing Olympics wouldn’t be happening? One of its 19th Century residents (Dr William Penny-Brookes) formed the Wenlock Games and then went on to campaign for the reinstatement of the ancient Greek Olympic Games movement. This 1200-word article will take readers on a tour of Much Wenlock which they can follow, highlighting the links with Wenlock’s own Games and Dr Penny-Brookes. Much Wenlock is local to me and I’ve also interviewed the secretary of the Wenlock Olympian Society.

Hay on Wye – Read All About It. This tiny village on the English / Welsh border is now the second-hand book capital of the world. As a result of resident Richard Booth (self- declared King of Hay – a 1977 April Fool stunt), there are now second-hand bookshop towns like Hay, all over the world. This 1500-word article will explore the town to show that there is a book here for everyone, making it an ideal holiday destination at any time of year – bookshops are open throughout the year, and not just during the main tourist season! There’s also plenty to do for those who aren’t interested in books - you can canoe on the River Wye or go hill walking to the summit of Hay Bluff. Come visit the town twinned with Timbuktu! As a local, I’m a regular visitor to Hay on Wye and have written about the town for other publications.

For both feature ideas I would be happy to supply my own 300dpi digital images (capable of production up to A3 size). I have written travel pieces for numerous publications including Hotel, In Britain, Heritage, FlyBe Uncovered, and The Lady.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you and enclose a SAE for your use.

Yours sincerely

Simon Whaley

This query letter worked – the editor liked both ideas and ended up buying both articles. But look at what I’ve done. Firstly, I addressed him by name. My opening sentence immediately asks, ‘would you be interested in...?’ As soon as the editor has read this, he knows why I am writing to him.

Both of my ideas hit the editor with some intriguing facts. Just like the reader, you must grab the editor’s interest. I bet you didn’t know about Much Wenlock’s Olympic connection, or that the founder of the Hay on Wye book town declared himself King of Hay in 1977. After these facts, I tell the editor how I will develop the idea further for his readers. (Readers of this publication like to get to know a new area, which is why I show them how to explore the places.)

And because I told him that I was local to these places, the editor knows I’m better placed to write about these towns than a staff writer would be.

This could work just as well as an email, but make sure you take just as much time constructing what you want to say before you hit that ‘send’ button. Remember, you only get once chance to make a good first impression, and they’re the ones that intrigue editors enough to reply with, “sounds interesting, let me see it.”

The perfect pitch is not a waste of time. It’s time well spent. It’s also time that can be rewarded with publication.

Biography
Simon Whaley is a tutor for the Writers Bureau and a freelance writer and author. He has judged competitions on behalf of literary festivals, local writers’ groups, and the National Association of Writers’ Groups. Simon’s short stories have appeared in People’s Friend, Take a Break, Ireland’s Own, Yours and also That’s Life Fast Fiction in Australia. His ninth book, the Bluffer’s Guide to Hiking, was published at the end of March 2009.

TOP TIPS...

Ten Top Tips for creative characterisation

Long after readers have forgotten many other features of your book or short story, it will be your characters who will live on in their minds. And the stronger, the more colourful and the more striking your characters are, the more memorable they’ll be.

So, here are some tips for ensuring that your characters are unforgettable:

1. It should be your aim to create individuals who leap off the page, exuding energy and creating dramatic impact. They must be more exciting and more attention grabbing than the ordinary people we meet in our normal workaday existence.

2. But they must still be believable! Even if you create characters as exotic as Mary Poppins, Count Dracula or Hannibal Lector, you must draw them so vividly and give them so much presence and personality that they come alive. By doing this your readers will be prepared to suspend their disbelief and be ready to believe that in the fictional world you have created these people could easily exist.

3. In order to do this give every character an individual personality, quirks, mannerisms and a clearly understood motivation. Make them three-dimensional and equip them with a full range of emotions and responses.

4. Make sure you know your characters intimately – why not create a ‘character profile’ (see Useful Websites) for each of your major characters listing their background, appearance, hobbies, habits, strengths, weaknesses and much, much more?

5. But don’t give this information to your readers in a big ‘dollop’. It will slow down your narrative. Instead, feed in descriptions in small drips and let your characters show the reader what they are like, rather than you, the author, telling them. Alternatively, show how your protagonist looks through the eyes of one of the other characters.

6. Make sure you choose good names. You can suggest a great deal about a person’s age and background by the name you give them. It’s important that you select a name that accurately reflects the personality and background of the person you are creating. As a rule, aim for short, sharp, powerful names for strong characters and longer, more fussy names for weaker characters. And remember, names can tie your characters to a particular age group. If a female is called Doris or Edith she will probably be elderly; if she’s called Chelsea or Brittany she will probably be in her early twenties.

7. Always ensure that your characters are as different from one another as possible so that readers won’t get them mixed up. Give each a distinctive way of looking, talking and acting. Give each a unique personality and background.

8. Never try to introduce too many characters at the same time – this will only end up confusing your readers. Give each character time to become established in the story before introducing the next.

9. It’s a useful plotting device if the hero and his main enemy have a close connection – former friends, ex-lovers or members of the same family. It makes the antagonism between them all the more sad. But if you are casting the ‘baddie’ as someone the hero may once have loved or admired, then he or she has to have some good points too. After all, most people have some redeeming features, so don’t always make the antagonist a monster or a villain. It’s not necessary.

10. Avoid stereotypes at all costs! The bumbling vicar, the blonde bimbo, the beer-swilling rugby player – they’re great for a quick, cheap laugh but they aren’t realistic or believable. I make no apology for repeating earlier advice: inhabit your stories with memorable people – fully-rounded, surprising and intriguing individuals. 

USEFUL SITES FOR WRITERS

www.amloki.blogspot.com/2009/03/writing-about-character-profile-sheet.html
This site has a wonderfully detailed character profile sheet you could adapt and use to help you create and develop your own characters.

www.smashwords.com/books/category/73/newest/0/any/any/5  
I love this site – it’s a digital self-publishing platform for people who want to publish multiple format e-books and, believe it or not, it’s free. It’s also a book store with loads of books already available to buy. You can sell your work on the site and allow potential buyers to view a sample of your work before they buy. You will receive 85% of your sales revenue, free viral marketing advice and complete control over the publishing, price and sale of your work – you can even have the customer set the price they would wish to pay for the book – just fabulous!

www.newspapersoc.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=1228  
Summer is a time of sun. And sun means it’s actually nice to go to festivals, fetes and shows. So, get your camera, notebook and pencil, or Dictaphone if you’re a techie, and head off to partake and then review them for your local newspapers. If you’re not familiar with your local newspapers have a look to see what’s available on this site. It contains links to the papers’ own websites as well as detailed readership information, publication details and generally useful market research information to get you started.

www.2camels.com/festivals/india.php
And if you want somewhere to start looking up festivals you could do no better than this website. It contains hundreds of festivals from all over the world and has a searchable database. It also has links to official festival websites, articles, photos and even video so you can check it out before you go. You could even submit your work to them for publication on the site – just make sure that your article differs from the one you send to the local paper!

Inspiration

Could you write an article about ...

To finish of this month here’s a little poem I thought appropriate after sitting amongst a swarm in my garden at the weekend:

Insects

These tiny loiterers on the barley's beard,

And happy units of a numerous herd

Of playfellows, the laughing Summer brings,

Mocking the sunshine on their glittering wings,

How merrily they creep, and run, and fly!

No kin they bear to labour's drudgery,

Smoothing the velvet of the pale hedge-rose;

And where they fly for dinner no one knows -

The dew-drops feed them not - they love the shine

Of noon, whose suns may bring them golden wine

All day they're playing in their Sunday dress -

When night reposes, for they can do no less;

Then, to the heath-bell's purple hood they fly,

And like to princes in their slumbers lie,

Secure from rain, and dropping dews, and all,

In silken beds and roomy painted hall.

So merrily they spend their summer-day,

Now in the corn-fields, now in the new-mown hay.

One almost fancies that such happy things,

With coloured hoods and richly burnished wings,

Are fairy folk, in splendid masquerade

Disguised, as if of mortal folk afraid,

Keeping their joyous pranks a mystery still,

Lest glaring day should do their secrets ill.

                                                               John Clare

Next month I am going to spoil you with expert advice from not one, but two published writers! Our tutors Lorraine Mace and Sue Wilkes advise on magazine research for those living overseas in ‘Easy Magazine Research’ and how to promote your work using a blog in ‘It never sleeps’, Ten Top Tips will highlight how to find new ideas for yourself, plus more useful websites and inspiration.

And now it’s time to relax for five minutes, after taking in all this lovely information. So, here’s a little word play game – don’t be fooled by the easy early stages it gets quite hard quite quickly! http://www.miniclip.com/games/word-vine/en/

Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the new website!

And finally, if you found something of use to you in this issue please pass the word on to all your writer friends – and even those who don’t! You never know, you might inspire them to take it up. They can sign up here.

See you next month.

Shelley x

P.S. Don’t forget the Poetry and Short Story Writing Competition 2009 is closing at the end of June.

If there are any of our overseas readers who would like me to promote literary events in their country, please let me know and I will do my best to mention them.

As usual, if you've any suggestions or would like to comment on anything you have read then please contact me at: ezeewriter@writersbureau.com  

THE WRITERS BUREAU, SEVENDALE HOUSE, 7 DALE STREET,

MANCHESTER, M1 1JB, ENGLAND.