Welcome to Writing for Publication!

Welcome to Writing for Publication!

While we won't completely leave performance, word, and text this semester we are going to focus on writing as a career. To get started, let's read what Natalie Goldberg wrote about some writing tips in her book Wild Mind.

What does it take to be a "writer"? What skills do we need? What attitude do we need to cultivate? Let's find out.

• Top Ten Writing Rules Advice from Famous Writers

Let's read "Proofs" by Richard Rodriguez, "Senior Payroll" by William Barrett, & the poem:

From : "Afternoons" by Jorge H. Aigla

Those afternoons, the Saturdays of my tender childhood
in Mexico City
were just lovely...
I remember going to a store
that sold mountain climbing equipment:
my father knew “The Goat,”
one of the climbers of the great Popocatepetl,
and he would show us boots, ropes, and hammers,
and photographs of the Valley of Mexico and of snow.
In the old section of the city,
where they sold model airplanes
with gasoline engines,
I would watch the wealthy kids buy
and we in our dreams would fly.

Now it's our turn. Let's set the timer and bleed words and ideas on the page...

After writing, let's take a look at our first project. 

BLOG PROJECT: Setting up your very own blog

One of the most important marketing/writing skills you will need to succeed as a writer is having your own blog. Many authors have a blog where they can interact with their potential audience(s) and share the process of writing, or snippets of their personal lives.

First off, many of you are probably familiar with what a blog is, but if not, here you go--some important information:

A blog is a web log or web journal. A journal written online. Just like your physical writing journal, a blog can include ideas for stories, your own personal reaction to books/films/national events, etc. It can be a good place to publish your poetry, fiction, and plays before you eventually get paid for your writing. Some companies and media sources hire writers to set up and contribute to a company blog--and they pay you for it! For more info check here.

However, there's a lot to know about blogging. Check out the links below and read a little about blogs before attempting to create one.

Here's a few sample writers blogs (with tips about being a writer)

• Sci-Fi/Fantasy author: Neil Gaiman's Blog
• YA & Chick Lit author: Meg Cabot's Blog
• Non-Fiction/Memoir author: Stephanie Klein's Blog
• Sample blog (writing tips)
• Sample blogs and types: Teen Blog #1, Teen Blog #2, Teen Blog #3 (past SOTA students)

To set up your blog:

1. Go to blogspot.com. Some students like to use WordPress.com instead. I suggest blogger because it uses your school gmail account. You may use blogger (read link to set this up), this is Google's blog site. Use your student Google email address. You may also use word press at this link. The choice is yours. 

NOTE: If you have already started a blog as a side project, or because you have already been introduced to the idea, I don't want to stop you from using it. Use your original blog site, but I will be asking that you write things specifically on your blog for our class. If this bothers you, start a new blog. No big deal.

2. You may take a quick tour to get information about the blog site you are going to use, if interested. Otherwise, create a new account.
3. Consider an appropriate title for your blog. This can be your name, but please don't use your last name. Be creative, but remember this will be a WRITER'S BLOG. You can change the name of your blog later if you need to.

NOTE: You must enter an email account (if you have no email, use one from your family; if this isn’t working, use an email account from a trusted and valued friend.) You can set up a new email account at gmail.com. This is a free service. Your email account name will be your “username”--Write your password somewhere safe where you will remember it. You will need to keep track of this.

NOTE: Please send me your blog address in the COMMENT section below.

4. Create a password, display your name, look at terms of service, etc.
5. Log onto your blog. Follow the prompts to set up your page. Write down your address/passwords, etc. (Again, I can't help you if you screw this up.)
6. You may provide biographical info and so on as prompted. At some point, you will need to create a NEW Post. Each new post needs a title and you should edit it before you post it. NOTE: You can always go back and edit a mistake on your posts if you make one.

Today, you will need to set up your Blog and write the following post(s):

A. An introduction to your website. Your first blog entry should welcome your guests and explain that you are a student @ SOTA, taking a creative writing course. This is important so that people know you are a teenager. Feel free to omit (leave out) your last name. You can also use a pseudonym if you'd prefer for privacy sake.

B. Write a short entry (non-fiction, fiction, or poetry) about something you feel passionate about. You may use the writing prompt this morning as a starting point for your work. Use what we read in class as a model. Remember. Describe your memories. Visualize the situation. Write. You can rant, rave, etc. but remember that your blog is a public forum and other people in the world can access your writing. Don't embarrass yourself. Check your spelling and language so you don't come across as ignorant or unskilled. As always, it is important for a writer to think about his/her audience.

These two blog entries will be graded as participation credit. Please complete them today. The third post (see below) is due by next class.

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete any of these parts (or did not finish writing your blog posts in class today) do so by the beginning of next class. Add entries as you see fit to your blog. Post previous poems, short stories, essays, rants, whatever you would like. Have fun and publish!

POST #3: On your newly created blog, personally respond to the linked articles/videos above. Which of the top ten writing rules makes the most sense to you? Which ones do you practice? Which ones do you need more work on? Reflect on your own writing in your blog post. Let your audience know that you take writing seriously (i.e., you think about it).