Writers and the Benefits of Givers Gain

I’m just finishing a fantastic book about building your personal brand by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy (Branding yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself). I came across the section on networking and the idea of Givers Gain which struck a cord with me, not only because I’ve been pretty lucky in a lot of ways, but also as to why another writer’s recent actions haven’t been sitting right with me.

What is Giver’s Gain?

First, what is Givers Gain? Basically, it is a karmic idea. You give for the pleasure of giving, not expecting anything in return. When you give freely, opportunities and the things you need will come to you. For example, on AgentQuery Connect I love to help other writers. I give with no ‘favour counting’ (that would be–you owe me!) or expectations that someone else will provide me with something simply because I gave to someone else.

I give because it feels good to give to others and to share my knowledge. It’s actually a lot like Chris Brogan was saying about coaching others in his newsletter the other week. When we coach others we learn about our own skills, focus our thoughts on the subject, and develop and further ourselves in ways we couldn’t possibly imagine.

Personally, I think sharing sends out a great vibe. When people share and collaborate in a no holds barred way, before long an inspiring group forms that is more than just the sum of its parts. (It’s all that wonderful wisdom of crowds business, only add some feel good warm and fuzzies as well.)

How Has Giver’s Gain Helped me?

What have I discovered? When I give on AQC, opportunities appear. Recently, amazing (AQC related) cheerleaders have appeared out of nowhere–and at a time where I could really use some encouragement to boost my drive (and maybe my confidence as well). Cat Woods has been cheering me on with my efforts on attempting to write a middle grade novel. On Facebook, E.M. LaBonte has seriously been keeping me from throwing up my hands and giving up on that avenue of platform building. Another unexpected cheerleader of the It’s All Kid’s Play idea is Kela McClelland who has appeared out of nowhere to become a serious shout out queen for the website I’m revamping (almost done!). And, of course, here on the blog, Jemi Fraser comments on every post (which keeps me from feeling completely unheard). Why have these vital cheerleaders appeared right when I need them so desperately? I think because of Givers Gain.

More proof that it works? How did I end up with a literary agent? I got a referral from an AQC critique partner, Calista Taylor. She remembered something I’d been working on a year previous (the old It’s All Kid’s Play website) and put my name and project forward as way of introduction. I’d like to think that one of the reasons she helped me out is because of the way I give.

The Black Cloud–Takers

But sometimes there is a dark cloud in and amongst the warm and fuzzies. There are ‘takers’ in the mix. And this is what has disappointed me lately. Of course there are people who join AQC, post their query, get feedback, and leave. But you can see them a mile away so it’s not exactly a big deal. There will always be takers and, sometimes, situations may even necessitate for givers to be a taker.

However, the other day I realized that one writer was not helping others in a way that I expected. I had thought this person was a giver–they do give, don’t get me wrong. But I saw them put out a request for a favour, which was granted by another writer. A little while later the helping writer put out a request for the same type and it fell on deaf ears in terms of the first favour asker.

Around the same time, I put out a general request which I felt was right up that writer’s alley, and guess what? Deaf ears again.

This leaves me inexplicably disappointed. Personally, I could have really, really used the help. Even a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would have helped. And yes, I could have approached them directly and put them on the spot in terms of asking for assistance, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate in this case and I think the reason may have been that in my heart of hearts I already knew what I know now. This person is is a superficial giver. They give when it is easy. And to me, that somehow doesn’t feel like genuine giving. Does that make sense? It’s like they aren’t willing to inconvenience themselves or aren’t willing to make what could be a ‘sacrifice,’ if you will.

I understand that writers are busy and can’t step up for every request. As well, I should give the benefit of the doubt to this writer as it is possible that they may be helping the other writer behind the scenes.

What Will Happen to Takers?

The problem, for me, is the trend I am seeing. This person is asking from their circle and not giving back in true, genuine ways. And pretty soon I fear that many will stop helping this writer and their circle will slowly close up–and with them on the outside.

My question is, how far will this writer get in their career? Will they be truly successful? How far are they going to get if they burn the bridges to their brand ambassadors (those folks who shout out about them from the tops of buildings)?

I hope if there is anything I can ever do for my cheerleaders that they will let me know. And even more so, I hope that I will step up in a big way.

So? How about you? Do you need anything? Can I help you? Don’t be afraid to ask.

By the way, I’m blogging over on From The Write Angle today about the pet peeves we writers have about other writers. I listed 4 and 10 other awesome people helped out (Givers Gain!) and added their 2 cents. Check it out!

Ugly As All Get Out & Writing Fail

So last night I made some broccoli cheese soup that was a serious fail in the appearance sense of the word “edible.” We’re talking ugly as all get out. When my husband was being all lovely, polite, and upbeat and optimistic about it and taking his first bites he said, “Mmm. Did you make this with hate?” I just about fell off my chair laughing. Even though apparently he said, “Did you make this with potatoes?” Making it with hate is much more amusing, don’t you think?

Ugly doll. Don’t you love it?

Also last night I discovered that there is quite the crafting community on Twitter. I even joined my first Twitter ‘party.’ Not sure what made it ‘party.’ Maybe it was the prizes? Anyway, it was a ton of fun–oh, that probably made it a party! And I discovered that like other ‘fails’ on Twitter, there is a ‘craft fail.’ (I wonder if there is a ‘food fail?’ Probably! Just add soup.)

So I decided we need a writing fail. For those times when writing turns ugly. (Then after believing I was incredibly brilliant for thinking of this, I looked on Twitter and discovered there is in fact #writingfail. Of course.)

But what truly constitutes a ‘writing fail?’ Those times when you mean to sit down and write and social media sort of takes over the morning? (Darn! That video on Canada’s Hide and Seek Olympic Demonstration team was unreal. Those pictures my brother uploaded to SugarSync from Christmas were great. Oh… and did you hear about baby monkey riding on a pig?)

Where was I?

Oh, yes. Writing fail. How about those times when you sit down to write and you spill your tea and spend the next 15 minutes tackling the mess and then the baby wakes up and you are off on a new adventure? And then there is writing itself. Naming all your characters names that are almost the same and even you can’t tell them apart? Realizing that nurses don’t leave medications lying around willy nilly while dispensing them and a whole scene, chapter, and section of your story needs to be rewritten? Yeah, that says writing fail all over it.

How about you? Any writing fails? (It can be anything!)

Writer Wednesday: Calista Taylor

Calista Taylor is an amazing, multi-talented dame from the Eastern US. She just finished up her steampunk craft book for her publisher (Fox Chapel Publishing–tentative release date: May 2012) where she not only designed and created a wardrobe of steampunk clothes and accessories, she also wrote the step-by-step instructions, and took all of the book’s 175 photographs. Oh yes, and while doing that she was also designing her own award-winning cover for her self-published steampunk novel, Viridis, which has had over 20,000 downloads, and spent weeks on the top 100 free ebooks list on Amazon. She also designed the beautiful cover for book two in the series as well as helped other writer’s with their cover designs. And she’s been making websites. And she’s been raising her young family. And keeping her crazy South American dog in line (and warm with a special handmade coat she made for her). And renovating her bathroom!

Yeesh! I’m tired just thinking about it!

Recently, Calista has released both Viridis (free!!) and Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing ($2.99) as ebooks on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.com. (You can read ebooks on a dedicated ebook reader, your computer, a tablet, or even a smart phone.) These two novels are unique stories featuring a hot-headed, strong-willed, and very feisty character named Phoebe who plays an important role in Victorian, steampunk London during a revolution. She an inventor, mother, wife, friend, business owner, and quiet revolutionary. Talk about how does she do it all!? I think Calista and Phoebe have something in common!

For those of you who have not heard of steampunk, it is a wonderful dream world created by writers where they have imagined what our world would have been like if the industrial revolution had taken longer to evolve and steampower had been able to develop more fully as a possible power source. A steampunk world is as rich and unique as its inventions. It’s a world well worth checking out.

Without further ado, I would like to introduce Calista Taylor!

What lead you to or got you interested in steampunk?

Oddly enough I was looking at corsets when I noticed the steampunk tag, and remembered seeing it as a genre an agent rep’d.  Once I looked into it further, I realized it was the perfect fit!

What do you love most about creating a steampunk world in your novels? What is the trickiest part?

I love that I’m only inhibited by my own imagination.  The trickiest part is translating what I see in my imagination, in a way that’s clear to the reader without getting too bogged down in details.

Both books, Viridis and Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing, are set in Victorian England, did you have to do any/much research for your books?

To be honest, I’ve been an avid reader of books set in the Victorian time period (Elizabeth Peters and Anne Perry are some of my favorites).  That certainly helped.  Also, there are some fantastic websites out there.  Oddly enough, the one thing I had the hardest time finding out about was what would be historically accurate for men’s undergarments during that period (when still in London).  Still not 100% sure on that one.

Lady Phoebe Hughes (the main character in both novels) is a tough yet sweet, rule-breaking woman. What was the most difficult part of creating a such a feisty character? What was the easiest?

I tend to let my characters dictate who they are and what they do, so in a way, it comes natural to write them.  I think the hardest part is actually remaining true to them, since it would often be easier to make them behave in ways that are more acceptable to a majority of readers.

There are some wonderfully steamy passages in Viridis and Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing, do you worry what people like your parents, siblings, coworkers, or friends and other family members might think if they read it? (Yeah, I’m a big chicken, what can I say?)

Yeah, I’m a big chicken too, which is why I tend not to advertise to my friends and family.  However… if they do ask, I give them the warning that there are some graphically intimate details, and ask them if they really want to read it, knowing that I wrote the book. Some skip it, but others don’t mind.

The male characters speak with a definite accent, where did you pick up their expressions and accents?

I think it’s a mish mash of my husband’s Irish accent and the way he phrases things, combined with Gabaldon’s Outlander series, and the celtic music I listen to.  I can literally hear the characters speaking in my head in their accent, so I just do my best to translate it.

Phoebe finds herself in all sorts of interesting situations. Are there ways that Phoebe resembles you?

Perhaps. lol.  Like Phoebe, I think I tend to be strong willed, and tend to act with my heart rather than with my head when it comes to the people and causes I care about.  I guess that’s why Phoebe gets herself in difficult situations which may have been handled differently if she acted logically rather than emotionally.

If you had only three adjectives (Ack! Adjectives!!!) to describe your novels, Viridis and Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing, which three would you use?

Steamy, different, unconventional.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

I love the adventures my characters take me on. The scenes are constantly playing in my head, and being a pantser, I never know where they’ll take me.  I’m completely addicted.

(Note from Jean: “Pantser” or “pantster” is writer speak for writing by the seat of your pants. In other words, sit down, start writing and see what happens rather than a “plotster” who plots the whole story out before they begin writing.)

You’ve self-published this book which is an immense amount of work. One of the issues with self-published books are the lame-o covers. How did you create such a striking and beautiful cover? Can people hire you to create a cover for them?

Thank you, Jean!  To be honest, I’d be the person that clicks on the red button and sets off a nuclear reaction. lol.  I constantly click on things to see what the buttons do, and it’s sort of the way I went about learning Photoshop and figuring out what seemed to work with designing book covers and what didn’t.  I have just recently started making covers for other writers, and I’ll admit, it’s been great fun!

Is there a third book in the works?

There is!  As long as Phoebe, Seth and Gavin are willing to take me on their adventures, I’m happy to write their story.  I also have other series in the works, and will soon be finishing my paranormal romance on Jack the Ripper.

Thank you for visiting, Calista. Best of luck with your books!

How to get your hands on Calista Taylor’s books:

Viridis (book 1):
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing (book 2):
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

These books are part of a series but can be read as stand alone novels as well.

WAE Network–Join Now!

Jeff Hermann (author and agent–you may have heard of his vital annuals “Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents”) is starting a Writers, Authors, and Editors network called WAE network. It boasts that it is the first social network for writers, agents and editors and that it will be an opportunity to interact like never before.

Boy, am I curious!

If you sign up now (one of the first 1000–better hurry it is already at 262–you will get a free lifetime membership) you will receive an email when the site goes live. (Note: to get the free membership, I do believe you need to share this site with friends. Click on the envelope icon on the website and send a note to a friend. That should do the trick.)

Stop the Edit Insanity!: Draft Read Throughs and How Your Ereader Can Save the Day!

In the past, whenever I tried to do a read-through of a story draft, I end up in Problemville due to several commonly held writerly personality issues.

Note: You may not be familiar with the names of these personality/behaviour issues as they often go undiagnosed, and therefore unheard, however, their descriptions may ring some bells–particularly if you are a writer or live with a writer.

This photo has very little to do with these editing “illnesses,” but it’s cute, and well, the cat’s expression kind of goes with how I feel when thinking of these issues.

TooCheapitis: Characterized by a cheapness that will inhibit the effectiveness of the writer’s editing efforts and often will cost them an inordinate amount of time in order to save a pittance, or to create less waste. You may notice this ‘illness’ most when a writer comes to the editing stages and needs to print their manuscript in order to see the numerous flaws than are ‘hidden’ on the screen. Basically, this is characterized by an unwillingness to print off hundreds of pages of a story that they know they will quickly read, then immediately shred since the quick read-through will highlight the multitude of issues/errors/omissions within the story that need changing/fixing/removing and/or improving (as is the quick read-through’s purpose). So, while the benefit to printing off all these pages is immensely valuable, the writer is unable to overcome TooCheapitis in order to edit in a manner that is the most effective.

MustEdititis: A very rampant plague that is characterized by the intense compulsion it creates in a majority of professional writers. For example, whenever faced with a subpar sentence, weak word, typo, a truly shoddy paragraph, or screwed-up chapter, the affected writer feels the distinct urge/need/undeniable compulsion to tweak, slash, delete, rewrite, fix, and generally make over whatever they have just read. Every time. Even if it slows them down, is not the read-through’s intended purpose, and their action knowingly throws them off their quick read-through which is being done in order to gain a feel for the story’s flow.

Until recently, there was no known cure for these two illnesses. However, it has been recently discovered that doing read-throughs on ereaders (rather than paper) negates the effects of both TooCheapitis (assuming the writer has managed to overcome TooCheapitis at some point in order to purchase an ereader) as well as MustEdititis.

Doing a quick read-through of a manuscript is a valuable editing step for writers who have concerns about story flow, pacing, as well as to reacquaint themselves with how the story’s plot is progressing. Here is a brief list of some of the beneficial side effects experienced by writers who use an ereader cure for their TooCheapitis and MustEdititis:

• Readeritis: Writers actually read their story like it is a story and therefore, experience it like a reader.
• BigPictureitis: Writers are able to see the big picture stuff as MustEdititis no longer causes them to stop and fix ‘small picture stuff,’ thus allowing their editing brain to get a better feel for pacing, plot progression, etc. Writers are then able to see things they normally wouldn’t be able to.
• HaveGotitis: Writers are less likely to end up utterly despising their story as they are more likely to forgive the small errors/omissions/run on sentences/flatness/excessive telling/poor sentence structure/etc. since they are keeping their their minds on the ‘big’ story. In other words, writers are able to see what they have and not what they don’t have.
• Workimgitis: Writers get a better feel for their characters and what is working in their story.
• KeepGoingitis: Writers are not tempted to stop and change every little thing that isn’t up to snuff.
• TimeSaveritis: It takes less time. (And editing is a slow process, so wherever you can save time–awesome!)
• Friendlinessitis: It’s more reader friendly–reading 400 pages of gook on one’s computer is never that much fun.
• EcoFriendlyitis: The writer is less likely to get paper cuts or worry about destroying five forests in order to get their story perfect.
• Brevititis: The writer is less tempted to make 80 million notes to themselves. (They might be tempted to write 80 quick ones instead.) If the writer does make notes to themselves, they are brief, general notes written on the fly that are less likely to fence them in creativity-wise when it comes to finding a fix-it-solution later on.
• Noticeitis: Writers who make brief notes throughout (rather than succumb to MustEdititis) are more likely to notice if the same ‘issues’ are coming up time and again. throughout.
• Keepitis: Writers making notes are less likely to accidentally change or remove something in an early chapter that they later discover was intrinsically important.
• Consistentitis: Changes made based on notes rather than on a read-through are more likely to be consistent across the whole story as well as with the story’s voice, pacing, and overall tone.