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Creative Writing webcomic writing

The Secret Guardian of the Front Porch

Cartoon of a man in a porch swing

Cartoon of a middle-age man sitting in a porch swing. He says to a woman, “Care to join me? I’m part of a secret group known as, ‘The Guardians of the Front Porch.'”

Frank had a crush on Edna for a lo-o-o-o-ong time! His adoration for her went all the way to the fourth grade. She was always with her friends on the playground. He would try to get her attention by pretending he didn’t notice her. Unfortunately, that worked too well. Edna didn’t notice Frank until eighth grade.

By that time, Frank was quite sensitive about his acne. He had one pimple that refused to leave until senior high. When they were both juniors, Frank almost asked Edna to the prom. Unfortunately, Percy, “The Rock,” Marbel also had the same idea.

Edna and Percy dated until they both split for college. Frank stayed home after graduation and worked at the local cardboard box factory. The one time Edna returned from college, Frank decided this was the day to meet up with her. Unfortunately, he was boxed in a tragic taping accident and shipped to Des Moines.

Thirty years later, Frank was fully recovered from the unfortunate boxing match. As he sat on his mother’s front porch, he spotted Edna walking downy he street. His lip quivered as he thought what would be the wittiest thing to say. He had just seen a television special on secret societies. What could be wittier than that? He called for Edna. She turned and smiled. She walked up to the porch. Now was Frank’s big chance…

This was part of the Write practice writing prompt entitled, “What is your Character’s Secret?

 

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Creative Writing

Writing Practice: A Young Prodigy publishes a novel

I am trying something different this morning, thanks to The Write Practice Blog.  Today’s prompt is “A young prodigy has just published his first novel. Write a scene describing how he is handling his new fame and fortune.” So here it goes:

He couldn’t believe it was over. Everything he worked for had now come to this. A fifteen, Ryan had just accomplished the one goal he had since he was old enough to pick up a pen.

“It’s real.” he whispered. “It’s real. Now what?” Ryan checked his stats on Amazon for the fifth time that day. Now he was up to number 3,257,427. Wow! it went up another notch! Now he was in the top 3.5 million!

He searched the room for his cell phone. No new messages. He checked the bars on the phone. At least it looked like there was a good signal. He wondered where were the groupies.

“Well, the only thing to do is to take matters into my own hands,” he said. He Googled the number for the nearest elementary school and called them.

“Hi, I’m Ryan and I am a famous, local teen who has just written a novel about a… okay. I’ll hold.” He waited for ten minutes. The administrative professional came back on the phone.

“Hi, I’m Ryan and I am a famous… okay. Who is the school librarian? Can I talk to her?” He was put on hold again.

“This is crazy,” he said to himself. “How can anybody become famous when they can’t even get a direct line to the school librarian?”

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Categories
Publishing writing

What authors can gain from trade shows

Cartoon of a guy at a bookstore. He says to a clerk, "I'll take the economy sized bookmark."

At the end of this week, I’ll be heading to the International Christian Retail Show in Saint Louis, Missouri.

I am looking forward to this event because it has been several years since I have been to this show and mingled with customers that use my products every day. While you may not be in my industry, there are several trade shows throughout the book industry that you would find interesting. There are events such as Book Expo AmericaSCBWI sponsored children’s book conferences, and  various writers’ conferences and Comic-cons.

Now I am as introverted as the next guy, but I’ve always found these events to benefit me. Here are a few of the reasons I would encourage authors and illustrators to go to a conference.

  • You can see what the current trends are in an industry.
    • That doesn’t mean you should copy them. After all, by the time you bring that “trendy” book to a publisher, the market will be tired of that topic. Still, it is good to see what the market is focused on now.
    • It may give you some insight on what is popular now and could lend itself to future topics. If you’re good at predicting the future, who knows, you may introduce the next big trend.
    • You will be able to see the technical innovations that are going on. The markets are changing and even expanding. You may discover your idea will work as well, or even better as an app, or e-book.
  • You meet people who know what it’s like to write and illustrate.
    • This is a solitary business. The Internet has made it easier to connect with others that share your interest, but there is nothing like talking one-on-one with someone who shares your passions and struggles with the same issues you face.
    • You can learn from your peers. It continues to amaze me how authors and illustrators are willing to share some of their tricks. A little suggestion here and a tip there can do wonders to keep you motivated.
  • You can see there is still a great market for great books.
    • The doomsayers may say print is dead, and it may be a different publishing world than the one that existed even five years ago. But print isn’t dead. There is a market for print and digital publishing.
    • You can get a feel for the direction publishers are going. Perhaps that will lead you to connect with a publisher that shares your passion and love the way you tell a story.

I’ll be writing on what I’ve learned at ICRS. One thing I am sure of, it will be a ton of information. I’m sharpening my pencil and ensuring I have plenty of blank pages in my sketchbook!

 

Categories
writing

Don’t forget the Old Media

Terry Whalin had a good article on the perils of ignoring print media

http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com/2012/11/building-your-platform-dont-ignore-old.html.

When new technology comes along, we tend to assume it will obliterate everything that came before it. When radio became popular, pundits claimed doom for the newspapers. When TV came on the scene, radio and newspapers where going to be history. And then came the Internet…

But Terry’s article reminds me it is foolish to totally leave print media in favor of the Internet. Sure, newspapers aren’t as large as they used to be, but they are still here. New technology may change the old forms of communication, but the old forms still have their purpose. Ignore them at your peril.

Categories
writing

We Grow Media – Dan Blank » What We Leave Behind – The Real Meaning of Your Platform as a Writer

Dan Blank has a post on building a writing platform.

We Grow Media – Dan Blank » What We Leave Behind – The Real Meaning of Your Platform as a Writer.

The photograph he uses makes an effective point. What changed in seventy years since the first photo was taken? A lot, or did it?

This got me thinking about a business man I knew who passed away recently. He was a great guy and the picture of health. Yet he passed away at age 74 from surgery complications. It wasn’t even a life-threatening procedure. One minute he was here, the next, he was gone.

He will be remembered not for his business accomplishments, but for what a nice guy he was. He always had a smile. He was encouraging and a man of common sense. You could rely on his advice.

His Facebook profile is quiet now. Not many people will remember him for his Facebook account or for past business deals. What he will be remembered for was how he was a man of encouragement and integrity.

As I write and illustrate today, I’ll be thinking about Dan’s post and my friend. What will I do today that will build a legacy?