The Writer's Connection, ^SM
a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach ^SM

 

"The Creative Process of Writing is a Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"
 
www.virtualwritingcoach.com

November, 2007

In This Issue:

1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. You Want To Be a Writer?
4. Helpful Hints


1. Preview

The Writer's Connection explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions. We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in writing fiction in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.

Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information.

Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript, and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.


2. Publisher's Note

November, 2007

Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,

This month's newsletter features: You Want To Be a Writer?


3. You Want To Be a Writer?

It is said that everyone has a book in us. Well, if that’s the case, all of us must live interesting and exciting lives that would interest others. How can a Stephen King write in three genres (horror, mystery, coming of age) and continue to make money faster that the U.S. mint?

With the plethora of book doctors, online classes, and workshops, the newbie writer is given hope that they, too, can succeed in a shrinking market of mainstream fiction. Here’s my top ten list why you probably won’t become famous as a writer:

• You didn’t score above 500 on the SAT English portion; and if you’re a teen, you also failed the writing portion.
• You’re gullible and impulsive enough to think that your mother knows anything about writing.
• You majored in English literature at a prestigious Ivy League School and can’t find real work.
• You subscribe to Writer’s Digest, Writer’s Market, and every conceivable publication to help you know where to send your query letters.
• You don’t know what a query letter is.
• You made an A on your third grade “what I did last summer” paper that your mother still keeps in her lingerie drawer.
• You look for excuses to go to the bathroom or kitchen at least every three minutes while you’re writing.
• A vanity press wants to print your book for only $2500 and the UPS truck will deliver the copies next week to your house.
• You think you’re more creative on dope.
• You’re a klutz with video games.
  

So what does it take to become a successful author? It should be no surprise that you should have the ability to create interesting characters, caught in time together for better or worse, who need to accomplish some superhuman action, to free the world of some dreaded disease (or global warming, if you’re an Al Gore fan).

If you’re into romance, then you should invent a story that would make Danielle Steel read like Stephen King. Perhaps your bisexual husband has a tryst with his female boss who is a paranoid Lesbian, hell-bent to emasculate any wimpy man with identity issues.

If you’re into politics, then you should invest your energy into picking the next President based on a factor analysis with the higher Beta weights on: money in the bank, ability to pass a lie detector test, have at least one unsuccessful marriage, and children who were home schooled because they were too socially inept to tie their own shoes.

If you’re into westerns (not many brave souls try this since Larry McMurtry), then you should write about a horse with no sense of balance who gets lost in the Rockies, only to find a stranded cowboy who is near death from hypothermia, and the two become joined at the hip (or saddle) as they start an animal shelter for challenged horses and cowboys.

If you’re into SciFi, then you should write a story about the Earth imploding on itself without the benefit of terrorists, politicians, egomaniacs, or corporate raiders.

If you’re into religion, then you should write a story about an atheist and evangelical prosperity religious leader who take four hundred pages to consummate their relationship after all religious doctrine is sanitized to make it possible for them to have children who are independent thinkers.

If you’re into self-help books, then you should write a story about a low self-esteem protagonist who is addicted to understanding his inner self in an outer world.

If you’re into tell-all books (aka biographies), then you should write a story about your boring life as how you were emotionally abused as a child by having to write 100 times daily “My story is not worthy of media attention.”

If you’re into psychological thrillers, then you should write a story about your Uncle Henry who cut out lingerie ads in the Sears & Roebuck catalogue and ended up in a maximum security unit for the criminally insane.

If you’re into spy thrillers, then you should write a book about the United Nations as a training ground for terrorists whose sole mission is to destroy all governments and bring geopolitical chaos to our world.

If you’re into humor, then you should write a book debunking every political and social satire show in the media, ending your book with “that’s the way it is”.


Helpful Hints:

1. Writing satire that is witty is difficult (I hope I did it justice in this piece); pick up a Dave Barry book and notice how he exaggerates and uses hyperbole to the point of ridiculous.



2. Pick up Stephen King’s book, On Writing, and notice he pulls no punches on what it takes to be a good writer.



3. Writing is an art and attempts to make it otherwise trivialize this artistic form of expression. Being a good storyteller does not make one a good writer, but being a good writer makes one a good storyteller.

Subscription

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Contact Information

Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-583-5005
Fax:281-583-5008
Web: >http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com
E-Mail: keith_barton@att.net
(c) Copyright 2010 A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.

Distribution Rights

The Writer's Connection ^SMis copyrighted, but you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added, or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy it to a web site.

Republication of The Writer's Connection^SM in paper media is encouraged and permitted by individuals, organizations and associations, as long as the issue is reprinted in its entirety, without change, and includes the contact information.

With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication also is encouraged under other circumstances. However, the advance permission of A. Keith Barton, Ph.D. must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired.

The Writer's Connection ^SMMission:

The Writer's Connection ^SMis dedicated to helping first-time authors create their first manuscript for publication and to offer an exchange of ideas and opinions from our readers who might be interested in becoming authors.

The Writer's Connection is a publication of The Virtual Writing Coach and Keith Barton, Ph.D. and a registered trademark.

We would like The Writer's Connection ^SM to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to keith_barton@att.net.

Please forward this issue to anyone you think would find The Writer's Connection ^SMinteresting and beneficial. Your recommendation helps us keep growing, and ensures an excellent exchange of information and techniques.

Archives

You can read previous issues of The Writer's Connection ^SMin our archive section.

About Keith Barton, Ph.D.

Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach and is accepting new clients.

He has been an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in executive development, founded and managed Texas Community Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home services to persons with mental retardation. Keith founded and has been running a clinical practice in Northwest Houston since 1990.

He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.

Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:

Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality