Uncategorized – Page 2 – Catholic Writers Guild

"Christmas Spirits" and Food for the Poor

November 29, 2011/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

by Karina Fabian

Dear friends and readers,

This winter, I have two things in my heart and on my mind: caring for those less fortunate than me (or indeed, much of the world) and my DragonEye, PI stories. For Christmas, I’m combining them and would like to share them with you.

Those of you who are “Vern Fans,” know about my dragon who works in our world as a private investigator, and his partner, Sister Grace, a mage and nun in the Faerie Catholic Church. They’ve saved the worlds and their friends in numerous stories and novels. Last year, I wrote a story for Flagship about their first Christmas together. Not only is Grace struggling with the Mundane idea of Christmas, but their home is threatened by a land developer who wants to tear down the entire neighborhood and make a mall. When the Ghosts of Christmas come to visit him, however, Vern and Grace have to solve the mystery before the Christmas Spirits become Angels of Death.

I have revised and am publishing “Christmas Spirits” as a serial story to raise funds for Food for the Poor. This is a wonderful charity that helps people in impoverished nations help themselves. It allows donators to choose their gifts–whether rice for a family for a month, school supplies, livestock, tools or even houses.

I’m asking that you please check out the story, and, if you enjoy it and want to see more, that you donate even a dollar to the cause. Also, if you enjoy the story, let your friends know. I’ll post every Tuesday and Thursday as the donations come in. Right now, we have raised enough to send a family a goat, but the donations have stopped, and we are holding at Episode Four until more come in. Vern would like to send them a cow (he is a dragon, after all), but Sister Grace and I are dreaming of raising enough to buy someone a home. Can you imagine giving a HOUSE for Christmas? Will you help?

Find the story at http://christmasspirits.karinafabian.com. You can also get to it via my website, http://fabianspace.com. Look under the Christmas dragon for the link. You can learn more about Food for the Poor at http://www.foodforthepoor.org.

Karina Fabian presents Video Book Trailer Class in October

October 1, 2011/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

From Karina Fabian

Video book trailers are a fun way to get a potential reader’s attention. They not just for YouTube, but are also terrific for book tours, guest blogging, websites, etc. I’m teaching how to make Video Book Trailers at Savvy Authors starting October 31. The class (which I’ve taught in conferences) has been stretched out to a whole month to give you plenty of time to craft your video, get feedback, etc. Check it out at http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1000

Creating your own book trailer video doesn’t have to expensive or difficult. With free pictures, free music and Windows Movie Maker, you can make your own in a weekend. This class will take you through the basics. Must have Windows MovieMaker or some movie-making program you are familiar with.

$30 for non-members
$20 for SavvyAuthor members

Hope to see you there!

Not interested in the class? Don’t forget that CWG members have access to the Guild’s animoto.com account, which lets you create some very nice videos simply by adding photos, text and music and letting the program do the rest.

A note from Karina Fabian about her worldbuilding class

August 21, 2011/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

People who read my blog know how bizarre my imagination gets, and how detailed and wild I can get in my worldbuilding. Even though I’m more of an intuitive, seat-of-the-pants kind of writer, I have broken down worldbuilding into several steps and I’m teaching them at savvyauthors.com September 5-October 3. I really stretched this class out so that folks had a lot of time to think, research, etc. However, you can go at your own pace, do don’t let the length intimdate you. I have taught this in week-long conferences. However, you are going to get up to four weeks of my attention for only $25 ($25 for Savvy Author members.)

Get more information here: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1001

Writing: Setting and Keeping Realistic Goals

May 24, 2011/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

Anybody who’s been watching me on Facebook knows I’m on a mission: to build up to writing 3000 words a day, five days a week, on the my work in progress. (So this does not count blogs, website content, short stories that hit out of the blue, e-mail etc.) Some friends have told me they think this is an amazing goal, almost unbelievable, but I know it’s one I can achieve.

We all have aspirations and goals for our writing, but how do we know it’s something doable? If we set undoable goals, then we set ourselves up for frustration. Sometimes, God enables us to do the impossible, but in the day-to-day, He expects us to us to use our abilities as best we can, but realistically. So let’s talk today about setting realistic writing goals.

#1 Set a goal that depends on others. For example, you can’t set a goal of getting x number of books published unless you publish them yourself. That’s because you can’t guarantee that x number of editors will accept your stuff, that production will go according to plan, etc. You can set a goal of x submissions a week, or x stories written a year. Goals are something you accomplish on your own–with help, perhaps, but not where if someone falters, the goal does, too.

#2 What’s realistic in your field? Fantasy author Holly Lisle recently said in a newsletter that she can write 3600 words in a two-hour period. Dean Wesley Smith has 90-plus books and probably even more short stories published. Another author I read about (the go-to guy for many publishers when authors can’t/don’t fulfill their contracts) said he’s had to write entire novels in two weeks. NaNoWriMo has the goal of 50,000 words in a month–less than 3,000 words a day, but comparable in effort.

#3 Know what’s realistic for you. This is the big one.

? Do you have the skill? Even Holly Lisle said when she first started writing that she could not have written that quickly and produced a quality work. Decades of experience, instruction and practice brought her to this level. I have enough experience to know I can make my set goal. I have done it before, as well.

? Do you have the time? When I first started writing, I was homeschooling two kids, had a toddler and a baby. My goal then was a sentence a night. That’s all I could realistically achieve. Now, my kids are in public school, and I have several hours a quiet that I’ve learned to guard for my writing.

? Do you have the support? I don’t mean do you have cheerleaders. Those are nice but not necessary. I mean practical support like making your family leave you alone for an hour to write (or mostly alone.) Can you get access to the Internet to send our submissions? Can you work around obstacles? (Some folks write on lunch hours; others go to the library for a while on the way home from somewhere or even just sit in their cars and write. However, their goals will be different fro the person who has three hours of time to concentrate on writing.)

Okay, that should help you to set a realistic goal. Here are a couple of ideas for keeping it.

* Put it in writing on your schedule.
* Do it first–reward yourself with the time wasters like Facebook afterward (or after significant progress, like every 1000 words.)
* Be accountable. I post my goal and wordcount on Facebook and Twitter.
* Get buddies. I have a couple of friends I meet with online. We write and occasionally comment to each other, ask for help or post our progress. We don’t judge each other or ourselves on our goals, incidentally. We know and respect that we are at different stages.
* Reward yourself.
* If the goal proves unrealistic, revise. I may find that 3000 words a day takes too much of my quiet time, and that I’m struggling to keep up with other projects; if so, I’ll tone down, but this goal will also give me a good idea about what’s reasonable.

Last thing: Along the lines of buddies: a couple of us have been toying with the idea of meeting in the CWG chat room, mostly to touch base in the day and post writing goals, ask for help, etc. If you are interested, then comment below with your usual writing time (and time zone). If we see that there’s enough interest, we can do it.

What’s Up, CWG? (May 2011)

May 18, 2011/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

Hi, Members! Karina Fabian here with the behind-the-scenes scoop on the happenings in the Guild (or at least in “officer country”):

* We are having an essay contest! We’re still working out some of the details with the coordinator, Maria Rivera, but I can tell you the topic is “How to Create a Prolife Culture” and the deadline for submissions will be December or January. Start thinking, but DON’T SEND ANYTHING until we get the rules out. We’ll publicize, promise! This will be open to non-members, too.

* We’re still hashing out some details on the October Writer’s Retreat. This is different from a conference in that it will be smaller, more intense, and more writing focused. I can tell you it’s in Michigan, and that we’ve got shuttle service from the airport to the retreat center. More later!

* We’re talking about increasing dues, but “grandfathering” everyone who is a current member on the subscription program, meaning those members will stay on the the current rate of $24 a year. We’re going to ask our accountant (Diane Embry, the Detail Diva) do an analysis of the Guild expenses to see how much/how little we need to raise it. We have a lot of expenses, and with the increase in activities, we expect more.

* Speaking of activities, we have a lot of great stuff going on. The newest development is the Catholic Writers Guild Wiki, which will be a special showcase just for Catholic writers. Dave Law is going to get the coding worked out in the next couple of weeks and import as many Catholic writers as he can from Wikipedia. Then he’ll start adding other authors.

* The volunteer drive has been a success so far, and has taken the pressure off some very busy committees. However, we still need some help. Here are the most urgent needs:

–We need someone with some basic knowledge of HTML or BBC code to code the Inside the CWG newsletter.
–We need writers for the CWG newsletter.
–We will need editors and helpers with the Catholic Writers Wiki, a project which should start up in a couple of weeks.
–We may some assistants with the Essay Contest
–The Live Conference needs helpers

That’s the gist for this month. Stay tuned for more exciting news from your Guild.

Blessings,
Karina

Busting Writer’s Block

April 26, 2011/0 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

Last week, I talked about writer’s block being a lie that keeps writers from their dreams because it hides the real reason writers don’t produce:

1. Intimidation
2. Sloth
3. Perfectionism
4. Guilt
5. Rather talk about being a writer than write

Regardless of the reason, hiding behind writer’s block will stop you from doing what you want to do–write! Here are some tips for busting the lie of writer’s block.

#1 Sh**y First Drafts. In her book, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamont talks about giving herself permission to write a “sh***y first draft.” The idea is that you can always fix your prose, your story, your characters—but only if write it out first.

This is the best advice I can give someone who feels intimidated by the task or shackled with expectations of perfectionisn. Give yourself permission to write tripe. Order yourself to put words to paper (or to the screen), even if (as one presenter at CWCO put it), you end up with a virtual “steaming pile.” When you are done. If you let yourself–make yourself–do this, one of three things will happen:

1. You will discover you wrote better than you expected.
2. You will write junk that you can fix.
3. You will burn part of all of the work in the name of public safety, but you will have written. And havin written once, the next time will be easier. There is a saying that the first million words you write are practice.

A last note on this–resist the urge to edit while you are writing. Make notes if needed, but get the entire thing written unless you already know you can finish the task.

#2 BICHOK: Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard: You cannot be a writer unless you write. You can make writing a habit.

This is hard. Remember my analogy last week that plumbers don’t get plumber’s block? If they did, they don’t get paid. Ditto the reporter–reporters don’t get writer’s block. No work=no pay.

Many of us aren’t there yet, however, so we need other ways to motivate ourselves. Maybe write 20 minutes, then play a game? Go out to dinner when you finish that novel? Have a special place to write–or leave your house until you have the habit. Some authors make mock-ups of their covers to motivate them. Others take their day’s goals before the Blessed Sacrament. Find what motivates you and do it.

#3 Set realistic goals. This helps Guilt as well as Sloth. If you are busy and writing is a sideline, developing the habit is more important than the actual number of words you produce. For an example, when I still had a baby and a toddler and homeschooled my older two, my goal was simply “one sentence before bed.” Now, with older kids in public school, I can devote a few hours a day. In both instances, I kept a habit of writing.

#4 Don’t control your creativity. Perfectionists hesitate to start a project until they think they are completely ready to do it. Those who are intimidated worry that their creative ability isn’t up to the job. Others find a story stalls because the characters won’t do what they want them to do. Some would-be writers never get past the research stage.

Let go and let flow! You can’t always control the direction of the creative process. Let your characters lead you in the story. Start writing that article and discover what the Holy Spirit (or your subconscious) drives you to write. Stop researching, outlining, profiling, and write. If you run into a fact or a question or a scene you’re not sure of, just flag it and move on.

#5 Stuck, still? Take a break and write something else. Can’t figure out the next chapter? Skip it or write a different scene with the character–or a character interview. Can’t figure out the next chapter on your book? Write a related article. Start a new project if you like, but remember to come back to the original one and finish it.

Writing is 10 percent creativity and 90 percent productivity. Even more, when creativity stalls, productivity can get it started again. The lie of writer’s block, however, can stop you from seeing that.

Got questions or a comment on writer’s block? Post them. I’ll answer as best I can, and maybe blog again on it next month.

The Lie of Writer’s Block

April 19, 2011/1 Comment/in Uncategorized/by Karina Fabian

Has your plumber ever canceled an appointment because “the pipes aren’t talking to me?” Have you ever heard of an architect who wouldn’t finish designing a building because he’s not “feeling it”? Yet the most common reason writers give for not writing is “writer’s block.”

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I see writer’s block as a socially accepted lie that keeps writers from achieving their goals. Sound harsh? Consider this:

Benjamin Franklin said invention is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. The same holds true for writing, I believe: 10 percent creativity, and 90 percent productivity. Even more, the simple act of writing can inspire greater creativity. However, writer’s block disregards the 90 percent and places undue importance on the small percentage of the writing act.

So what really causes writers to stare at the blank screen for hours before turning with disgust to Facebook or YouTube?

#1 Intimidation. A blank page is intimidating. Having a whole story perfect in your mind except for that first sentence is intimidating. Taking on a project you feel will bring people closer to God is intimidating. Sometimes, just the throught that strangers will read your blog is intimidating.

What happens when you are intimidated? You freeze. But instead of recognizing that fear and meeting it head on, writers say they are “blocked” and don’t address the issue.

#2 Sloth. Writing is work, but too often, writers, especially new writers, believe that if they are truly inspired, the words will flow from their mind to the keyboard. When that doesn’t happen, it’s easy to claim “writer’s block.”

#3 Perfectionism (or the need for excellence right off): This, to me, ties into both intimidation and sloth. It’s the idea that if you are “truly a writer,” then each sentence comes out as perfect. If not, you are a failure as a writer. Who wants to face that? Easier to say you’re “blocked.”

It’s also the trap of believing you have to have everything perfect–from your research to your carefully mapped plot and characters–before you can even start.

#4 Guilt. This especially happens to those who are not making a living off their writing. Getting published is a long, slow process, and you can’t wait for a contract before you write your book or story. Yet it’s hard to justify taking time “away” from family, the house, social or charitable obligations. (What kind of mother, after all, would forego a PTA meeting to work on her sci-fi novel?)

Recently, a friend told me about a “writer” who complained of writers block for a year and a half. He got lots of sympathy, but never produced anything. Some people choose to talk about being a writer instead of confronting the realities of writing. Writer’s block provides an easy way to do that.

Don’t let writer’s block keep you from your dreams.

Next week, we’ll talk about ways to break writers’ block.