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Coronado Adult EducationSpring 2017Why Write?

January 17, 2017

A Few Preliminaries….

• Three promises:– This will be a fast-paced two hours– We’ll learn something…and we’ll have fun– You’ll have access to these slides…take notes…or not….

• Three assumptions:– You all are interested in writing as a hobby or avocation– That includes articles of all kinds as well as books– You didn’t wake up last Tuesday morning with this notion

Course Content & Why Write?

• Why This Course?• Why Are You Here?

• We’ll Talk about the course content & objectives• We’ll all get a sense of why each of us are here

• We’ll look at writing from the 100,000 ft. level• Then we’ll look at some tricks of the trade

Why This Course?

• Writing anything is a journey• Most of us who do this have been mentored• I’ve been doing this for four decades• It might be beneficial to package what I’ve learned• This is the third time I’ve done this• You’ll benefit from the feedback of earlier classes

In-Class “Homework” Assignment

• Tell us all a two minute "story of your life." A good place to start is: "I was born at a very young age."

• Tell us what you read in the last year (book, article, op-ed etc.) that inspired or moved you, or at least made you think.

• What is your top aspirational goal for writing (anthology, magazine article, non-fiction book, newspaper op-ed, etc.).

Some Suggested Ground Rules

• We can conduct this seminar anywhere along a spectrum• Some ground rules I’ve found helpful in courses I’ve taken:

– Interactive– Participatory– Mutual learning– Constant feedback

• Homework – but it is all voluntary• Opportunities to take your game to the next level• The “Golden Rule” for your fellow attendees• A word about power point• Slides available on my website after each session

“Exit Criteria:” What You Should Expect

• If you’re interested in writing shorter pieces: blogs, newsletters, print or online articles – you’re ready

• If you’re interested in writing a book or publishing a book you’ve already written:o You know enough to give yourself a good pole position to

break yourself away from the crowdo You know enough about the resources available that you

can choose the ones that work for youo You’re mindful of the level of effort required for these

pursuits as well as the odds of success

Great…so now that the administrative “stuff” is out of the way, what will we cover in these six weeks?

Course Construct

• Seminar One: Why Write?• Seminar Two: First - and Essential - Steps• Seminar Three: Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market• Seminar Four: “The Great American Novel”• Seminar Five: Establishing an Online Presence• Seminar Six: Social Media - Challenges and Opportunities

Seminar One: Why Write?

• History is what writers say it is• Picking your medium• A building block approach• Due diligence the easy way

Seminar Two: First - and Essential - Steps

• Content-hungry media• Repurposing and building content• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for

both parties• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of

collaboration

Seminar Three:Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market

• Being - or becoming - the expert?• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen?• Scratching itches - or entertaining?• How much to tell and what’s next?

Seminar Four:“The Great American Novel”

• Great or not-so-great? What you need to know getting started

• Mainstream or genre? Which way should you go?• Defining your audience and picking a “voice” and

point of view• Getting the sale – and then promoting your work

Seminar Five:Establishing an Online Presence

• What makes yours unique?• Beating the competition for “eyes”• Balancing content and entertainment• Doing-it-yourself…or…?

Seminar Six:Social Media-Challenges and Opportunities• Everyone is doing it• Vote early and often• Building a following• Sustaining momentum

…Whew!...now that we’ve had an overarching look at the course, let’s get into the first seminar…but first…

some suggested exit criteria….

Suggested Goals for This Session

• Learn something useful you can apply now• Focus on what kind of writing you’d like to do• Have fun doing it rather than make it a chore• Develop your network among your classmates

Why Write?

“History is what the historians and writers say it is.”

Norman Polmar(Forty books – and

counting)

Why Write?

• History is what writers say it is – what you say it is• Picking your medium• A suggested building block approach• Due diligence the easy way• If you do nothing else – Bill Terry

“There are authors and artists and then again there are writers and painters.”

Ian FlemingHow to Writer a Thriller

I keep six honest serving-men(They taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.

Rudyard KiplingThe Elephant’s Child

Some Things to Consider Before You Write

• Who are you writing for?• What are you going to write?• Where are you going to write?• When are you going to write?• Why are you going to write?• How are you going to write?

So Many Outlets – So Little Time

• A wide array of online media• Newsletters• Alumni magazines• Professional journals• Popular magazines• Newspapers• Portions of non-fiction books• Non-fiction books• Short stories• Novels – of all kinds

“Now, if you’re getting all fired up and ready to pound the keys, I might inject a word of caution. Actually, this word comes from my wife. For most of us, writing is not a team sport. An article for a trade journal or a short story is no big deal, but if you find yourself writing a long piece or a book, you probably ought to have a chat with your spouse. For most of us, writing means closing off the other people in your life for several hours a day and it’s something you may want to talk about before you begin.”

Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993

With That Caution in Mind

• Telling stories – the oldest profession• Telling stories – like your life depended on it!• We all grew up on stories• Life is a narrative• The test: So you’re in a bar with your friends…

One Way of Approaching This

• Article in alumni magazine• Article in professional journal• Newspaper articles• Non-fiction books• Mass-market paperback novels• Conference proceedings• Best-selling novels• ….

Mr. Clancy said none of his success came easily, and he would remind aspiring writers of that when he spoke to them. “I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf,” he once said. “You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired — it’s hard work.”

Tom ClancyQuoted in the New York TimesOctober 2, 2013

Due diligence the Easy Way

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or tools to write.”

Stephen King(49 books – and counting)

Due Diligence the Easy Way

• Newsletters in your professional niche• Popular magazines in your interest areas• Books that offer a compendium of information• Books that focus on a single niche• The next step – novelizing what you do• It’s all in the library stacks!

If You Write Nothing Else

My Personal Hero: and What Made Him So

“Listen, Stephen King used to write in the washroom of his trailer after his kids went to sleep. Harlan Ellison wrote in the stall of a bathroom of his barracks during boot camp. Elmore Leonard got up at 5 AM every morning to write before work. Every time my alarm goes off at 5 AM and I don’t want to get up, or I would rather sit down after work and play a videogame, I think about those guys. Take care of your family. They need you and love you. Make time for them. Then stop screwing around and finish your damn book.”

Bernard SchafferWhitechapel: The Final Stand of Sherlock Holmes

A bit of a leap-ahead to books……and a highlight from the CWW

Industry Insider Perspective on Books

• Few industries have changed as much as publishing• These changes are still working themselves out• The changes present challenges – and opportunities• If you know the landscape – you tilt it in your favor

Where and How Do Books Get Published?

• Legacy publishing houses• Amazon and its imprints• Academic houses• Vanity presses• Self-Publishing on your own

Who Are the Legacy Houses?

• Penguin Random House• Harper Collins• Simon & Schuster• The Hachette Book Group• Macmillan

What Are the Amazon Imprints?

• Amazon Encore• Amazon Crossing• Montlake Romance• Thomas & Mercer• 47 North• New Harvest• Amazon Publishing• Grand Harbor Press• Amazon Children's Publishing• Little A• Jet City Comics• Lake Union Publishing• StoryFront• Waterfall Press

Where and How Do Books Get Published?

• Legacy publishing houses• Amazon and its imprints• Academic houses• Vanity presses• Self-Publishing on your own

Helpful Resources

• Writers on Writing (I)• Writers on Writing (II)• NYT Book Review• NYT Book Review – Last Page

And finally….

“Some men want to die with their boots on. When I cash in my chips, I want to be slumped over the keyboard. And they can plant me with my word processor. I may wake up and want to write about it.”

Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993

Slides Posted:http://www.georgegaldorisi.com/

E-Mail Addressgeorge@georgegaldorisi.com

Next Week

First - and Essential - Steps

• Content-hungry media• Recycling and building content• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for

both parties• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of

collaboration

Optional Homework Assignmentfor Next Week

• A significant number of writers who eventually write books begin their careers by writing for journals and magazines

• Pick a magazine you enjoy, and write a short letter to the editor pitching your idea for an article

• Send it to me by Sunday night and I’ll put in into our slides for next Tuesday – tell me whether to use your name on it or not

• Don’t struggle with this – give yourself no more than thirty minutes

Finally, a word about surveys….

Backups….

Why Are You Here?

• Writing is about telling stories – it’s about the narrative

• All of us have our own narratives – and that in itself is story

• Let’s all tell the story of our lives in three minutes. Suggest starting: “I was born at a very young age.”

• Some things you might include:

The Story of My Life in Three Minutes

• Where born• Family (X-generation, siblings, etc.)• Where you grew up• Where you went to school• How you happened to be in California in 2015• What you hope to get out of this course