Writers in the Storm

Kathryn Craft
Turning Whine into Gold

The waiting was over. My agent called last Tuesday with word about my submission for novel number three: my publisher had passed.

(Read paragraph break as needed time for truth of this to sink in.)

We strategized. Then my agent said, “Okay Kathryn, well, I’d better go get a little rest and then head to the hospital to have my baby.”

Life. Its unpredictability never ceases to amaze.

My agent had hoped to be negotiating my deal on the way into the delivery room. She loved the characters and their story. I had my own reasons for wanting this book deal.

My second novel, The Far End of Happy, was the culmination of a seventeen-year calling to write about my first husband’s suicide, a goal that had led me up a mountain of healing and self-awareness—and completing it felt a bit like stepping off that mountain and into the void. I honestly don’t know who I’ll be beyond this book release, but if I had another book deal, at least I’d still be an employed novelist. With a running leap, maybe I could jump from one mountaintop right to the next and skip the void altogether.

Yet here in the void I now find myself floating, so I look around. It feels familiar. I’ve been here before, right after the suicide, when I had to deal with the horrific black hole my husband’s loss had torn in our lives.

Back then, the void taught me that when you can’t see where you’re going, it’s not a time to be running or leaping anywhere. You must take time to reorient to the new reality, as any heroine would at the start of a new tale.

I begin by accepting my situation and seeking its wisdom. A break could well be a blessing—less stress as I promote for the next few months. But to ensure that the break will be as short as possible, I intend to get back in touch: both with myself and a love of story that extends well beyond the topic of suicide. I could write about anything! What will it be?

Here are some of the strategies I plan to employ:

1. Commune with my bookcase.

Of the books I’ve read: why did I decide to keep them? Of the books I haven’t yet read: what drew me to them? The answers will reconnect me to the type of stories I love and the writing I hope to emulate. I look forward to this.

2. Re-enter the world for a spell.

While writing on contract last year I learned that to finish on time I had to remain driven and sequestered. While out in the world doing all I can to promote the new book, I hope to take a little time to make cogent observations about life that will fuel my writing.

3. Reconnect with friends and family.

While feeling unmoored after my husband’s suicide, I called friends who knew me back when my dreams were forming, and when the characteristics that would shape me were just starting to bloom. One friend said, “Tell me one time when you really wanted to do something in your life and you were unable to achieve it.” That kind of perspective is a lifeline when you are flailing in the waters of self-doubt.

4. Feed simpler passions.

The void itself doesn’t offer up a whole lot of material. I need to rediscover the richness of my own inner landscape, one step at a time. Where did I put that harmonica and learn-to-play book I was gifted a few years ago? With concerted effort I could introduce my next reading with a bit of mouth organ blues. I miss exploring new places on foot, too. So does my body. The fresh air will reinvigorate me inside and out. And where better to people watch?

5. Ramp up my developmental editing.

A practical concern on one hand, as I don’t have an advance on the horizon. Yet a life affirming decision as well: when you aren’t sure where you’re headed, it’s always a great idea to extend to others the experience of which you are confident.

The writing life experiences seasons of change like any other. This year, my creative winter just happened to sync with Mother Nature. There is no need to fear it if you use it. Experience has taught me: when you step out into the void, in faith, some pretty amazing things can happen.

How does the concept of “seasons of change” relate to your writing life, and what have you done to reinvigorate during your creative winters? Please share! Then go tweet congratulations to @AgentShea on the arrival of little Lucas.

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About Kathryn

Kathryn Craft is the author of two novels from Sourcebooks: The Art of Falling, and The Far End of Happy, out May 5.

Her work as a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com, specializing in storytelling structure and writing craft, follows a nineteen-year career as a dance critic. Long a leader in the southeastern Pennsylvania writing scene, she hosts lakeside writing retreats for women in northern New York State, leads workshops, and speaks often about writing.

Kathryn lives with her husband in Bucks County, PA.

Website: http://www.kathryncraft.com/

Ellen Meister

Churlish. Mean. Difficult. Insensitive. When I first got the idea to introduce the acid-tongued Dorothy Parker to social media, I had no idea I would soon be using those adjectives to describe Facebook.

It started in early 2011. I was working on a new novel that resurrected the great 1920s literary wit as a fictional character in a contemporary setting, and I thought it might be fun to see if I could connect with a few hundred fellow fans. Four years and over 147,000 followers later, my relationship with Facebook feels less like a love story than Stockholm Syndrome. But I've learned to tame my captor—or at least keep it from hurting me too much—and I'd like to share that knowledge with you, dear writers.

First a little background. For the uninitiated, Dorothy Parker was a poet, theater critic, short story writer, book reviewer and essayist. Most of all, she’s known as the sharpest-tongued wit of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of writers and other Jazz Era notables who met daily for lunch throughout the 1920s.

Here are some of her famous quotes that my Facebook followers enjoy:

• “That woman speaks eighteen languages, and can't say 'No' in any of them.”
• After seeing a young Katharine Hepburn in a stage performance: “She ran the gamut of emotions from A to B.”
• “If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.”
• On being asked her opinion on the most beautiful words in the English language: “The ones I like are ‘cheque’ and ‘enclosed.’”
• When challenged to use the word “horticulture” in a sentence: “You can lead a horticulture but you can’t make her think.”
• After terminating an unwanted pregnancy: “It serves me right for putting all my eggs in one bastard.”
• "I hate writing, I love having written."

In the beginning, my relationship with Facebook really was a love affair. It was the perfect place to build a following and connect with Dorothy Parker fans, and I can honestly say it was both fun and practical. In addition to enjoying the interactions, I was creating a platform for my books, Farewell, Dorothy Parker and Dorothy Parker Drank Here. These were folks who would be legitimately interested in my subject matter.

But as time went by, Facebook made it harder and harder to connect with the page's fans. They tightened the screws on their delivery algorithm until it was nearly impossible to reach more than a tiny fraction of my own followers "organically." In Facebook lingo, that means "free." So even though these folks had indicated that they wanted to receive daily updates from the page, Facebook wouldn't deliver unless I ponied up some cash. And not a token fee, mind you, but a huge pile of money. Indeed, the fees are so outrageous—so many hundreds of times over what could actually constitute a return on investment—that it's simply impossible.

Fortunately, I've learned some secrets of the delivery algorithm, and they all begin and end with engagement. In other words, the more likes, shares and comments a post generates, the more Facebook delivers it. Consider the following:

Evening is best

It stands to reason that you'll get  the most engagement if you post when the greatest number of followers are on Facebook. I've seen varying statistics on this, but my own experience bears out that evening is the best time to post. For my page, which has followers all over the world but a heavy concentration on the East Coast of the U.S., the sweet spot is 5 pm – 9 pm, Eastern Time.

Elicit comments

The more comments your posts get, the more Facebook will deliver them. So if you include a question or some other request, the responses will help your post get delivered. And don't be shy about putting your own two cents in the comments. Your engagement counts, too, and followers enjoy the give-and-take.

Like your own posts

Your own likes count as engagement, so be sure to like your status right after you post it. And if you have other Facebook pages, switch to those identities to like and share your posts.

Images work better than straight text

Facebook's algorithm is geared toward delivering images more widely than text. So either create an image that includes your message, or post an image and include your message as the description.

Post your image first, then add the description

I think it's always a good idea to include some kind of description with your image. However,  for maximum delivery, I've discovered that it's best to post the image first, and then click "edit" to add your description.

Be cautious with your call to action

I used to routinely include calls to action such as, "Like and share if you agree!" However, Facebook has been upfront about the fact that they consider this gaming the system, and they have rigged their algorithm to watch out for this language—even embedded in images—so they can quash delivery. (In other words, they want to minimize organic reach so that they can charge you their exorbitant fees.) Experiment with your language to see what works and what doesn't.

Share your good news

Facebook's algorithm has a soft spot for good news, so if your followers comment with words like "congratulations" and "great news," your delivery will be greater.

Content is king

This is probably obvious, but it 's important to remember that the more engaging your posts are, the more likes, shares and comments you'll receive.

One final note about building your following. It's fine to ask your friends to like your page, but don't consider that your end goal. You want to broaden your reach to find the kind of followers who enjoy your content. So keep it lively. Post often and vary your updates. And from time to time, point people right back to your page, so that if they're reading the post via a share, they are encouraged to give the page a "like." Click here to see an example of how I handle that.

I hope you found this information useful. If you have any of your own Facebook tips, feel free to share them in the comments. In the meantime, I leave you with a final Dorothy Parker quote to ponder ...

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”

Good luck friends!

Are you a Dorothy Parker fan? What is your favorite Parker quote? What Facebook tricks have you learned? Please share in the comments! 

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About Ellen

Ellen Meister is a writer, reader, teacher, mother, wife, and Dorothy Parker fan. Her six-word memoir is "Not as blond as I look."

She is also the author of DOROTHY PARKER DRANK HERE (Putnam 2015), FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER (Putnam 2013), THE OTHER LIFE (Putnam 2011), THE SMART ONE (HarperCollins 2008) and SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA (HarperCollins 2006), as well as numerous essays and short stories.

Ellen teaches creative writing at Hofstra University Continuing Education, mentors emerging authors, lectures on Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table, and does public speaking about her books and other writing-related topics. Ellen is the voice of Dorothy Parker on her hugely popular Facebook page.

Kennedy Ryan

I don’t garden. Not even a little bit. My thumbs are so black they are charred, but even I know weeds in a garden cannot be tolerated. This principle, this image of an overrun garden guides me as I think about my life. More specifically, as I manage my heart.

One definition of husbandry relates to managing plants, crops, gardens. I think of my heart as a garden. You could be tempted to assume this will be a fluffy, pastel Peptol-pink post that sprouts flowers and rots your teeth with its sweetness.

This is not that. This is the opposite of that.

This is about the discipline it takes to live a positive life. A life that is gracious when it wants to be selfish. Kind when it’s tempted to be cruel. Magnanimous when it would rather be small.

I’m relatively new to the writing game, but not to life. I have four decades under my belt now, thank God. I appreciate how every one of those years prepared me for being a published writer. Really, prepared me for a lot, but a few things that specifically translate to this still-new path of professional author.

One of my writer friends recently referred to me as “relentlessly positive.” She had no idea how accurate that statement is. Negativity is a constant temptation that I see people yield to all the time. It takes grit and intention to resist that temptation and to dig out your best and share it with those around you, even when you don’t feel like it.

If the heart is a garden, then we are constantly pulling weeds because we’re human. We are fallible. We are vulnerable to emotions and responses as old as time. To assume we are not, leaves us open for negativity to creep in and leak out. Here are just a few principles that help me remain positive even when the environment around me, when the culture around me, would tug me centrifugally into the negative.

1. “Rejoice with those who rejoice…”

This is actually taken from a passage of scripture. You don’t have to be “religious” to appreciate a good principle, though, right? There are days when I feel discouraged on this path. If you’re a writer, you know how solitary and isolating and sometimes melancholic this journey can be. Days when I ask myself is this really what I’m supposed to be doing? Days when the sales or reviews or whatever barometer of that moment cause me to question my direction. On those days, it can be tough to look to your left or your right and see others flourishing. To see them hitting all cylinders, and it’s those moments that leave the door ajar for one of the nastiest, most stubborn weeds that will literally choke the joy out of this journey.

2. Jealousy.

I know it sounds weird, but I don’t allow myself jealousy. I know what the beginnings of it feel like. I remember giving in to it, but the same way we form habits around our eating, fitness, time – we can form habits of our heart. Jealousy is a weed in this garden, and I will ruthlessly pull it from the root. One of the habits I am constantly cultivating to counter even the beginning of jealousy is celebrating with others.

No matter what.

Even if I feel that twitch, I will celebrate and congratulate and make that person feel the good will. Truly believe that I wish them only the best. And it’s not phony. Not inauthentic. It is following through on the vision I have of who I want to be. I want to be kind, so I don’t wait to feel kind. I am kind. I behave kindly. I want to be gracious, so I don’t wait to feel gracious. I behave graciously. When you want to be strong or fit, you don’t wait to feel strong or fit, you exercise those muscles. An action is required to reach your goal. This is an underused muscle for many of us, but if you exercise it on a consistent basis, you are soon not just celebrating for the sake of this habit. You ARE happy for others. And never is the opportunity more ripe than when someone else succeeds.

3. Push ahead. Pull up.

Promoting others, looking for ways to help others succeed is something I love to do. I don’t know when it shifted from this is something I’ll do because it uproots those weeds, to something I genuinely relish, but it did. When my friends, old and new, have books coming, they know I’m going to be shouting so loudly for them. I sign up for their cover reveals and release day blitzes. I look for ways to leverage any platform I have to promote other writers. I share their good news by twitter, Facebook , Instagram, and carrier pigeon.

I could look at someone more successful and say, they don’t need my help. Who am I? I could look at someone even newer to the game than I am, and think they can’t do anything for me, but I don’t live my life with that agenda-based crap thinking, and I’m certainly not going to manage my career that way. It really isn’t about that. I get so much from this. That habit of my heart that creates a positive force field around me.

Anyone who steps into my orbit long enough knows, if I can help them in any way, I will. Unequivocally. And this next nugget is for free. Positivity is its own reciprocity. I don’t pout when someone I promoted, doesn’t promote me. There is someone I want to be; a condition of my heart that I cultivate that has nothing to do with if the favor is returned. It is its own reward.

4. Your success is just that. Yours.

The success of someone else does not diminish your potential. It does not detract from your possibilities. There are enough readers to go around, and they are constantly looking for the next book to read. Focus less on envying someone else’s hard-won or even got-a-lucky-break success, and more on your path. On being the best you possible. Writing your best book. Doing your best work.

When you truly believe that your success is so much more about how you manage your lane, and so much less about what someone else is doing in theirs, it liberates you to do the first two things I mentioned. You can celebrate when they succeed because your success is this thing completely separate from theirs. You can push someone ahead of you and pull someone who is behind because you’re not afraid they’ll get too far ahead or they will pass you from the back. You have your lane. You have your path. And what is for you, is for you. That is bedrock to celebrating others’ success and to promoting those around you.

Insecurity is a nasty, aggressive weed. It will kill everything healthy that could grow for you. Jerk it out. Spray it with pesticide. Show it no mercy.

5. Not Pollyanna.

My commitment to a positive life could easily be mistaken for naiveté. Don’t confuse positivity with Pollyanaism. I’m not perfect. I might sometimes say something I regret. Do something I regret, but I try hard not to say anything behind someone’s back I don’t feel confident I could say to their faces. When I have a problem with someone, I want to take it up with them, not talk with a lot of others about it.

These are what I call Grown Folks rules. Just basic responsibility for your words and actions that every adult should assume. I know when I have violated one of these rules because I feel it. It feels slimy, and it’s not worth it. I may slip every once in a while, but I try to stick to them, and to surround myself with folks who share that commitment.

I will assume the best about a person until they show me the worst. Once you show me the worst, I believe in forgiveness, because bitterness is a nasty weed, too, that will poison your peace. I forgive other people just as much for my sake as for theirs! And you won’t find me badmouthing folks who have done me wrong, but they probably won’t be in my inner circle. As hard as you fight to keep your own garden clear of weeds, the last thing you want polluting the space around you is someone else’s negative habits and intentions. If you’re not willing to keep your space positive, I’ll like you from a distance. :-)

These are just a few things I do to manage my garden. I can’t cross over into your yard. Look over your fence and manage yours. I can only tell you what has helped me live a positive life and has made me, in the process, a ruthless gardener.

What are your tricks for staying positive? What do you struggle with the most?

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About Kennedy

Kennedy Ryan writes contemporary romance and women's fiction. Her Bennett Series books - When You Are Mine, Loving You Always and the newly released Be Mine Forever - are all available under the "Forever Yours" imprint of Hachette Books. Kennedy always gives her characters their happily ever after, but loves to make them work for it! It's a long road to love, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

In an alternative universe and under her government issue name, Tina Dula, she is a wife to the love of her life, mom to a special, beautiful son, and a friend to those living with autism through her foundation Myles-A-Part., serving Georgia families.

Her writings on Autism have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, and she has been featured on the Montel Williams Show, NPR, Headline News and others. Ryan is donating a portion of her proceeds to her own foundation and to her charitable partner, Talk About Curing Autism (TACA).

Her interview series MOMMIES DO THE MOST AMAZING THINGS is featured each month in Brooke Burke's online magazine Modern Mom.

Find Kennedy at http://kennedyryanwrites.com/ or on social media at Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube or Google+.

Top photo credit: Onions growing via photopin (license)