By Lynne Kaufman, author of 15 full-length plays and three novels. Lynne teaches writing at CIIS, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC Berkeley, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Dominican University of California, and Esalen Institute.
A group of stellar writers, editors and agents came together June 4-6 in Namaste Hall at CIIS for the second-annual Wisdom Writing Conference. Through presentations, writing exercises, and lively question-and-answer sessions, these professionals instructed, enlightened, and dialogued with 50 enthusiastic aspiring writers. What follows are a few pieces of advice from the presenters.
Writing Either Fiction or Non-fiction
- Be present in the moment, and don’t rush yourself. Avoid abstractions and generalities. Instead, embrace specifics. The best detail is the one that most evokes an emotional tone. Use all of the five senses and create an experience for the reader.
- Be curious about the world and your own individual responses to it.
- On connecting the personal and the public: The personal is the political. Both viewpoints can be woven together by the use of montage or juxtaposition. Let the reader make the connection.
- Ground your dialogue in action and subtext. For instance: “Can you bring back some milk?” she asked. He never remembered the milk because he drank his coffee black. Somehow he always remembered the beer.
- Have things go badly for your character. We get to know someone’s true character when he or she must act under stress.
1. Write about the scariest, most dangerous thing that ever happened to you. If you can’t think of anything, write about why nothing scary has ever happened to you.
2. Write about a personal issue of importance to you. Connect it with an historical or political issue that you care about.
- Set aside a regular period of time to write daily.
- Set yourself a goal, perhaps two pages. If you find you have nothing to say, write two pages on why you can’t write.
Selling What You Write
- Amazon.com has many packages to assist in self publishing.
- If you want to sell to a publisher, get an agent. For information on agents, visit the Association of Artists Representative (AAR) and Agent Query.
- Before sending your manuscript to an agent, hire the services of a freelance editor. (Poets and Writers magazine is a good source.)
- Create a hook when you are sending a query letter to an agent: one sentence that sums up the book in a compelling way. Include in the pitch: What problem is addressed in the book? What is the answer? Why you are the right person to tell the story?
- Develop a platform as a writer: Build a website, write a blog, use social networking sites, join community organizations, and develop public speaking or media connections
Future CIIS Public Programs Events for Writers
Writing the Memoir: Finding the Universals with Meredith Maran
Writing and Selling Non-fiction: Confessions of A Bestselling Author with Don Lattin
Of Special Interest to Writers