Writers' tools: Character interviews

What?
A character interview is pretty much what you might imagine: a creative exercise in which you ask your character questions and "listen" for and record their answers. It's an exercise in letting go of what you *think* you know about your characters and story and letting your subconscious mind (which, at least in my case, is WAY more creative and awesome than my conscious mind) do the talking.

Why?
There are SO MANY REASONS you'd want to do character interviews, dear fiction writers. By which I mean there are at least seven.

1. Create conflict. You can use character interviews while you're brainstorming/plotting to help you get to know them and the conflicts they have - both within themselves and with each other. This can lead to clearer thinking around: (a) what your characters want and how they need to develop over the course of your story in order to get it, (b) how they might react in certain situations because of their triggers, and (c) what kinds of challenges will create productive conflict in the book that helps them grow as well as moves the plot along.

Writers' tools: Duotrope

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you might've noticed that on most Mondays I post 3-4 calls for submissions, usually themed calls with upcoming deadlines. Where do I find these calls? Duotrope.

What is Duotrope?
Duotrope is a database that helps writers find markets (e.g. journals, magazines, publishers) that accept unsolicited submissions (meaning you don't have to be agented or personally invited to submit). The database interface lets you search by a number of different factors, including word/line count, genre and whether or not it's a paying market.

You can also build your own little database within their system of your own pieces of writing, which you use not only to list what you've written and want to submit but also to track where you've submitted which pieces, how long it takes for markets to get back to you, which pieces have been accepted/rejected, and your acceptance rate.

In addition, subscribers can elect to receive email announcements about new markets, markets that have reopened, those that have been declared defunct, and upcoming themed deadlines in the genre(s) in which they write.

Why I like it
Before someone told me about Duotrope, I spent hours searching for literary magazines and journals via Google search. The ones I found weren't guaranteed to be open to unsolicited submissions, much less be paying markets geared toward what I write. Not only do I come across a ton of markets I probably would never know about if not for Duotrope, but their search features mean I can narrow it down to what's relevant to me.

Writers' tools: notebooks & pens

I have a confession to make: I love, love, love paper products and pens. I've hoarded them for years. One of my favorite pastimes is going into a bookstore or quirky gift shop and browsing their selection of notebooks and journals. I currently have 15 blank journals and 6 blank notebooks waiting on the shelf for their turn. And I have a big Ziploc bag full of pens that will probably - if I'm being really honest with myself - dry out before I have a chance to use them. But I can't help myself. Some people collect stamps or rocks or their roommates' hair from the bathroom sink; I collect pens and notebooks.

Another confession? This blog post is really an excuse for me to show-and-tell some pretty things, aka some tools I use in my writing process that you might want to check out if you're also a fan of the instruments of writing by hand.

Wait. Writing by hand?
"Don't we all use computers now?" I imagine you thinking. "And didn't you write a whole post on Scrivener as the new word processing tool for writers?"

Yes, yes. But you know what? Sometimes I like to write by hand. I keep a journal in actual physical form, for example. I tried journaling on my computer for a while but it just wasn't the same; it wasn't as satisfying or motivating. I also find it helpful to brainstorm by hand, freewrite by hand, do story and character development by hand, and pretty much tackle anything I'm unsure about via writing by hand. So there. Can we get to the pretty things now?

Gift ideas for you(r beloved reader/writer)

Like many people, I have a complex relationship to holiday gift-giving. Certainly I appreciate gifts when they're thoughtful and useful, but for me, gifts do not equal love. For whatever reason (genetics? social conditioning? abnormal brain chemistry?) it's just not something I care about. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I'd much rather have someone's time and attention than something they bought for me in a store.

Giving gifts can be tremendously fun, but only under the right circumstances: I see something that reminds me of someone, I'm reasonably certain they will appreciate it and that they wouldn't/couldn't buy it for themselves, and I can afford to spare the money to buy it for them. This idea of having to run about frantically trying to buy something for everyone in my family/friend circle/neighborhood because of holiday tradition is both stressful and, it seems to me, unnecessary. And then there's that whole pressure to be a consumer, which I don't buy into (pun intended)...

Diatribe aside, I know that many people truly enjoy giving and receiving gifts at this time of year. That it is, in fact, important to many people. People who don't share my cynicism and lack of romanticism about the gesture. If you are one of those people, this post is for you, for here I have compiled lists of books and one writing tool that you might consider purchasing for a beloved reader or writer in your life.

And if you're not the gift-buying kind, you can always pick up one of these items for yourself. Perhaps at the library? ;*)

Scrivener Giveaway

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you probably already know that I use Scrivener, a writing app that blew my mind when I first tried it and changed the way I write for the better. If you want to know more about this, go read this post by me. And this one by Kiersi Burkhart.

And now kingsumo.com is giving away Scrivener to two lucky winners, so if you're a writer who hasn't tried/bought it yet, here is your chance to get your hands on it for free.

That is all.