Golf Tips for Writers

What does a hole-in-one have to do with signing a book contract? Nothing, except they would both generate a huge celebration and feeling of accomplishment. Someday I will do both.

What does another rejection of my query have to do with taking six shots to get out of a deep sand-trap? Nothing, except they both put me in a real bad mood. Today after the sand-trap debacle, I finished the golf game with a decent score because I didn't let that bad mood last long and I focused on improving my game. Later, I got out my list of perspective publishers and sent out three queries. Persevere.

Here are quotes from well-known golfers that could apply to the writing life:
Note:  Skip the golf references and substitute the (writing) references.

     Golf (Writing) is a love affair. If you don't take it seriously, it's no fun. If you
     do take it seriously, it breaks your heart.                 -- Arthur Daley

     Golf (Writing) is like playing guitar with a tennis racket; if it were that easy,
     we could all be Jerry Garcia.                                 -- Michael Bamberger

     Golf (Writing) is not a profession, it's bondage.     -- Jim Murray

     The least thing upset him on the links (while he tried to write). He'd miss 
     short putts (get writer's block) because of the uproar of butterflies in the
     adjoining meadow.                                                -- PJ Wodehouse

     Golf (Writing) is the cruelest of professions. Like life, it's unfair. It's a harlot, a
     trollop. It leads you on. It never lives up to its promises.  It's a boulevard of
     broken dreams.                                                      -- Jim Murray

     Golf (Writing) and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at
     them.                                                                     -- Jerry DeMaret

And because I enjoy writing so much more than golf, I spend many beautiful
summer days tapping away at my computer.

Do what you love.

How to Choose a Writing Critique Group

Are you writing in a vacuum? Don't. Get connected with a face-to-face critique group. 

When I shop for a new pair of hiking boots, I search for comfort, size, and style, and then 

buy the pair that fits. The same search criteria applies to writing groups. Shop around. 

Unpublished and under-published authors who invest time in an appropriate critique 

group will shrink the learning curve, receive valuable feedback, and have a better chance 

of getting published.   

As you search for the group with the perfect fit for you...

** Beware the group that was formed for the benefit of one author’s ego.

** Avoid groups that merely read each other’s work and respond only, 

     “That’s nice.”   You need to know when your plot slows or a character is flat.

** Avoid unfocused groups that don’t stay on topic. 

Successful critique groups include certain elements:

1) Between five and eight members. 

       A large group is unwieldy and produces more work than each member could 

       effectively critique. A small group runs the risk of having no work to critique.

2) Regular meeting dates, times, and places. 

  Pick a schedule that works for you and make the meetings a calendar priority.

3) Motivated authors producing quality work. 

      Members should be at or about your level of ability. If you get impatient with 

      the other author’s needs, or they can’t sit through your work, find another group. 

  If your goal is to get published, align yourself with a like-minded group.

4)  Members who share expertise.

  Authors working in your chosen genre will be the most helpful, but good story 

       elements are universal. Every member should study the markets, new technology, 

       and means of marketing and bring their findings to the group. 

5) Constructive criticism from other authors. 

      Each member must make the commitment to read and critique the other’s work and 

      come to the meetings prepared to offer useful comments in a tactful manner, balancing 

      tough criticisms with compliments. Criticism should be directed toward the work, 

      not the author and not the ideas. If the group allows such attacks, leave. 

6) Members who accept constructive criticism.

      Authors who bristle at the hint of criticism or who continue to make the same obvious 

      mistakes should not be in a critique group. Publishers and the public will be much 

      more unkind. Polish your work in the group, before you submit it. Sit quietly and 

      don’t argue when your work is under scrutiny. Say ‘Thank you’ for all comments.

7) Members who offer motivation and encouragement.

  Successful writing can be infection. Celebrate each author’s accomplishments, and 

      attend their book launches, signings, panel discussions. When your book gets 

      published, your group will support you. 

I didn’t look for a critique group until far too late, after completing my rough draft. I didn’t 

know where to begin to find a group. The only author I knew at the time was Norm Cowie, 

(www.normcowie.com) with whom I played volleyball. He wrote a YA vampire series, 
Fang Face, which my granddaughter enjoys, and exhibits his comedic wit in a series of 
Guy books. 

Norm astutely determined my writing needs and introduced me to Southland Scribes. 

The group hadn’t been a good fit for him, but Southland Scribes is just my size.

Tell me about your experiences with in-person critique groups. Any horror stories?

Why do you write?

Why do I write? Certainly not for the money. My writing expenses (ink, postage, workshops, how-to-books) have no income to balance against––yet.

I write because I love to polish words and phrases. I roll words around in my mind and feel them on my tongue. I dissect words and put them together again in exciting new ways, twisting and turning phrases. My sentences have a life of their own. If I put my work aside and pick it up weeks later, I am surprised and frequently delighted by my words -- as if seeing them for the first time.

Many authors insist that editing their own work is the worst part of the writing process, but I love searching for weak verbs, vague pronouns, and useless words. The "Find" feature of my word-processing software is a terrific tool in my hunt for "it", "was", "...ing", and "...ly".  The time I spend hunting down these limp words may not be cost-efficient, but gives me hours of entertainment.

A red pencil gives me satisfaction too. When I owned a business and received letters with grammar and spelling issues, I felt compelled to circle them, though I stopped short of returning the errors to the sender. Perhaps I should have been a teacher.  Now I use my red pencil for good.  Within our local writers group we exchange chapters for comments and corrections.  I enjoy editing the work of others––as long as the authors welcome my suggestions.  In the process my own writing improves.

When an author I respect takes the time to read and comment on my work, I truly appreciate their assessments. I always mull over their suggestions and frequently agree with them.  Their honest feedback  improves my writing.

I write because it makes me happy, but I hope that someday my effort will be validated by a reader or publisher willing to pay hard-earned cash for my novel.

Today is not that day. The agent who had expressed a mild interest in my novel, Rim to Rim––Death in the Grand Canyon, sent a nice rejection letter today.  I'll keep pounding away at this writing craft, but right now that day of validation seems light-years away.

What are you reading?

I just finished reading "Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah. The natural setting in Washington state attracted me to the book as did the idea of a wild child showing up in town after apparently being cared for by wolves. The book is a great read because Hannah shows the bond that arises between the abused child and her psychologist, Julia, who saves the child from a media circus. The wolf child learns to talk, pee in the toilet, and eat with a fork, but Julia is the one saved when she learns the most important lesson––how to love.