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Thanks for the Advice. Here’s How It Went

I love you guys! So many of you commented on Facebook and messaged me privately about how to approach our guest-speaking engagement with my friend’s sixth-grade language arts students. I really appreciate all the input and great suggestions.

So how was it? In a word, AMAZING!

We were supposed to be there from 8:30 ’til 10, to address two classes of students. We arrived a little after 8. Two students met us at the main office and escorted us to Mrs. Chevier’s classroom, where we were greeted by expressions ranging from polite disinterest to great enthusiasm. But as soon as we opened our discussion, even the most indifferent 12-year-old boy sat up and listened intently.

As predicted, right off the bat someone asked how old I was. I told her I was so ancient I’d gotten my first cat from a guy named Noah on this big ol’ boat. That got plenty of laughter. I eventually said I’ll be 60 next month, to which one girl mentioned, with a matter-of-fact shrug, her boyfriend’s father is 59. It might not have been so terrible if she hadn’t made it sound like that was sooooooo old!

Partway through our first presentation, another teacher and her class filed in to join us. All 40 kids listened avidly and took part in the discussion when we turned the tables and asked them questions. When we read The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, they even gamely “Moww!”ed along each time Dee held up her audience participation sign.

The kids asked a slew of excellent questions – from “When did you start writing?” and “How long does it take to write a book?” to “Where do you get your ideas?” and “What do you do when you get writer’s block?” – and Dee and I thoroughly enjoyed answering them.

Dee stressed the importance of setting aside time to write – even if it’s only a few minutes at a time – and explained one of the most fun exercises we’ve done at a writers conference involved brief spurts of writing with a prompt. She asked someone to give her a word at random (a student in the first session said “pickles” and a student in the second session said “monkeys”). Dee had me time her thirty seconds and she wrote on the white board all she could think of stemming from the prompt in that time.

Later, she asked for suggestions from the students and drew several characters, based on their ideas. My favorite was the chicken in a tutu with one long leg and one short leg, one big wing and one little wing. Dee also sketched an angry baseball with eyes that bugged out and these really intense eyebrows. I wish I’d taken pictures of her drawings – they were adorable! And the kids were enthralled! Some of them were budding illustrators themselves, and I’m sure it was the highlight of their day when Dee spent time talking with them individually at the end of class.

We’d expected 45 students between Mrs. Chevier’s two classes, so I’d brought 50 Purringest Kitty buttons. However, because the other class joined us, we ran out partway through the second group. I told Mrs. Chevier I’d bring in more, so everyone would get one.

Just about every student asked us for autographs, on every conceivable surface – from their language arts notebooks to the backs of their school IDs (one girl even insisted we sign her hoodie). One boy asked us to sign his button. That idea spread like juicy gossip and within minutes, the rest of them were begging us to autograph their buttons, too. The students pressed around us while Dee and I signed every last button. And I think Mrs. Chevier signed a bunch of late passes that morning.

During our second session, one student asked how I got ideas for my novels. I said characters pop into my head at unexpected times and either tell me things or interact with each other. I told them about how Marc, the protagonist in one of my books, showed up out of the blue one afternoon and described an incident that led up to the suicide of his best friend during senior year of high school.

Later in that session, another student raised his hand, a troubled expression on his face. He asked whether Marc had been feeling guilty over something he had done that led his best friend to kill himself. I never expected such an insightful and concerned question from a 12-year-old boy! Mrs. Chevier (who’s read that book) jumped in and said that novel involves a number of situations best suited to an older audience, but yes, Marc had experienced guilt over an incident between the two of them.

Dee and I both wished we could have stayed all day, but she needed to get back to work. At the end of our time there – shortly after 11 – another two students escorted us out. Mrs. Chevier later told me she’d never seen those students so attentive or engaged. As we passed through the corridor and the cafeteria, one of our escorts held aloft Dee’s “Moww” sign, and kids ranging from first grade all the way to about seventh grade pointed and waved and “Moww!”ed. It felt like something out of a Beverly Cleary book!

Dee and I returned to my car eagerly anticipating our next speaking engagement.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

My First Author Talk to a Class of Middle Schoolers

A friend who teaches language arts in a local school recently invited my illustrator and me to speak to her sixth graders about the art, craft and process of writing and illustrating a children’s book – and read The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home to them (even though twelve-year-olds aren’t exactly our target audience). She also asked me to bring my five novels, so her students would realize they were speaking with and learning from a bona fide author who happens to live in their town.

I’d be lying if I said I weren’t a little nervous. Frankly, speaking to sixth graders scares the bejeezus out of me. I have the most dreadful memories of sixth grade! For just that one horrid year, I attended a private school where my classmates all looked down on me because I was the “charity case” who was there on scholarship, who’d never played field hockey before, and whose family didn’t jet off to Vail for ski weekend (which, believe it or not, was an actual three-day break from school). And, yeah, if there was a party on Friday night, you can bet Daddy’s new BMW I wasn’t invited.

Based on that experience, just the thought of being in a middle school again is giving me palpitations. I can almost feel my face breaking out… and I think my speech impediment is resurfacing.

I don’t know what I’m getting so flustered about. I’m a grown woman with a house and a car, a wonderful husband… and a reasonably successful career as a professional editor and author. A few years back I addressed a group of eighth-grade journalism students about editing, but that’s a topic I’m comfortable discussing. I’ve led multiple editing workshops and been on editing discussion panels at writers conferences. But until a few months ago, I wasn’t a children’s author and had certainly never spoken professionally as one.

My teacher friend said Dee and I should expect the students to ask lots of questions – among them, “How old are you?” Apparently, they ask her that on a regular basis. I’m glad she prepared me for that likelihood. I may tell them I’m so ancient I got my first cat from a guy named Noah. On the other hand, perhaps I’ll tell them the truth: that I’ll be 60 in June and published my debut novel eight years ago – a full thirty-eight years after the characters started yammering in my head (during Sister Teresita’s freshman English class in 1977).

Our date with doom—er, I mean, the sixth graders—isn’t ’til Thursday, so if you can offer any tips or suggestions on how to interact with a gaggle of 12-year-olds, I’d really appreciate them.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

On Behalf of Editors Everywhere…

On behalf of editors everywhere, I’d like to offer a simple, helpful tip. Never attempt to do anything on behalf of yourself.

Why?

To speak or act on behalf of someone is to speak or act in place of that person or entity.

You may speak on behalf of your family, your coworkers or, if you wish, three thousand head of cattle – but never on behalf of yourself. And let’s face it, no matter how good a ventriloquist you may be, you simply cannot speak in place of yourself; therefore, you may never – ever – speak on behalf of yourself.

See? I told you it was simple.

Class dismissed.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

Proofreading Tip: Ensure Consistency in Little Things

When writing, it’s important to be consistent… especially when it comes to details – and particularly with regard to punctuation.

One issue I encounter in working with authors concerns style consistency. A project I recently worked on contains hundreds of Bible quotes. For most of these quotes, citation follows the quote, in parentheses, with punctuation after the citation. Like this:

Remind the people [believers] to be subject to rulers and
authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is
good (Titus 3:1).

In some places, however, the author placed the punctuation before the citation. Like this:

Remind the people [believers] to be subject to rulers and
authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is
good. (Titus 3:1)

Sometimes clients will provide me a mini personal style sheet so I don’t, for instance, delete all their Oxford commas when they prefer them, or change their British spellings of neighbour and colour in favor of the American spellings (neighbor and color). That’s really helpful information to have prior to embarking on a project; it prevents frustration on both our parts, not to mention time needlessly spent “correcting” things the author intended.

In this case, since the author didn’t specify a preference as to where the punctuation should go (with regard to citations after Bible quotes), I defaulted to the “majority rules” theory and stuck with punctuation after citation, which he used more often.

Bottom line: Whatever you do – whether it’s punctuation, spelling or tense – do it consistently throughout your manuscript. If it’s a quirky style or preference you want preserved throughout the work, please let your editor know before you send the manuscript. In the long run, it’ll save him/her time (and save you money). And that’s good for everyone.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

It’s a Soap Additive… No, It’s a Cooking Ingredient… No, It’s— Hmm, Maybe I Should Consider Shortening This Title

While reading through my favorite Easter bread recipe (okay, you caught me; it’s my only Easter bread recipe!), I got to wondering about the etymology of the term “shortening.” Where did it come from and, for goodness’ sake, why is it called shortening?

By definition, shortening refers to any type of fat that remains solid at room temperature and has a high smoke point. These include lard, margarine and various hydrogenated oils. Some sources waffle as to whether coconut oil qualifies as a shortening. I’m going to meander out onto a limb to declare it a shortening, as it meets all the criteria. Other sites insist butter may be construed as a shortening; however its smoke point is considerably lower than that of other traditional shortenings.

That’s all well and good, but what does a shortening do? And why’s it called that, anyway?

Excellent questions. And by answering the first, the second becomes apparent. The name of the substance derives from its function in baking: to prevent the development of lengthening strands of gluten, the structures responsible for the stretchy, chewy properties of many breads. The molecules of fat bind to the gluten strands when the fat is cut into the flour and other dry ingredients and, instead of permitting that lengthening, keep the strands short, ultimately yielding a more tender, flaky and crumbly finished product. Hence, shortening. And, in case you weren’t aware, shortcake and shortbread (a light, crisp delicacy with a rich, buttery mouthfeel) also get their names from the shortening process – the prevention of long glutinous strands within the structure of flour-containing recipes.

So, what’s this about soap additives?

In 1902, German chemist Wilhelm Normann patented a process to hydrogenate fats so they’d be solid at room temperature. Five years later, fellow German chemist Edwin Kayser entered into a business agreement with Cincinnati-based soap manufacturer Procter and Gamble. Riffing on Normann’s previously patented hydrogenation process, Kayser developed a raw material for soap using cottonseed oil. The resulting product resembled lard, and rather than use Kayser’s new concoction in soap production, the marketing team at Procter & Gamble promoted it as a cooking fat. In June 1911, under a moniker derived from (ahem) shortening “crystallized cottonseed oil,” Crisco made its debut. And the rest is culinary history.

It’s been on store shelves for more than a century, but if the notion of using a product initially concocted for use on laundry day gives you the heebie-jeebies, you might want to try some of these shortening substitutes.

And now, as has become my custom, here’s my family recipe (handed down to me years ago by my godmother, from her mother – and probably her mother before her) for cazuppi, a traditional Italian Easter bread. It’s a firm-textured, slightly sweet, eggy bread featuring a heady undercurrent of vanilla that’s been part of our Easter breakfast for as long as I can remember. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I always do. The recipe may be halved. Or doubled.

Wishing you and yours a blessed and holy Resurrection Sunday.

Cazuppi

Ingredients:
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening, melted and cooled
½ cup milk, room temperature
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. baking powder (if using large eggs. For medium eggs, use 1½ Tbsp. baking powder; for jumbo eggs, use 2½ Tbsp. baking powder.)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (more or less, to taste)
5¼ to 6 cups flour

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat eggs ’til lemony colored. Add sugar a little at a time. Add cooled shortening while beating egg/sugar mixture. Add milk and vanilla. Add pinch of salt. Add baking powder and flour a little at a time. Mix ’til you can’t use a wooden spoon; then mix by hand. Dough should be of a medium-stiff consistency.
Form dough in to desired shapes. Raw eggs may be pressed (gently!) into the dough before baking, then criss-crossed with strips of dough to hold them in place. (hard-cooked eggs tend to get rubbery during baking.) Bake 25-30 minutes.

Notes:
Go easy on the flour – use only enough to achieve the desired consistency.
If desired, brush breads with milk before baking, for a shiny, glazed top.
You may want to start with the breads on the bottom rack of your oven for the first 15 minutes, then put them on the top rack during the last 10-15 minutes.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

Jack and Jill Redux

I’ve just returned from the Tennessee Mountain Writers annual conference in Oak Ridge. While it wasn’t the most scintillating literary event I’ve attended in my writing and editing career, this year’s slate of speakers held my interest, and the conference afforded plenty of opportunity to meet folks and discuss writing with authors across multiple genres.

I’d have to say the most memorable part of the weekend was being awakened by my roommate at 4:41 Saturday morning to wait out a tornado warning with other hotel guests in a first-floor corridor. Potential twister notwithstanding, I got to spend the better part of two days immersed in children’s literature, storytelling, play writing, poetry, manuscript evaluations and story prompts.

Here’s a secret I’ve learned about story prompts: They’re a great vehicle for short circuiting those pesky bouts of writer’s block. When faced with a blank page (and an equally blank imagination), jump starting your thoughts with a timed writing exercise can send you on a flight of literary fancy and, in the process, prime your writing pump to get that creativity flowing again.

One of my favorite story prompts at this year’s conference was to rewrite an existing story to make it more satisfying. For your amusement, I offer my oh-so-satisfying retelling of a nursery rhyme that had never made a shred of sense to me.

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

That’s really not how it happened.
Often at odds, Jack and Jill fought bitterly – as siblings will – that bright summer morning as they ascended the hill toward the well on their uncle’s farm.
Jack kept deliberately swinging the pail into Jill’s leg. And, as anyone who’s ever been repeatedly clunked with a galvanized water pail will tell you, it doesn’t tickle.
Finally, Jill had had enough. So she retaliated in the only way she knew how. She pushed Jack down the hill with a gratifying shove, then drew the pail of water. Whistling nonchalantly, she headed for home.
Coming upon her bleeding brother, who had hit his head on a rock, she realized she’d get in big trouble for having pushed him, so she pretended to lose her footing and tumbled down the slope herself, water from the pail cascading over them as she went.

And that, dear reader, is how it actually went down that day. Well, maybe not, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

However, the tale of Jack and Jill (the rest of which I’d never heard or read until a moment ago) continues, and I must admit it makes far more sense now. But I still prefer my version of the story.

Perhaps next week I’ll discuss another writing exercise I found particularly intriguing – and helpful.

How do you vanquish your bouts of writer’s block? Drop a suggestion in the comments and let’s help each other out.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

Does This Drive Anyone Else Crazy? Or Is It Just Me?

Call it my inevitable downslide into curmudgeonhood, but increasing misuse of English drives me batty. I cringe when I listen to the news these days or just hear snippets of folks’ conversations. I honestly don’t think it’s just a Southern thing… in listening to people from all over the country (or reading their emails, blog posts and social-media rants), it’s evident proper use of the English language as a whole is careening downhill faster than a tubby guy on a just-waxed bobsled.

Let’s look at three instances, shall we? I have others, but these were the ones I ranted about to my poor, long-suffering husband on the way to church this morning.

“Former” means at one time, but no longer. For instance, “I’m a former radio announcer.” However, you mustn’t use “former” when you simply mean past. Just the other day I saw online a reference to someone being “a former alumnus” of a school. Now, unless the conferred degree was rescinded, you never refer to someone as being a “former alumnus” or a “former graduate.” The proper terminology – assuming you need a qualifier at all – is “past alumnus” or “past graduate,” indicating the individual is not among the new crop of alumni or graduates. Although, generally, “alumnus” or “graduate” would suffice on its own.

As an aside, I do know someone whose college degree was rescinded – she graduated from BYU half a bazillion years ago, and when the high mucky-mucks there learned she wasn’t Mormon, they actually did yank her degree back. So, in that regard, she actually is a former graduate… but that’s the one concession I’ll make on this count.

Another misuse that jangles my innards is when someone says, “That house was originally built in the 1950s.” I always ache to respond with, “You don’t say. And when was it subsequently built?” Of course, I never do because the blank stare of nonunderstanding is so painful to watch. It’s kind of like attempting to discuss philosophy with a goat – it’s frustrating as all get out and it just annoys the goat. What in the name of all that is small and furry is wrong with merely saying, “That house was built in the 1950s”? Or, if an addition was constructed on the existing home, perhaps even, “The original structure dates back to the 1950s”?

The last example is, “Whenever I was brought up, we always…” The headscratcher for me here is this: “How often were you brought up?” I was brought up precisely once. “When I was brought up” would be appropriate phrasing. As I mentioned previously, it’s not just a regional thing. This particular phrasing plagued me long before I ever left the bastion of civilized speech known as New England for rural Tennessee.

What are some of the misuses of English that make your skin want to crawl off and slither under a rock? Post them in the comments. Let’s commiserate together.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

The Importance of Fostering Community for Writers

Writing is a largely solitary endeavor. As such, it’s crucial for us writer types to develop a sense of community with our fellow writers. Years ago, when I wrote full time from home, with only my dog and cat for company, I’d gleefully answer telemarketers’ calls, just to have another human to talk to.

These days, I connect with others whenever possible. I joined a service organization (and immediately got onto one committee and offered to chair another [what was I thinking?!]), host a master gardener intern class and regularly attend water-aerobics classes at the local pool. Add in my other social interactions – coffee or lunch with friends, dinner with other friends while our husbands are at their monthly Knights of Columbus meetings, and weekly choir rehearsals – and it’s a wonder I have time to write or edit at all.

One thing I insist on making time for is connection with other writers. I belong to a group that meets monthly, catering to writers at all levels. Members range from absolute beginners who aren’t confident enough in their skills to submit something for the others to read all the way to multi-published authors seeking feedback on excerpts from their works in progress. I’ve been a member about five years.

Recently I’ve begun attending another monthly meeting. It’s open by invitation, with some overlap of members from the other group. This one focuses more on deep dives into topics of interest to already-published authors looking to grow their platforms or expand their publishing horizons.

In addition to learning about new aspects of the publishing world, we share thoughts and ideas in a way that wouldn’t be practical within the structure of the other group. We’re all published (or at least serious) authors looking to hone our craft and broaden our knowledge base. And who among us couldn’t afford to learn a thing or two?

Yesterday we discussed researching market niches and publishing medium-content books through KDP – Kindle Direct Publishing. Lots of meaty information there – including an extensive discussion of coloring books. Oddly enough, my illustrator and I had just two days earlier discussed turning The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home into a coloring book for kids. This well-timed session opened my eyes with regard to doing just that – and set me straight about some naïve misconceptions I’d had.

If you aren’t currently a member of a writers group or critique group, look into joining (or forming) one in your area. Choose one that’s well suited to your type of writing, one that has writers of different skill levels and at varying stages in the writing process. Often, more veteran writers can be a tremendous source of inspiration and reassurance for newbies.

A word of caution: While some writers can provide valuable advice on improving your work, you’ll also encounter folks whose negative attitudes make an otherwise congenial group feel like you’ve fallen into a deep pit lined with barbed wire. Basically, these Negative Nellies are so insecure about their own writing they need to bash others to make themselves feel superior.

If you’re fortunate, the group leader will quash the hostility or invite the antagonistic members to seek another venue. In the preliminary stages of a writers group I belonged to, we were a largely amiable band of seven, but one bitter woman perpetually assailed everyone’s work, yet grew defensive and verbally abusive if anyone dared change a single adjective in her writing.

One evening, about five weeks into Lila’s hostility, I fell victim to her acid tongue when she ripped apart my submission, concluding her rant with, “How are you ever going to learn to write like James Joyce unless you… [insert unforgivable literary failing here]?”

“But I don’t want to write like James Joyce,” I replied. “I want to write like Rita Reali.”

At that, she tossed her head, gave an indignant sniff and blurted, “I don’t even know who that is!”

As the youngest in my family, I’m used to hostility, name calling and belittling. And by then, I’d amassed my share of rejection letters from literary agents. But I drove home that evening in tears. Two group members called to make sure I was okay. They’d already conferred with each other and agreed Lila’s behavior was unacceptable. That same night, the leader called her to suggest perhaps this wasn’t the environment for her, then politely invited her to drop out. It was the last any of us ever saw of Lila. Meanwhile, the rest of the group continued meeting regularly for another 13 years, with respectful discourse and supportive feedback as its standing hallmarks.

If you join a writers group (and, again, I seriously recommend that), have clear parameters for how critiques are delivered. Will members focus strictly on what’s positive, leaving negative or corrective comments in the margins? May authors respond to comments, or is it strictly the others who offer feedback and the author listens silently? If rules are breached, how does the situation get addressed – and by whom?

I’m not suggesting not to offer negative comments so no one’s feeeeeelings get hurt. I’m saying there’s a polite, even diplomatic, way to do everything – including making suggestions for improvement. In my own reviews of other writers’ work, I strive to provide largely positive comments and then offer corrective comments only when I have a recommendation for how to remedy the piece.

Writers are notoriously thin skinned. This can be a problem, especially when you’re just starting out and making lots of rookie mistakes. But if you’re fortunate enough to find yourself among a group of encouraging writers willing to guide you in your literary journey, keep an open mind and learn all you can from them. If, however, you find yourself amid the barbed-wire crowd, decide whether the good folks’ input is valuable enough to keep you coming back despite the naysayers. Or invite some of the positive writers to join a spinoff group – or perhaps you could approach one member of the group whose opinion you value and ask that person to mentor you.

Whatever you do, don’t take on this writing journey alone. You deserve better than that.

Where can you look to find potential writers group members? Leave suggestions in the comments.

 About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

Six Basic Steps to Taming Your Manuscript

Many times, authors – especially first-timers – type “The End” on a first draft and naïvely declare themselves ready to publish. They sign up with a self-publishing outlet, upload a few files and – voila! – they’re published authors waiting for those hefty royalty checks to roll in.

 

I don’t want to pee in anyone’s corn flakes, but that’s not how it works. Still, all too often, newbies rush to publication – only to see the disastrous results of their impatience surface weeks or even months after the fact. Seasoned authors realize writing “The End” signals the beginning of a whole new stage of the writing process: revision.

 

Here are six tips for revising a first draft. And they pertain to any first draft – whether you’re writing a college paper, a novel, your long-overdue doctoral dissertation or a letter to your Great Aunt Margie. In fact, you might want to keep these tips in the back of your head as you’re crafting your writing project, so you can avoid some of these pitfalls in the first place.

 

Keep in mind: Revising is kind of like gardening. When you’re revising, sometimes you have to do so with brutality. Don’t revise with kid gloves on. Tug on the ol’ gardening gloves, head out to the shed to retrieve the pruning shears and the loppers, and get to work!

 

Streamline your sentence structure. Get rid of “There are… that” and “It was… that” sentence structure. Instead of saying, “There was a pack of roaming dogs that killed my cat,” reword it as, “A pack of roaming dogs killed my cat.” Similarly, instead of writing, “It was on the eighteenth of April that Paul Revere made his famous ride,” you might say, “Paul Revere made his famous ride on April eighteenth.”

 

Delete unnecessary words. In a sentence containing the word “that,” if you can read it without “that” and it still makes sense, delete the “that.” For instance: “Tony told Jack that he was going to attend the meeting.” If you delete the word “that,” it still reads fine: “Tony told Jack he was going to attend the meeting.” But deleting “that” from “Tony told Jack that was where the seminar would be” makes no sense. Eliminate clichés from your writing. Let’s face it, clichés are trite. They’re humdrum. They’re hackneyed and boring. Don’t use them. ’Nuff said.

 

Go for brevity. Avoid passive phrasing. Active wording is so much more engaging for the reader. Don’t say, “The door was opened by Harriet.” Instead, say, “Harriet opened the door.” Lose “would be able to” in favor of “could.” For example, instead of writing, “Tom said he would be able to go to the movies,” write, “Tom said he could go to the movies.”

 

Be ruthless with your pet phrases. Don’t be afraid to “kill your little darlings.” Suppose you’ve written the most precious sentence ever. Before you declare it absolutely perfect, consider whether it might be too precious. Syrupy, even. In an early version of my novel Glimpse of Emerald, lamenting my protagonist’s abandonment by his mother at 16, and his being alone and suicidal at Christmas, I penned something utterly gushy about there being a hole in his heart – a hole exactly the size of love. Gosh… how touching… how squishy… how sappy. Out it went! If that sounds brutal, you’re right. Remember, if you’re not brutal with your writing, somewhere down the line someone else will be. And you don’t want that someone to be your editor – or, worse, your reader!

 

Keep your tone appropriate and consistent. Engage your reader. Make sure every page, every paragraph and every sentence grabs readers and makes them want to read more.

 

Watch your tone. No, it’s not the admonition your parents used to utter when you were a teenager. Rather, consider the overall tone and feel of your manuscript. Ensure your words fit that tone/feel. In the words of my favorite editor, who told me this a quarter century ago – and it’s some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten: “Write how you speak.” Don’t use highfalutin’ language in an effort to sound important or knowledgeable if you (or your characters) would never talk that way in ordinary conversation.

 

Make every word count. In the same way companies sometimes downsize staff to streamline operations, you’ve got to be willing to downsize your wording. Every word in the sentences you write requires impact. If a word or phrase isn’t pulling its weight, get rid of it. Precision is critical! Don’t be wishy washy or dance around the subject at hand (unless, of course, you’re writing a wishy-washy character). Use the most descriptive words you can to get your message across.

 

Choose strong adjectives. When a noun requires embellishment, really consider the adjectives you use. Go for the one that most precisely describes your noun and best conveys your meaning.

 

Select powerful verbs. In the same way you need to choose just the right adjectives, the verbs you pick must be the best ones for the job. They must carry the sentence. Get specific. “I conducted a webinar about powerful word choices in writing” carries greater impact than “I had an online workshop about words.”

 

Use adverbs sparingly. Sometimes a verb needs a little help. Perhaps the exact verb you need isn’t quite strong enough to support the full weight of your sentence. In that case, it’s time to call upon the mighty adverb. Adverbs are wonderful creatures, but they should be used with great care. A well-placed adverb can skillfully highlight a sentence; excessive or ill-used adverbs will spoil an otherwise-beautiful piece of writing. And whatever you do, if you’re tempted to use the word “very,” resist the urge. I believe it was Mark Twain who offered this (paraphrased) advice: Replace each instance of ‘very’ in your manuscript with ‘damn.’ Your editor will delete every one of them and your manuscript will be better for it.

 

Since you were so good about reading all the way to the end, I’ll give you two bonus tips:

 

Choose a tense and stick with it. You could use past, present, future… or even future perfect. That’s entirely up to you. Just be consistent. In editing clients’ manuscripts, I’ve learned tense shifts usually happen when the author returns to a project after time away and doesn’t even realize he (or she) has changed tense.

 

Never use an apostrophe to pluralize a word. Never – even if what’s being pluralized is a single letter. “I got all As last semester” is correct. If you wish, you may italicize the single letter in question: “I got all As last semester.” Alternatively, you may enclose it in quotation marks: “The word ‘Mississippi’ has four ‘i’s.”

 

Now go forth and revise those manuscripts!

 

 

About the Author: Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.

The Women in Publishing Summit Is Over… Now What?

Alexa Bigwarfe has done it again: another marvelously successful and highly informative Women in Publishing Summit. It wrapped up yesterday and if you weren’t there, you missed out on a remarkable learning experience – and all I can say is perhaps next year you’ll pay closer attention when I begin to effuse about it.

This year’s event featured some sixty of the leading experts in their respective fields – from writing and editing to cover design, publishing, marketing, analytics and advertising. The Summit really did offer something for just about everyone involved in any aspect of the writing and publishing arena.

Attendees hailed from all over the U.S., Canada, Germany, Norway, Ireland, England and Australia. I’ve almost certainly left off some countries, but it was truly a global event. This was my fifth WIP Summit and I don’t know how Alexa and her team manage it, but it just keeps getting better every year!

Some of my favorite presentations came from Judy L. Mohr, Shayla Raquel and Tamara Dever. Seriously, look these women up. They’re each remarkable in their own way and if you’re a writer, you would do well to learn from them.

Another highlight (in my opinion) was the Zoom chat room. Open three times a day for an hour each time, the space afforded attendees kind of a virtual lounge in which to connect over a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine, depending on which time zone each participant was in), chat about the previous sessions and get to know one another in a relaxed social environment.

So, what now? If you attended the Summit, you probably have several session recordings to view, and a ton of presenter assets to download. I know I do. In between all the other things I’ve got going on this month, I’ll be systematically watching the videos and learning all I can about writing, editing, marketing and publicity.

“But, Rita, you’re a professional author and editor,” you may be saying. “Don’t you already know a lot about writing and editing?”

Yeah. But I can always learn more. We all can. That’s why attending conferences and webinars and summits is so important: It gives you the opportunity to learn all you can and to improve your skills.

But the learning doesn’t end there. At the end of this month, I’m attending my seventh Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference. This two-day event in Oak Ridge will focus on various aspects of the written and spoken word. Featured sessions will include storytelling, poetry, small-press publication, young people’s literature, play writing, fiction, nonfiction and more. There’s plenty of occasion for networking with other writers, too. Plus, I’m bringing a carton of The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home to sell (and autograph) in the conference bookstore.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an aspiring author or a writing veteran with multiple titles to your credit. You can always benefit from attending a good writers’ conference. So, if you’re within reasonable driving distance of Oak Ridge, I urge you to consider attending. And if that’s too far afield, check out a writing conference closer to you. You won’t regret it.

If you’ve ever attended a writers’ conference, what was it and what was the best thing you learned?

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is a two-time international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, was released at the end of February. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita. To purchase your own personally inscribed copy of any of Rita’s books, download this order form at her website.