I don’t mean to start this post off about novel writing with me whining already, but I don’t have loads of time. 40+ hour a week day job. Married. Toddler and teenager in the house. Plus I’m one of those terrible people who needs to sleep in order to function. And then I’m a writer. I just sold one novel and I’m in the midst of working on another novel. I also need to set aside some time for all my brooding and worrying and my therapy visits. Before my little one was born two years ago, I started to grow terrified thinking about how I would manage to keep novel writing amidst this full life. I mean, it seems possible to write one small post or article here and there, but how do you manage a big project in the middle of all this *meshugas*? Well I came up with a method that I gave the unfortunate name of “bucket writing”. It’s not a shocking or incredible idea, it’s more of a framework to help me break a big writing project into smaller chunks, which as far as I can tell, is the only way to manage a big project, like novel writing, with little time. I made a video describing this method for my ongoing video series called, “I’m a Failed Writer“.

Want to check out my tips on novel writing? Well here it is:

Yuvi Zalkow’s stories have been published in Glimmer Train, Narrative Magazine, Carve Magazine, and others. He recently sold his first neurotic novel, which will be published by MP Publishing in the Fall of 2012. He got an MFA from Antioch University in 2010. You can track him down at www.yuvizalkow.com.

Any other busy writers out there? How do *you* manage your novel writing amidst all the busy-ness?

The final five were never that difficult to find. These are the books my mind constantly goes back to when thinking books, in general. I use them in conversation over and over as books that consistently stand out as remarkable and close to my heart. While these books differ wildly in subject matter, style and focus, they all have one thing in common: they broke new ground in memorable ways. I think every person can gain something from reading these classics that are, each in their own way, a clear and honest reflection of life.

And now the top five…

5. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye is the quintessential coming of age book and Holden Caufield, the main character, is the quintessential young boy growing up and dealing with complicated life issues who distorts almost everything so he can make sense of his changing world. Brilliant!

4. The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor is the best short story writer in history. Of course, this is only my humble opinion. She is scary and shocking and engaging. O’Connor offers sticky final lines that have left me in chills. Not figuratively, literally in chills. For the record, I am not alone in the opinion of her work. Now when I read her, I keep a notebook nearby for all of the bits of inspiration she brings up in me. In many ways, this is the number one on my list.

3. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Bird by Bird is included here, in part, because as a recent MFA grad this book was part of numerous conversations about writing. Lamott creates a world where writing is not just an option, but a must. So the book can feel a little like therapy, in a good way. However, Lamott is also hilarious, as in the laugh-out loud variety. She figured out a way to lead a horse to water and make it drink. The best book on writing ever.

2. Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain

In Letter from the Earth, Twain take on James Fenimore Cooper, the Bible and humanity and rips them all to shreds. The criticisms are harsh, but thought provoking, sober and funny. The book and Twain’s commentary is heresy long before heresy became a thing to do. I now look at this collection of writing as his search for truth and greatness. After having read LFTE multiple times, I always come away with the desire to push myself, and my writing, further. I love Twain.

1. The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers

I have read numerous scholarly books and frequently note how the author has a great idea but has not yet learned how to express the idea in a simple way, because the author has not given the idea enough space to grow and flourish, the writing meanders. This is usually when a book becomes dense and overly complicated, or when the writer wanted the reader to know how smart they are. The Power of Myth does the exact opposite.

By the time Moyers was interviewing Campbell, Campbell was at the end of his life (the book came out posthumously) and he had been studying and teaching myth and for over fifty years. The result is a simple expression of someone who had mastered his subject and could discuss its nuances with confidence and ease in a way that invited the reader take secret knowledge from a silver platter. While there are numerous references to mythological characters, Campbell talks about his real subject, life, in an enthusiastic and inspiring way. If there was one book I would want on a desert island this would be it. If there were one book I would recommend to anyone, at any point in life, this would also be it.

I know there were a ton of other worthy books. So the search for great inspiration continues.

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In fairness, second person, done correctly, can be compelling and interesting. However, it is a hard voice to write in, as the tone of the piece always commands the reader. Examples include, “You’ll love it.” Or “(you understood) Make a left at the corner and a right into the first alley.”

My main problem with “you” voice is when I receive a story that has some second person writing in it, it likely has third person and first person in it as well. The POV jumps from place to place, usually without rhyme or reason. All this makes for some indecisive writing, which becomes tiring or confusing for the reader.

Still, I like to play with second person and I assume others do too from the amount of second person placed in stories I receive. I want to like these attempts, but I end up passing most every time. Here are a few other reasons why it might be a good idea to pass on second person.

Uncommon

Simply stated, it is rare to see “you” voice in a any professional publication and people are not used to reading it beyond more experimental or literary writing. Even then…

Limiting

Just like “we” voice, the writer is not in position to read the reader’s mind. So sentences can usually only command the reader to accept or take action. You feel crummy. You take some Pepto-Bismol. You are also a jerk-face. It can make the reader a punching bag.

Lazy

More than just jumping around in POV, articles written in second person tend to have the most misspellings, grammatical errors and writing that needs more editing. In my opinion as a reader, second person is a complicated art and misused by lazy writing.

Informal

When I was taught about writing in the fifth grade, the teacher told the class “using you” in an essay is too informal. This is still true of writing beyond the fifth grade, as well. Maybe in a personal blog, but even then most of us have had the same grammar lessons and may hang up when reading more than an occasional use of the word “you.” Almost all professional articles are written in either third or first person.

When is “you” voice good?

Using second person is appropriate when offering the reader instructions like in a recipe, “Mix three eggs and a half cup of water into four cups of flour. When mixture is smooth, you add two live cats and a squeeze of lime. Bake at 30 degrees for thirty minutes or until cats stop meowing.” Or if you are desperate to use “you” in your next great article, consider reading the writing of Lorrie Moore: Self Help and Birds of America both offer well-written stories in second person voice.

The photo is of some nice El Salvadoran performers from my trip to CATM last year. I included it, because I was thinking about papusas. These nice people have nothing to do with this article.

Sadly, in travel writing and in my personal experience of building In The Know Traveler, the line could not be further from the truth. Miracles just don’t show up. Success comes from hard work and a little luck that feels a lot like more hard work.

So with all the issues I have had with ITKT over the years, I have made a list to help future travel bloggers to debunk some the myths that come with the enthusiastic starting, and maintaining, of your own blog.

1. I Can Write a Good Article in a Minute.

Well, this one is true — at least for poorly written stories. Good writing takes time and planning. Good travel writing takes an eye for details and an experience to inspire others to travel. Few can spit out a good travel story

2. I Love Travel and Will Always have Interesting Things to Say.

This sure wasn’t true for me. Sometimes great ideas take forever to form into a story that others will appreciate. Other times, the pictures in the writer’s head never quite make it to paper. As a passionate reader of travel writing, I receive tons of submissions with this exact problem. I can just tell there is an exciting experience the writer wants to get down on paper that never quite becomes an exciting experience for the reader.
To my series to Avoid Travel Writing Rejection

3. I Will Start a Blog and Trips Will Fall from the Sky.

Most press trips and media invites will come because you have developed your site beyond something ordinary and have done so consistently over time. Don’t expect things to happen over night. Remember, while many PR firms and NTOs have a hard time filing out press trips, the hard part of not finding the warm body, but a quality writer. This means your blog will need to be perceived as quality next to your fellow writers. A site will have to stand out.
For tips on How to Get on a Press Trip

4. I Will Make Money.

Probably not for a while. I would argue that it is probably much easier to get a press trip that might cost the host $10-20,000 than it is to get that host company to pay $100 a month on an ad online. Most affiliate programs suck, which leaves using your brain more than traditional programs. Be prepared to think outside the box and convey ideas that set yourself apart and make you attractive to potential media partners.

5. My Friends Will Help Me Promote My Travel Blog — They are My Friends, Right?

Wrong. Maybe a few friends will help a little, for a little while. Unless you have friends who love the subject you are writing expect minimal help and to build your own community of like-minded people who like the information you are presenting.

So, I will continue on with my collection of the most inspirational books. These are the books that got me motivated enough think and accomplish more and write better, regardless of genre. Welcome to the top 40-35

40. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

In general, Gaiman is dark, funny, entertaining and interesting. This collection of short stories is all of that. Snow, Glass, Apples is particularly memorable for me. After reading it, I sat down and wrote three complete short stories. My stories stunk up the room but the inspiration and a few lines that followed were keepers.

39. Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku

Kaku got me to learn quantum physics and M-theory. He write about incredibly difficult subjects in a way that even I could understand them. His writing and thought process are a reminder of how hard topics can be dealt with by keeping it simple.

38. The Illuminatus Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea

RAW as he is often and affectionately know as is equal parts mystic, scientist, philanthropist, conspiracy theorist and goofball. For me, he opened huge doors into strange ideas and philosophies. His writing inspired me enough to explore topics like quantum physic (see above). This three-part novel is written with Robert Shea and had me locked in a room for three days reading this 800-pager from cover to cover.

When I found out that RAW died last year, I got all misty.

37. Falling off the Map by Pico Iyer

Covering one of my favorite subjects about being the other in a foreign place. His experiences in Falling brought out numerous memories in me which have become articles in a variety of publications.

36. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Murakami is slow and methodical and lets his characters get into all kinds of trouble. While I routinely find his work inspiring, this one gave me nightmares. Yes, real nightmares. There are a couple of scenes in particular. One psychological and the other intensely graphic and realistic. His writing lulls me into pleasant cool water and ever so slightly heats up with every page. The book can get uncomfortable by the time it boils when the reader is the last to know. You have been warned.

More coming soon

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Sadly, the Internet has changed the world of writing. Print publishing is crumbling and print money advertising that at one time paid writers well, is quickly disappearing — making magazines thinner and needing fewer writers. Advertisers are still learning what value advertising on the Internet means. Articles are getting shorter. Tons of new online magazines are popping up daily. Writers are looking for new ways to break into a once solid field. Plus the world economy sucks.

By the time I found myself at the bottom of the comments section, I found myself defending writing on the cheap against a writer who finds the practice of writing for little pay “laughable.” He made some good points about starting your own blog and that the money exchange is simply not worth the time and effort.

Truthfully, I totally agree. The money compensation is not worth the effort. However, money and the ability to do your own blog should not be the only deciding factors in whether you write for peanuts, or even free.

Here is my short list of questions to ask yourself before offering your considerable talents for less money than you are worth.

Will I get something out of the experience?

I have written for free or cheap numerous times. The money is never worth it. However, the relationships are always worth it. So are new experiences? Getting edited by someone else is important. So is being on assignment. So is having to hit deadlines.

Can the publication open doors?

Does the publication have enough experience, connections, industry respect, exposure or something else that will move you further along in your writing career. As an example most writers with the Huffington Post get paid zilch, but the prestige is worth it to most writers. If you are on the fence with a publication, ask questions.

Can I get something instead of money?

I have frequently sent my writers on press trips and media events as a thank you whenever possible. I have also worked with people interested in doing product reviews in exchange for, well, products. Special note: I would never ask an editor for a free trip as compensation. For more on How to Get on a Press Trip.

Can I get link backs to help promote myself?

If you own your own site and want more exposure, getting link backs in your stories bio is always a good idea. Having link backs coming from a Google respected is site is even better. Look for sites with PR2 and higher.

Does the site have lots of other writers?

Exposure is exposure. A site that feature a lot of writers usually has a more developed fan base and more eyeballs seeing your writing.

Do you really want to be a blogger?

Being a blogger can be great. However, most blogs simply fizzle out because most people do not realize the effort it takes to get one off the ground. Bloggers must have something consistent to say about a particular subject and enough people who want to read it, must spend time marketing (because there will be competition), must develop a focus (what makes the writer unique), must deal with social networking to find readers, maintaining readership with newsletters, contest and other reasons to return to the writer’s blog, and then do about a million other things.

In the end, it is a good idea to find out what you are comfortable doing for little or no money and make personal guidelines that you can live with for your writing future.

I had just emailed a woman information she did not want to hear. I had to inform her the last cupcake was sold and I had no more cupcakes (I am choosing to use cupcakes as an analogy because the whole story is long and boring and cupcakes are delicious. FYI, this had nothing to do with writing or travel life — just mundane living stuff).

I knew the call was going to be trouble because immediately after sending my cupcake-less email, I had received multiple, increasingly hostile, emails from her in the previous ten minutes before my cell phone frantically vibrated. She was sad about not having a cupcake. She wanted me to give her a cupcake, anyway. She demanded a cupcake. Knowing this, I answered the phone anyway. I got more than what I had expected. She complained and yelled and went crazy. I tried to explain but she didn’t want explanations. She wanted a cupcake –- even though they were all gone.

After twenty long minutes, I told her there were other bakeries and other cupcakes and wished her well in her cupcake quest. Later I received yet another long, upset email. The smart thing would have been to say nothing, but I had to respond. It was a compulsion and I had to answer her letter. Also, I was annoyed. I went to write an angry letter of my own.

Here are the stages of writing out the anger in an angry letter:

The First Draft

Here is where the finger pointing, judgment, sarcasm and cleverness all shine. There are many flowing sentences and hundreds of unnecessary words. The key descriptive word here is “rambling.” I keep the first draft down to three pages.

First Revision

I really do not want to be mean. So, I remove all the mean stuff (and edit down to a single page). However, I want to prove I am right, because I am right. I want to defend giving away the last cupcake. It was my damn cupcake, after all.

Second Revision

Perhaps I am being defensive, I ask myself. I probably am. I rewrite the letter again. I want a softer approach, because really I understand. I like cupcakes too. However, there is something to be learned here and I want to show her that I care and I am a good guy.

Final Revision

I write a letter filled with altruism and virtue, because I am a good guy, right? I realized that during all my rewrites, because no one gets the last cupcake all the time. My explaining why I have no cupcake for her will not fix her need for a cupcake. I am only writing this letter for me, which requires very little explanation.

The Actual Letter

Dear Jerky Jerkface,

Again, I am sorry it didn’t work out and I wish you all the best..
Devin

Note to reader: Jerky Jerkface was replaced with the recipients real name.

I felt so much better.

My list of my most inspirational books continues with the books #45-41 that have helped me put pen to paper, travel with abandon and remind me that finding inspiration is not impossible when staring at a blank computer screen. As always, new sources of inspiration are always welcome.

#45. The Art of the Tale and The Art of the Story both edited by Daniel Halpern

These fantastic collections of short stories were my first my textbooks, from my first class, after returning to school as the “elder statesman” at my local community college. Both books are filled with some of the best short story writing of the last 100 years. Personally, these books introduced me to Ann Beattie, Haruki Murakami, and Sandra Cisneros; reintroduced me to James Baldwin and Flannery O’Connor; and reminded me that great writing takes many forms — maybe even your own.

#44. Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy

A must read if you golf. At the time I was golfing, albeit poorly and this one made me believe that a guy could hit a feathery (a golf ball made of feathers and brine) 320 yards with a shillelagh (walking stick). Golfer or not, this would be hard to believe in any other circumstance and had me wanted to tell a tall tale.

#43. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Is it fiction? Is it nonfiction? Depends on whose opinion you believe. What is less up for debate is the brilliant prose and description throughout. Without question Capote created a his own genre about a true story in Holcomb, Kansas. In Cold Blood is one of those rare books that made me ask myself, will I ever write this well? Then I go and try.

#42. Sefer Yetzirah (the Book of Creation) by Aryeh Kaplan

I know that it might be more helpful to keep my book selections more commonplace and accessible. However, I have to keep it real and say I have found inspiration in all kinds of places. This book would be ideally suited for a scholar focusing on sacred Hebrew texts about mysticism (I can almost feel readers falling asleep now). However, Kaplan’s Sefer Yetzirah attempts to explain, and decipher, creation and the microcosm of all life. One amazing undertaking considering, I can get flustered by trying to string a few simple words together. Kaplan had an amazing ability to discuss ineffable ideas and organizing this vast subject well. This book is a combination of magic, science, philosophy and mythology in one writing. In this way, it has a little something for everyone, but it still is not for everyone.

#41. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson and edited by Thomas Johnson

I decided to do my grad school critical paper on Emily Dickinson and used this book as chief reference. Somehow 125 years after her death, she is still relevant. Dickinson was shut in, depressive, feminist, probably homosexual (there is some debate), and self-reflective in a time when most writers just weren’t. She also played with structure, timing, and grammar when almost no one did such things. Her voice is unique and challenging. She still manages to touch emotional spots that need to be stirred.

More coming soon

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I was taken over by the ghost of my father, who would have never replaced the door. I could hear his voice from a distant past demanding, “Paint the shit out of the door and be done with it.” While I stood there, arms crossed, staring at the door, I imagined what my dad would have done. He would have beaten the door into submission with a hammer, knocking the joints back together by force (re-gluing would have never crossed his mind), and then he would have slathered the door with enough paint to hold the wood together for a couple of more years. The whole job would have taken a violent six minutes. I had been staring at the door longer than that, thinking whether it would have been better to take apart the door and re-glue it with long wood clamps and meticulously scrape off all the loose paint, hand sand the the rough spots, add a new coat of primer before finally painting it — probably a 38 hour job.

The door after the wrath

I did not write this story to teach others about how to temporarily fix garbage, but rather how to write about personal subjects. For me, it is hard to write about my father. He was charming and entertaining. He was also a jerk. I have not written about him in a long time because I am never sure how to approach him as a character or as a person. How do I honestly present him to a reader who has no emotional attachment to his story like I do? As much as I knew him, he was both a hero and a villain and my feelings about him change from moment to moment. However, looking at how he solved problems like broken doors is a good start, and maybe because his actions with small projects might speak to how he led his life.

While I may not always know how to write about personal subjects, I have a pretty good idea how dad would write a personally hard story. He would “hammer the fucker together” and “paint the shit out of it – then be done with it.”

Today, as I sat at my computer with a little more zest, this list began to come out. I have to acknowledge that I sometimes do not give myself permission to write everything down. If you feel like I do, take my list as permission to explore the nature and power of your being as a brilliant and fearless writer.

The Creative Writer’s Bill of Rights (or The Creative Bill of Writes)

1. The artist can turn off all filters and say anything about any subject, at any time, for any reason.

2. No subject matter, no how uncomfortable or offensive to self or others, is off limits

3. No single word: expletive or other no-no should be avoided due to political correctness or fear. If the word is appropriate in the context of the writing, it should stay. *

4. Any random thought should be written down by the writer, especially when the writer’s internal voice says, you can’t say that!

5. No matter how perfect a writing is, it could be edited down further or expanded upon.

6. Sometimes a writer will have to kill his or her babies. This means some great ideas/lines/articles will have to be removed, taken out, destroyed, sacrificed or edited in order to make the writing better. It can be a painful process.

7. Making changes that others have suggested, after careful scrutiny, gives the writer more authority as a writer.

8. Ignoring changes that others have suggested, after careful scrutiny, gives the writer more authority as a writer.

9. Getting a big authentic reaction is good – whether the reader liked the writing or not. Big reactions like “You suck,” is not a good reason to rewrite.

10. Taking a risk is a good thing.

11. Making a difference takes risk.

* Writing for shock value: using words and topics to offend for the sake of being offensive, is not creative. It is divisive and outside the scope of this sacred document — where is good parchment when you need it?

I figured that there must be other Creative Bill of Rights. I looked it up. I was right so I am calling this the Creative Writer’s Bill of Rights, even though the lists I saw seemed to need some help. If I missed something that as creative people we need to hear. Please add to this list in the comments section.