Thoughts on the Eight O'clock Hour

Writer's Market

2008-05-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

I bought my 2008 edition about a month ago.
This years edition has more helpful essays on
how to write a kick-ass query letter, how to
stay organized, how to approach newspaper
editor, etc.

With more publications listed then ever
including poems and play writes, it is the
ultimate source for the freelance writer.

Dialogue

2008-05-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

Dialoguing with an editor via e-mail can be one of the best ways to get published. If you create a rapport with the editor of a section you would like to work in a door many open up in the future and they may ask you to step in. Some times all it takes is simply asking an editor what he needs for his section. If you make it clear that you are willing to write what the publication needs they may throw you a bone.

Organization

2008-05-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

If you are trying to work freelance there is one thing that will help you stay on track: ORGANIZATION!It does not come natural to everyone, but the sooner you learn how to track your submissions in a detailed manner, the better chances you will have of getting published. Make a file for each publication you submit your writing to. Record what writing samples you send them and the date you sent your query letter. Look forward two weeks from the day you submitted and mark this day in your Blackberry so you can contact them to follow up.

Magazines

2008-05-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

When trying to get your story published in a magazine you must first find out how to submit queries. Buying a copy of the Writer's Market, a reference guide to all publications, is the best place to start. Find out if they prefer e-mail or snail mail and who to contact. Personalize your query letter for that specific publication. Pitch your story idea or send a sample of your writing. Always personalize the greeting in the letter if possible.

Press Releases

2008-05-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Each company uses press releases to alert media of changes within the company. It could be a new product launch or the opening of a new branch. News outlets receive hundreds of press releases a day so it is vital to have catchy opening lines and headlines. Each company has its own requirements for length and font. Most prefer to keep the whole thing to one page as journalistic writing is very succinct. It should be written in AP style.

Be Professional

2008-05-02T15:46:00.001-07:00

If you wish to work in the professional world you yourself must become a professional. The best way to come off like a pro is to know what your talking about by doing your research, check your writing and have another person proof it before you send it and be straightforward and clear about what you want.

Be Persistent

2008-05-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Being Persistent is vital. Your work will not be warmly welcomed the first time you pitch it to someone. Be ready to hear the word "NO" more often than you hear the word "yes."

Don't let the comments from you source deter you from sending it to another.

Be Relevant

2008-05-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

When seeking to be published there are a few things to remember. One of them is to be relevant. When you are seeking a publisher for your work make sure you research the publisher thoroughly. Have they published similar work in the past? does your project fit with what they are used to? How will your writing benefit them?

BENNIES!

2008-05-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

This would be a Bennie for me:

Explosive Power in the 1$ Bill

2008-05-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

26.7 kilotons of Explosive Power

Media Down

2008-05-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Last night's storm made it impossible for some forms of advertising to be received by the public. This is the beauty of print media. There will always be a place for newspapers and such because times like last night make online/TV/radio inaccessible.

Mermaid sells Cleaner

2008-04-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Clorox Mermaid Commercial

This is one of the best commercials I have seen in a long time.

3 Act Structure

2008-04-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Just put 'em through hell.

With the 3 act structure that is just what you will do to your protagonist. They start out happily living their sweet little life, when all of a sudden... BOOM! BANG! BASH! You hit them with three major blows. Those three trials are the 3 acts. Each act becomes more dark than the last and just before the end of the story you rescue your character from complete annihilation.

Maslow's Hierarchy

2008-04-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

When a writer, of any kind, sits down in front of the computer to type up some copy they should keep Maslow's Hierarchy in the back of their mind. Not only does a writer need to address her audience carefully, she also needs to remember the basic needs and desire of every human, no matter what the demographics may be.

Points vs. The Mighty Dollar

2008-04-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

So your joyful day arrives - you have signed a deal that will finance a film you are working on. You now have the power of the mighty dollar behind your creativity.

But! There may be one small problem that could bring all your dreams crashing down around you. If you did not pay careful attention to how the funds will be allocated after the project ends you may end up getting screwed.

You see, profit can be distributed by a set dollar amount or by a set percentage of the total. But, it can also be divied out by points. Points are different in that they are a percentage of a dollar. For example, 1point could = 25% of a dollar, 0.25$. But it 1point could also be worth .o1% of a dollar, 0.01$.

So, remember, a point is NOT a set amount. It holds whatever amount they assign to it.

Remember your Audience

2008-04-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

When creating a commercial of any kind, it is crucial to know who you are addressing. Demographics become your best friend - Age, Race, Income, Sex, Economic Level. Depending on who are talking to you will need to change the way you seduce your audience. What may grab the attention of a 67 year old retired gentleman will obviously not interest a teenage girl.

They will sign for the MONEY

2008-04-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

When asking a company or individual

to finance a project of yours it is important

to emphasize what kind of return they

will receive from the deal. The profit

they can look forward to is the only real

reason they will sign with you.

CALL OUTS!

2008-04-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

There are many tools available to a writer when he is trying to keep his reader's attention. One such tool is a call-out. They are most popular in magazines but newspapers use them as well.

Matti Mattila wrote a blog post titled Simple call-out box.
Here is his explanation for what a call-out box does and why it is important:

"When writing a very long article with lots of text and only few or no pictures to enlighten the story, the reader’s interest must be captured somehow to read the whole text. Sometimes the caption itself does not lure enough, so there must be something else to draw the reader’s attention. Placing a call-out box in the middle of the text, like the one below, usually captures the reader to find out the rest of the story. Creating such a call-out box with markup language is relatively easy and there are many techniques to get the desired effect. Some people use tables and others use background images."

Abstract

2008-04-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

So if something is not concrete, what does that make it? And should we throw out all non-concrete language?

This web site

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/abstract.htm

offers a good explanation for the difference and value of abstract language.

"We must understand how imprecise their meanings are, how easily they can be differently understood, and how tiring and boring long chains of abstract terms can be. Abstract terms are useful and necessary when we want to name ideas (as we do in thesis statements and some paragraph topic sentences), but they're not likely to make points clear or interesting by themselves."

Concrete

2008-04-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

It is important to pour a solid foundation for every story you write. Using concrete language is one way to guarantee clear communication.

Here is a good definition found at: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/abstract.htm

Concrete terms refer to objects or events that are available to the senses. [This is directly opposite to abstract terms, which name things that are not available to the senses.] Examples of concrete terms include spoon, table, velvet eye patch, nose ring, sinus mask, green, hot, walking. Because these terms refer to objects or events we can see or hear or feel or taste or smell, their meanings are pretty stable. If you ask me what I mean by the word spoon, I can pick up a spoon and show it to you. [I can't pick up a freedom and show it to you, or point to a small democracy crawling along a window sill. I can measure sand and oxygen by weight and volume, but I can't collect a pound of responsibility or a liter of moral outrage.]

Cliche

2008-04-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Often times we write the way we speak with friends, and the normal American uses many different cliches. Using cliches is a great way to ruin a story. After writing your rough draft go back through your story with a fine tooth comb and see how many you have used.

It's a zoo out there!

Rising tide

The calm before the storm

A cheshire-cat smile

A good Lead

2008-04-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

In news journalism or in a press release the Who What When Where Why and How should all be in the lead. The first line of the lead should be a catcher; it should grab the reader's attention and make them want to continue reading the article or story.

Deck

2008-04-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well, that's not exactly what I had in mind.
What I'm talking about is the part of a features story that goes below the headline. It provides more indepth information. The headline will grab the reader. The deck will explain the headline.

What does a good Headline do?

2008-04-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

A headline is the attention grabber. The headline should express the most unique element of the story.

Andy Rooney said, "Newspaper men and women who write headlines have a hard job. They have to make sense of a long, complicated story in just eight or ten words."

For his complete commentary go to: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/21/60minutes/rooney/main3857661.shtml

Just for fun.
An example of a headline gone bad:

Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing

Metaphor

2008-04-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Explain a situation. Explain a feeling. Explain a sent.

Use a metaphor.

ironic by
ALANIS MORISSETTE
It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures