To Outline or not to Outline, That Is the Question

I was talking with a writer recently and we got into a heated argument about writing and planning. Basically the conversation when like this:

Me: Maybe you should do an outline of your story?
Him: Outline! Never! I can't control my creative process; I need to be free and unhindered as a writer!
Me: (rolling eyes) Okay, well, sometimes it helps to get a plan for your writing.
Him: Never! Creativity needs to flow like a river, not be contained in some box like a plan or outline!
Me: (sighing) Well, even a river has banks that direct the flow of water and rivers seem to flow just fine.
Him: No! I just have to struggle with my creative process ... it's part of being an artist. You just don't understand!

That's the jist of the conversation, exclamation points and all. The debate here is an age-old one between artists and their process. Can you still be creative without imposing constraints on the creative process? Can a painter paint without knowing what they will paint before hand? Can a sculptor sculpt without knowing where they will chip away the stone? Can a writer write without an outline or some plan of attack? And if there are such plans does that somehow diminish the process of creation?

All valid questions, but all are based on a fallacy: creativity has no constraints.

The fact is ALL creative people plan, outline, constrain, and contain their process (not their creativity!), I don't care what their art. Since we're all writers, let's just look at writing.

You sit down at your writing-place and begin your session. You don't know what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and refuse to think about your story in any way. You are just going to let the process run free like that river. Oh the joy, oh the freedom, oh the ... wait ... nothing is happening. The paper or computer screen is blank. WTF is wrong?

What's wrong is that the above scenario is a setup for failure. The only way this writer is going to produce any work is if he/she starts to automatic write or channel some disembodied entity, in which case they are not being a writer, they are only being a channel for someone(thing) else who is doing the writing.

No, this above scenario can't happen, if a writer wants to write. Yes, people claim the do this, but they are not telling themselves the truth about what is really going on. Even if you sit down with nothing in your head, no plan, no organization, something will come. An idea will happen and then A will lead to B will lead to C and some logic will be imposed that determines what happens next. Even if the logic only goes for one or two scenes, the writer still has to wonder what is the next scene? What came before this scene? How is this person going to act in the scene? Uh, I don't mean to burst the bubble, but this is called planning. This is called outlining. Even if it only goes for two scenes and all happens in your head, you're organizing and outlining your story. Every writer does it; every writer can't not do it. It is a function of the creative process. EVERY creative person plans, organizes, and imposes logical rules on their creative output whether they want to admit it or not. How far they go, how detailed they get, is all a matter of personal pathology (how controlling do you have to be?), not a function of outlining or organizing.

The point is that the debate about whether or not you can be a writer and still use outlines and organization of your material is a false debate. Just as a river has banks that form and direct the flow of water, every writer has banks of their creative river that gives form, direction, and flow to their writing process, without stifling or smothering that creativity. Frankly, it is only the amateur who thinks he/she has to be completely spontaneous and unencumbered by process in order to achieve his/her creative vision. Any pro knows that such an approach is a dead end, and that real writing requires imposing limits, while at the same time leveraging those limits to the full advantage of any story.

Outlining is a matter of craft, not art. Organizing is a function of being a professional, not of being a cretin. Planning is the royal road to productivity, not a dead end of creativity.

So, stop worrying about whether you are outlining or planning your work; you're already doing it.

If You Build It--You Might Get Published!

Go back with me now, to the days of yesteryear, when books were published because they had interesting ideas in them, and “literary” wasn’t a four-letter-word, and publishers actually promoted their books and their authors. “Did such a golden time ever exist?” you ask? Yes, it did. But, it is gone forever. “Oh!” You reply in shocked disappointment. “Replaced by what?”

The age of visual media killed that “golden time” deader than Arnold Schwarzenegger's marriage (never forget the dangers of having secret families!). The word on the page is almost secondary now to other factors. Not only are an author’s age and looks key variables in the sales equation but, increasingly, publishers are now looking for something more: writers who will not only churn out pot boilers, but who also come prepared to be active players in the sales cycle. We’re talking about: writers with a “platform.”

“Platform” is the new jargon, buzzword, and lingua franca, whatever you want to call it, of the publishing world. Having a platform is, in fact, often the determining factor in whether a book and author get a publishing deal! No longer is it enough to turn a nice phrase or have something interesting to say.

Now you need:

• An author website with full e-commerce capability, subscriber login, SEO (search engine optimization) design, and fully interactive, flash-enabled functionality.
• An author blog (minimal hits per day in the hundreds).
• Reciprocal links to other blogs who reference author’s blog.
• Link exchanges with other websites to cross-advertise website/blog
• An author newsletter (preferably with 3 thousand or more subscribers).
• Web statistics proving hits, subscribers base, and link exchanges and reach/frequency of author’s over all web presence.
• Social networking tie-ins (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace)
• Podcast library of quick tips/advice w/ subscription base (available on iTunes, etc.)
• Video/book trailers
• Free list building products (video clips of advice, sample chapters, etc.)
• Guest blogging on related sites
• PPC advertising
• Article marketing
• Lecture/keynote speaking at writer’s conferences, publishing industry panels, and other high-profile writing venues

All these new goodies are in addition to the traditional promotional elements used by publishers and publicists: radio spots, readings, print ads, reviews, etc. But, more and more, before any of the traditional promo is considered, authors are expected to have their platform already in place and humming, and thousands of moon-eyed admirers flocking to their various electronic feeding stations. “We are Borg—resistance is futile.” It may sound like I’m lamenting the loss of innocence of some bygone age of author-centric, when-book-was-king publishing. Not really. Even before the Internet age publishing was cutthroat and tough-as-nails, and many an author was chewed up in the machinery of the book-promo sales cycle. The ironic thing is that the new-media age has actually opened up real possibilities for authors to become more independent and more powerful in the sales and promotion of their work.

Many authors are deciding to just bypass the traditional publishing companies and brand themselves on the Internet through self-publishing options like iUniverse or CreateSpace, or simply through setting up their own boutique publishing companies. Hey, if we have to go to all the time and expense of platforming ourselves, why not just take the whole publishing enchilada in our own hands and live and die by our own bad selves? Rather than a bane, I think platforming may be a boon to writers. And if you haven’t already figured it out—you’re reading part of my own platform right now. And yes—you will be assimilated!

Afghan Women Writer's Project - Heroines in the Making

The next time I hear a writer whine about how hard it is to be a writer, or how difficult their lives are that they can't find time to write, or how much struggle there is in being a creative person—I'm going to punch them in the nose. And then I'm going to make them read every single blog on the Afghan Women's Writers Project blog site.

You think you have it bad? You think working a job, raising a family, working with reduced income and peevish spouses who pout because you spend too much time writing are all too much to bear? Well, my dears, how about this:

• Being told by your brothers they'll cut your legs off unless you stop writing.
• Being told if you try to leave or escape then they'll beat your mother to death.
• Being told by the Taliban to quite your job because you are a woman and you shouldn't be working, and if you don't quite they will kidnap you, your, brother and your father and KILL EVERYONE.
• Being married off to some old fart in your village for six thousand dollars and then being told you'll have to stop writing OR ELSE.
• Being afraid to go to an Internet cafe to write because women aren't allowed to be in such a place, and if you are spotted then you and your family will have to move to a new city because you'll ALL BE KILLED.

Okay you poor, struggling artist ... do you still want to complain? God I hope not, because I'll have to punch you in the nose!

I'm frustrated and in despair for these women. But, I'm also inspired, emboldened, out-raged, in-raged, liberated and humbled by their courage and spirit. They are the heroines and the role models writers everywhere can look to for the promise of the future. Creative people have always been on the cutting edge of freedom and insurgency, both politically and spiritually. Male or female, we all have something to learn from what the Afghan women are teaching us. The word is mightier than the sword, or the burqa, or the Taliban. They might cut off our heads, cut off our legs, murder our families, and rape us (yes, they do that to men and women), but they will lose. They have already lost. The women writers of Afghanistan make this obvious.

These women are my sisters. And I'm honored to be a part of that family ... even if I have never met them, or may never meet them. Fight for freedom, fight for dignity and fight for voice. Support the Afghan Women's Writing Project. Read their blogs, donate money, help us get them computers so they can write from home using safe Internet connections. For a little money we can send a message to the dark forces of the world that you cannot silence human dignity!

Here is information you can use to act, I ask you to do what you can:

Blog Site: http://www.awwproject.org/

Fight the good fight and add a few sisters to your family.

Book Trailers: A Critical Part of Your Author Platform

Trailers have been around forever, even for books. But, they have traditionally been reserved for celebrity authors, or trust-fund-baby authors who could spring for them on their own. And, these were usually TV commercials or radio promos. Expensive, effective, and sometimes paid for by publishers in the bygone days when pubs actually promoted author's work.


Now, as the publishing industry morphs into something still unrecognizable and as the Internet continues to level the publishing playing field, the book trailer is coming of age. The ubiquitous author platform (that animal every author needs, but that few author's know they need) now has a new essential component: the book trailer.

If you haven't seen one of these animals, go to Book Trailers, a Blogspot blog. This site lets you view a host of genres and associated book trailers. Novelist Masha Hamilton did her own book trailer for her new novel, "31 Hours," which cost her a pretty penny, but this kind of exposure and advertising is essential now to promote one's work. One of my favorites is a trailer for the New Zealand Book Council, promoting a New Zealand author Maurice Gee's new book "Going West." This is one of the most imaginative and effective trailers I have seen. But, it also illustrates the growing challenge for writers.

No longer can a writer get away with a low-quality, bare-bones marketing campaign. You have to have high production values, which means spending thousand on trailers, websites, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) gurus, and maintenance costs maintaining all these new platforms (gotta pay some techie to make fixes, changes, etc.).

So, herein lies the new challenge: when publishers refuse to spend money promoting authors, and expect the authors to fund this themselves as much as possible, how is a first-time writer expected to compete if h/she doesn't have the marketing budget to set up a website, develop a book trailer, hire SEO experts to get their trailer/site visible on the Web, etc.?

"The publishing problem has been solved," as one publishing luminary has said. But, with more control and power over our work, with the ability to now publish ourselves in a professional and polished way ... the old phrase "with great power comes great responsibility" takes on profound new meaning. Because, with great power and great responsibility also comes great dollar expenditures. I'm not complaining. The new directions and opportunities for self-publishing and the power of the Internet to level the publishing playing field are awesome and exciting. But, the message to writers is loud and clear: we must start seeing our work as a business, as well as an art, and become writer-entrepreneurs. The days of "big daddy publishing" picking up the bills and doing all the work are long gone.

We are now our own publishers—it's a good thing, but gosh it sure gets expensive!

Blogs-to-Books: Cashing in on the Blogosphere

In the race to monetize new media, new strategies are emerging every month (or so it seems). One that is paying off for some writers is to transform their blogs into books. Several well-known blogs have already capitalized on this trend: Julie & Julia, PostSecret, and Stuff White People Like. In the case of Julie & Julia, the author, Julie Powell, has cashed in on a major movie deal with the result being a wonderful studio picture written and directed by Nora Ephron and starring Meryl Streep. Beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, eh Julie?

Since 2005, publishers have been looking to the Internet for new opportunities and grist for the pub mill. What they are finding is that there is a lot of "talent" out there. "Talent" here does not mean we're talking about high literature; what it means is that bloggers are producing high-concept, commercial, and marketable fare that adapt well to traditional formats—voila, profit center. Make no mistake, some of these blogger/authors are writing some fun, entertaining blogs. Julie Powell's is a great example of a personal journey worthy of any literary treatment. Julie's story would have made a great book right from the git-go. But, if you look at the other two blogs mentioned earlier, you'll see instantly how they could adapt to a nonfiction format designed for any coffee table.

It should be noted that when I say blog-to-book I'm not talking about the numerous companies (Blogbinders, Blog Books, Blog2Print, etc.) "out there" who provide fee-based services for you to "transform" your blog into a printed book. These are fine for vanity projects, or folks who want a down-dirty hard copy. NO, I'm talking about a traditional publisher and/or agent making a deal with you to get your blog published in a traditional way.

So, what do you have to do to transform your blog into a book? Or is this some backward step in media evolution? Should authors shun "old" forms like print media and look forward—always forward?

Consider what several bloggers told Mashable: The Social Media Guide regarding their recent blog-to-book deals:

Blogger: Ben Huh

Blog: A collection of photos and videos depicting various kinds of failure. Huh acquired the blog in January of 2008 with his company, Pet Holdings — of I Can Has Cheezburger? fame.

Book: Fail Nation: A Visual Romp Through the World of Epic Fails, released in October 2009 by Harper Paperbacks, is basically the blog in book form — except formatted like a travel guide with landmarks and cultural notes.

Public Reaction: “We’ve helped infect the Internet with cat fever and popularize the word ‘FAIL’ world over.”

Highest traffic point: “Every month, we currently have 220 million page views and more than 12 million people coming to the Cheezburger Network.”

How did the book deal come about?: “We were contacted by several literary agents and we pushed it off for a while until we finally had the time to do it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blogger: Pamela Slim

Blog: Escape From Cubicle Nation shows readers how to do just that — bust out free from those three gray walls and start their own businesses.

Book: Escape From Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur, released in April 2009 by Portfolio Hardcover, is a guidebook containing Slim’s best material instructing corporate drones how to strike out on their lonesomes.

Highest traffic point: “At it’s highest point, it was about 100,000 page views a month. I have never had a tremendously high traffic blog or large number of subscribers. But I have a lot of really nice readers who happen to be the kind of people who pass on my articles to others.”

How did the book deal come about?: “I got my current book deal when my publisher (Penguin/Portfolio) approached me. I had dabbled in the idea of writing a book before and had met an agent through another author friend, but the effort didn’t really go anywhere. Frustrated by lack of action and no creativity in coming up with a good proposal, I just gave up and went back to blogging. About a year and a half later, I got an e-mail from Penguin saying they were very interested in my writing and wondered if I could put together a proposal. Since they were my number one choice for a publishing house, I moved like lightening. We closed a deal in six weeks.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blogger: Walker Lamond

Blog: A collection fatherly advice on how to be a good man.

Book: Rules for My Unborn Son, released in October 2009 by St. Martins — like the blog — offers a collection of advice from father to son.

Public Reaction: “My mom really likes it. And as it turns out, quite a few other people too. Within a few weeks of going online, I attracted my core group of a few thousand readers–mostly thanks to the Tumblr community, which (contrary to popular opinion of bloggers) is incredibly supportive, especially to new writers and ideas. I thought more people might call me out on being too earnest or square, but the reaction from most people has been really positive. You need a break from the snark and irony once in a while.”

Traffic-driving methods: “Tumblr. Without it I have no idea how anyone outside my group of friends would have found the site. But the staff at Tumblr and a few of the popular bloggers saw it and wrote about it, and I was off and running. Twitter has been a surprisingly good way to get more readers. The content on my site seems well suited for it, simply because it is short and a whole post usually fits in one tweet. It doesn’t drive people to my website, but the content gets passed around and I think that has helped strengthen the brand if you will.”

Highest traffic point: “That’s like asking someone their salary. It’s not a runaway hit like Penguins or What Fat People Like or one of those hot memes, but I think more people have read my site than say, the books of Ethan Hawke. So that’s something.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are just three examples from the December 17, 2009 post at Mashable: The Social Media Guide. One thing to note on all these examples is the volume of hits per month (average). In order to get noticed by potential agents and pubs your blog will have to be in the hundreds of thousands or millions of hits per month. This is a lot of traffic! So, one of the success factors for getting your blog-to-book involves really savvy social network marketing strategizing on your part and really, really, really good SEO (search engine optimization). I'm going to do a more detailed post later down the line about steps bloggers need to take to leverage this process of book-to-blog for maximum results. I'm working with a friend on turning her terrific blog into a book, as we "speak," so I'll have some real-world experience with this in short order.

In the meantime, my take on this is pretty simple. Worry about print in ten years, not now. Right now, everything is on the table. Books are not going anywhere, but they are going to move into the background and lose their primacy as first-and-only choice for readers. As e-books evolve and become more viral, their print versions will become the aftermarket, rather than the other way around. But, right now print books are selling very well (not fiction!—nonfiction). Leveraging this fact is only smart if a blogger has a marketable idea that will translate to a printed page.

It's not enough to just write your clever blog. You have to market it, make it as viral as H1N1, and build your base into millions of hits. This means using every social media trick in the book—pun intended. Blog-to-book—one more window opens for writers, and it's a good thing.