Backchannels

It’s been a terribly difficult, tiring, anxious, confusing time, hasn’t it? Feels like we went to sleep at the end of February, and woke up in a stark dystopian novel in March.

My emotions are a snarl of quicksilver uncertainties and kindnesses and fears and back again. I feel so inarticulate, because even this attempt at description doesn’t come anywhere near close enough to the realities we’re living in.

We’ve been self-quarantining for three weeks here on the East Coast, and the governor has just issued a stay-at-home warning through April 30th; I know many states and communities have already been stay-at-home quarantining. May this keep us safe and save many, many lives. <3

As we all try to adjust to unprecedented circumstances that COVID-19 has triggered, sending you my best.

A special shout out to medical personnel, emergency crews, store clerks and other necessary-business personnel, my fellow teachers, and parents at this time— your compassion and bravery make a difference.

I’ve been making art, pondering and reflecting, walking into rooms only to stare into space with perplexity, sharing with students and friends and family, trying to listen more than I usually do, grateful for work online, and attempting to get rest whenever it’s possible (sometimes, it’s just not been possible, as we all know).

How are you coping, dear ones?

I’ve waited to blog until I had GOOD NEWS. Can’t we all use some good news right about now? One of my poems was just published at Backchannels.

Please feel free to share your good news and gratefulness, no matter how big or small, to uplift us in the barrage of near-constant virus coverage.

Sending big virtual hugs (I so miss hugging) and much love and health to you all.

By Ron Smith on Unsplash

Want to Teach Online? I've Got You: Craft Article Published Today at WOW!

“3 Exercises for Launching an Online Writing Class for Profit and Enjoyment”

By Melanie Faith

The Timing has Never Been Better to Teach Creative Writing!

The field of teaching creative writing online has flourished in the past decade. When I started teaching online classes, most universities and colleges didn’t offer any online courses and I didn’t know a single freelance writer who did, either.

Happily, in 2020, the tide has turned and opportunities abound for educators who are passionate about their love for writing.

By the way: it’s not a requirement to have taught English for years offline in public schools or to have published a book before sharing what you know with eager learners.

If you’re organized and communicative, enthusiastic about self-expression, and motivated both in your own writing practice and to direct other writers in theirs, there is sure to be a program to fit your teaching goals (or you’ll create one!) and students keen to study with you. Read on!

Why Teach Online?

The vast majority of my teaching is now as a freelancer online instructor and professor, and I love it! Let’s look at cool pros to teaching online.

A highly-flexible schedule. As a freelance teacher, I am free to go to lunch with a friend or to grade at 2 in the morning without waking at 7 am to report to a brick-and-mortar classroom.

Most classes are asynchronous, meaning that students and teachers literally can pop by any time of day and night to leave and answer messages and download/upload content, so teachers and students can communicate at 4 am in their pjs if they want.

Many online programs, including Women on Writing, offer great instructor freedom to choose texts, a class topic, and to develop a course and hand-pick or write handouts of our own choosing. This support for unique and individualistic course content inspires instructors as well as student writers.

Community building with fellow writers. I regularly make friends with creative writers from all across the world who share many of my same writing and life goals, including keeping my writing and publishing life active and lively.

       
The pleasure of making another writer’s path more-informed and supported. Much of what I learned about writing and publishing during my first ten years as a creative writer was through my own slow process of blunders. It’s very rewarding to offer fellow writers advice, and then to see them and their writing make their own pathways to editors and readers.

Motivation for my own work. Nothing keeps me engaged in my own writing process like encouraging others in theirs. As I often tell my students and clients: “We’re all writers in this writing journey together.”

Get Started Today! 3 Helpful Exercises

As you begin to consider writing topics you might teach, here are three thematic questions to get your wheels turning about the kind of class you might offer and the unique skills you will bring to an online classroom. Consider answering each question as a free-write, setting a timer for at least fifteen or twenty minutes for each question.

1.     What genres have you written in the past five years?  What style or genre of writing has most
inspired you recently? List any books (such as craft books about writing, novels, poetry collections, essay anthologies, etc.) as well as writing websites that might be fun to share.

2.      What excites you most about the opportunity to teach online?  List as much as you’d like. Pinpointing the qualities that encourage you will integrate this zest into your online classroom preparations, creating an environment where writers flourish.  

3.     Write a paragraph to introduce yourself to your ideal student. Describe what brought you to teach this class online and something about your writing journey. Feel free to share a dream for your own writing. Then, ask your delightful ideal student two or three questions you’d like to know about them. 

This exercise is one I wrote and offered to a client who was considering teaching online, and he found it very insightful to his writing process and to picturing his targeted class audience.

Over the course of a few days, your answers will point you in exciting directions for your genre, class topic/theme, and potential texts for a future course.

Students in my Creating an Online Creative-Writing Class for Fun and Profit course  will flesh out this list with several other questions, consider what to charge, write a course description and instructor bio with personality, and complete a syllabus (and much more!) for a class that they can pitch by the end of the four-week course. 

"Four Qualities of Authentic Writing" Craft Article Published at WOW Today :)

“Four Qualities of Authentic Writing”

By: Melanie Faith

I read 99 books for fun in 2019. If you’re an avid reader, too, you probably identify with the joys of reading when the minutes dissolve and the pages just keep turning and turning. Conversely, you probably also recall books that plodded so sloth-slowly that you kept counting the number of pages left to the end of the chapter.

As writers, we want our work to have all of the former’s pizzazz and none of the latter’s plodding.

What makes the difference between writing that flows and excites readers compared to writing that falls flat and bores? Authenticity, my friend.

Just like making friends is all about connection, so too writing that resonates creates a bond between author, writing, and reader/audience.

While defining authenticity within prose can be a little bit like getting gelatin to stick to a wall, there are still definite patterns to authentic writing.  We can apply these qualities as a litmus test to gauge the authenticity in our own drafts: 
       
Authentic writing includes imagery that makes the personal universal.

We all have many emotions and experiences. Boring writing tells us explicitly the name of the emotion, such as “He felt happy” or “I was mad.” Vibrant writing, on the other hand, suggests those emotions and experiences with specific visual images or symbols that express ideas subtly.

Many authors, for instance, use color imagery numerous times within a scene to underscore feelings or experiences, such as blue for sadness, green for security or growth, and red for passion or anger. While we are all individuals, we’re not as individualistic as we might at first think.

As Henri Nouwen and psychologist Carl R. Rogers once said, “What is most personal is most universal.” Authentic writing capitalizes on this knowledge to demonstrate our collective joys, struggles, shame, and healing.

       
Authentic writing tends to be understated, rather than overstated.

Ever read a paragraph that was over a page long? What was the result? Probably skimming over or through the paragraph and yawning. Lots of yawning. Rambling writing is the equivalent of the new friend at a party who expounds about everything at great length while listeners look longingly for the nearest exit.

Authentic writing doesn’t meander. It doesn’t cram everything but the kitchen sink into the paragraph or page, either. Instead, it has a theme and a point it wants to communicate to readers and omits details that are off-topic or redundant.
       
Authentic writing writes through, and not around, a subject. We’ve all read through paragraph after paragraph to get to the big revelation of an article or chapter or novel, only to have the author back away from the topic or to take a left-turn after barely any revelation at all. Talk about frustrating! Evasions don’t tend to endear people to each other, whether in person or on the page. Authentic writing includes elements of bravery.

Authentic writing risks something on the page. Authentic writing doesn’t hint at bigger analysis ahead and then offer the reader little or no fleshing out afterwards. Yes, there are many topics that are terribly scary to express and which take great courage to share with readers, whether through a character’s POV or our own.

On the other hand, risk earns readers’ respect; even if they don’t always love what the author writes, they find deflection and barriers worse. One reason readers read is to find connection (“I’ve thought that/done that, too!”); abruptly backing away from a topic or theme you’ve set up is a fast way to alienate readers and friends alike.  

Authentic writing has focus and a take-away without cliché or overly-easy advice or
solutions.

Authentic writing conveys a point without hammering it out by being repetitious. Readers tend to find repetitious writing boring or, worse, self-righteous and sanctimonious; authentic writing, on the other hand, subtly provides a purpose or a take-away and then moves on swiftly for the reader to think further about the topic on their own.

Trust your reader to make personal meaning based on the literary devices you’ve skillfully crafted and move on, to keep the pace popping.

Practice more authentic writing in my online class, beginning Friday, March 13th. Sign-up today!

Dreamers Creative Writing :)

I’ve been so happy with the responses to my books that recently I’ve decided to venture into placing some ads to spread the word further about my three flash-writing books for writers.

This is a totally new adventure for me, and I’m happy to have an ad in Dreamers Creative Writing. Check out and subscribe to this amazing print magazine with writing advice to spark your muse.

As time and finances allow, I’m going to advertise more. I’m open to other recommendations of quality venues that feature writing books and products, too.

I Guest Blogged: "3 Steps to Fixing an Annoying Protagonist"

Check out my guest blog at the fabulous Write it Sideways that went live today: “3 Steps to Fixing an Annoying Protagonist.”

In Photographic News: This One's Lomo-tastic!

Bye-bye, January (relieved to have you gone); hello, February (burgeoning with possibility)!

Treated myself to this little beauty: the Diana F+ "Mr. Pink." Can't wait to see what film photo razzle-dazzle we'll create together.

To learn more about Lomography photography, <— clicky.

New Year, New Writing: I've Got the Inspiration Station for You

This is your year! Invest in your writing dreams in 2020!

• Write poetry? Try Poetry Power! for signed copies or Poetry Power for print and ebook copies via Amazon.

What writers are saying about Poetry Power: “After reading Poetry Power, I feel confident that yes! I could be a poet. Melanie takes her readers by the hand and walks them through the whole process of writing, publishing, editing and loving poetry. Little personal vignettes scattered throughout Poetry Power made me feel like Melanie was a friend. It was as if we were in a writing group together and she was sharing her writing secrets. Each chapter ends with a Try this Prompt that are easy and exciting to try.” —Tricia L. McDonald, Writer and CEO Splattered Ink Press

• Write fiction or nonfiction? Try In a Flash for signed copies or In a Flash for print and ebook copies via Amazon.

What writers are saying about In a Flash: “Written in lively prose, and full of terrific prompts and great examples of the form, this book captures all the potential of flash prose pieces and crystallizes it expertly for the reader, whether novice or advanced.” Fred G. Leebron, director of writing programs in Charlotte, Roanoke, Gettysburg and Latin America, and Pushcart Prize and O.Henry Award recipient

• Love photography AND writing? Try Photography for Writers for signed copies or Photography for Writers for print and ebook copies via Amazon.

  What writers are saying about Photography for Writers: “If you’re a writer (or photographer!) that’s tired of the same old how-to books, then you’re in luck. Melanie’s advice takes you on a delightful tour of the creative world in a way you haven’t seen yet. Her voice and ideas will spark ideas - you’ll be laughing and learning but also producing! This book is a treat!"
  –Kandace Chapple, publisher and writer of Grand Traverse Woman magazine

• Signed book bundles available at: WritePath Productions.

Craft Article: "Introducing Your Next Characters: How to Outline Your Protagonist and Nemesis"

Great news! My craft article was published by Women on Writing today! Read on for some tips sure to develop your latest fictional protagonist and antagonist.

“Introducing Your Next Characters: How to Outline Your Protagonist and Nemesis”

By: Melanie Faith

Protagonists and antagonists: every story has them, or should have them. Our readers want someone to root for, someone they can identify with as they conquer problems both common and extraordinary. They also want an instigator, a character whose sole goal is to create the tension and conflict we experience in real life.

Think of these characters as paired all-stars in your novel—wherever there’s the protagonist striving to make their hopes and dreams happen with their actions, the antagonist should soon appear to work their devious deeds of mayhem to block those hopes and dreams.

Many writers delve straight into their initial scenes with their protagonist without knowing more about their protagonist than a name and perhaps an age. Certainly, many writers begin stories without knowing anything about the antagonists who will make it their purpose to mar the protagonist at every turn.

While one could free-write scenes for endless weeks or months, the more sensible approach is to do some quick but fruitful pre-writing to “meet” your protagonist and antagonist before setting your scenes to the page.

Outlining character details before writing chapters will:

*  save you time figuring out what your protagonist wants,

*  save you time and scenes figuring out why your protagonist is doing what (s)he is doing,

*  create immediate conflict that sets your novel’s plot into motion,

*  help you to pinpoint exactly why this protagonist desires what (s)he desires,

*  introduce you to the antagonist’s desires and why (s)he doesn’t want the protagonist to succeed,

*  and demonstrate the lengths the antagonist is willing to go to block your protagonist.

To get started, consider the following outlining exercise. Set a clock for fifteen or twenty minutes and answer these questions. Allow ideas and information to bubble up from your subconscious without editing or omitting details. Write as much or as little for each question as you wish. J  

There are many, many more approaches for developing notes about your protagonist, numerous of which I’ll explore during my course Outline Your Novel with Ease, but these initial questions will get you well on your way to a juicy conflict and two well-rounded main characters.

Feel free to keep writing beyond the ding of the timer. Pick a few of these questions, or answer them all.  Feel free to add details over the following hours and days as they appear to you. Keep in mind that protagonists are not all good and sweet, nor are antagonists all selfish or rude; we’re all a blend of qualities, emotions, circumstances, and missteps.

Then, after a few days, sit down to draft your initial scene. In the scene, use several details directly from this exercise.

By the way, you’ll learn more about your protagonist from this pre-writing exercise than you will include in the scene, which is perfectly normal and a great idea. Think of those “characters” you know in real life—you know a lot more about them (and they about you!) than either of you share directly when communicating.

Meet your protagonist:

*  What is their childhood nickname? Do they still go by this name? Would they hide it?

*  What is their birth order? Do they have siblings? Would they have liked [more] siblings or no siblings? Does anything in their background influence their thoughts about having or raising children?

*  Do they live where they thought they would as a teen? Why or why not? Are they willing to move to another location? Why or why not?

*  What is your protagonist’s dream job? Do they currently have that job? Do they have excuses for why they don’t have that job? If so, what are they?

*  Describe a time when your protagonist was overlooked or underappreciated. What would it take to make your protagonist feel like a winner?

Meet your antagonist:

*  Does your antagonist have a nickname? Do they still use it? Would they hide it?

*  Has your antagonist known your protagonist since childhood? Since college? If not, when and how did your antagonist and protagonist meet?

*  What was your antagonist’s initial (unspoken) impression of your protagonist? Describe their first conversation.

*  What is your antagonist’s biggest regret?

*  Describe a time when your antagonist felt like a winner. Then write about a time when your antagonist felt like a complete zero.

Want to learn more? Check out my 2020 classes, beginning on January 17th with Outlining Your Novel with Ease! Click here: 2020 classes info.

Welcome to the World, Photography for Writers!

At long last, it’s release day for my new book, Photography for Writers!

Buy your copy today at Vine Leaves Press. Signed copies also available, via my WritePathProduction Etsy Shop or via pm.

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash .

One Week until my Book Birthday for Photography for Writers!

Super excited for the release of my latest book next week: Photography for Writers! Check out this awesome video trailer for my book. Get your copy today at: Vine Leaves Press .