Top 28 Posts for Creative Writers By Yours Truly

A bit belatedly, for this was meant to accompany the post on the occasion of this blog's 10th anniversary, herewith a compilation of my top posts for creative writers from 2006 through March 2016.

Most address questions from my workshop students and fellow writers on craft and publishing; a few posts were prompted by my own concerns: I wanted to work out what I thought about Facebook and writers' newsletters, to take two examples. 

May these posts serve you also, dear reader. 

ON THE CRAFT OF WRITING
+ The Secret Ingredient in My Writing Process

+ Writing Loglines and the Concept of the "Eyespan"
+ Language Overlay: A Technique of Fiction
+ The Arc of Writerly Action
+ 10 Juicy Books on Creative Process
+ On Decluttering Your Writing or, Respecting the Integrity of Narrative Design: The Interior Decoration Analogy

+ A Dozen Dialogue Exercises

+ Techniques of Fiction: The Number One Technique in the Supersonic Overview

+ To All the Many People Who Ask Me to Read Their Manuscripts

+ Top 10 Reactions to Henry James' The Ambassadors

+ 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Writing Workshop

> See also my article The Manuscript Is Ready --(Or Is It?)-- What's Next? 

> See also my blog Reading Tolstoy's War and Peace

ON PUBLISHING
+ Five Super Simple Tips for Better Book Design
+ Q & A with Independent Publisher Michele Orwin, Founding Editor of Bacon Press Books
+ It's Not Like Making a Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Sandwich, But it's Not Rocket Science Either, or, How I Made my PODs (And You Can, Too)
+ How I Published My Kindles
+ Why Aren't There More Readers? A Note on Curiosity, Creativity, and Courage
+ So How's the Book Doing? (And How Many Books Have You Sold? And What Was Your Print Run?)
+ Self Publishing for All the Right Reasons (Reporting on the Writer's Center's "Publish Now!" Seminar)

+ E-Mailed Newsletters: 6 Yucky No Nos, 6 Dos, and 8 Newsletters I Relish Receiving

+ Story Farm: Katherine Dunn's Apifera

+ Book Trailers: Some Categories

>See also my articles Answers to the 3 Most Frequently Asked Questions about the Writing Business and Out of the Forest of Noise: On Publishing the Literary Short Story.

ON BLOGGING

+ Writers' Blogs and My Blog ("Madam Mayo"): Eight Conclusions After 8 Years of Blogging

> See also my article Getting Started with Blogs and Websites


ON TIME MANAGEMENT
+ Podcasting for Writers: To Commit or Not (Or Vaguely?)
+ Adios Facebook! The Six Reasons Why I Deactivated My Account
+ 30 Deadly-Effective Ways to Free Up Bits, Drips & Gimungously Vast Swaths of Time for Writing
+ Why I Am a Mega-Fan of the Filofax (Also on "Cool Tools" blog)

+ Little Walls Against the Technium

+ Decluttering a Library: The 10 Question Could-Be-a-Flowchart

So when is my next writing workshop? Probably not until 2017 because I am at work on my book about Far West Texas. Look for more posts about Texas and, apropos of that book in-progress, my "Marfa Mondays" podcasts. Twenty of a projected 24 podcasts have been posted to date. Listen in anytime.

 Your comments are always welcome. 

CLICK HERE.

I post every Monday and oftentimes more often.

Newsletter? Yes indeed. 
CLICK HERE to sign up.

Resources for Writers Page

Writing Workshop Schedule

Giant Golden Buddha & 364 More Free 5 Minute Writing Exercises

Two New Workshops at the Writer's Center: Podcasting for Writers & Writing Dialogue

How to celebrate the 150th anniversary of 5 de mayo? I'm not too big on parades, but I love giving workshops on subjects that interest me, so I'll be giving two on the same day, both at the Writer's Center in Bethesda MD:

Podcasting for Writers
May 5, 2012
10 am - 12 pm
Audio podcasts, on-line digital files, not only serve as an important promotional tool for writers, but they can be storytelling vehicles themselves, whether as stand-alone works or complements to text. This workshop provides an introduction and overview of podcasting for writers, from basic concepts to nuts-and-bolts tips. The goal is that by the end of the workshop, you will be able to go home and use your iPhone or digital recorder and computer to generate and then post a simple podcast on-line.
>>REGISTER ON-LINE



How (and How Not) to Write Dialogue
May 5, 2012
1 - 5 pm
One of the most powerfully vivid ways to show character, relationship, conflict, and/or mood is through the use of dialogue. For both beginning and advanced fiction and nonfiction writers, this workshop focuses on the use and misuse of dialogue, with a series of mini-lectures interspersed with brief exercises. The goal is by the end of the workshop, your dialogue will be of notably higher quality.
>>REGISTER ON-LINE


For more about my workshops and many on-line resources for writers, including podcasts, recommended reading lists, 365 free five minute writing exercises, visit my workshop page.

New Podcast in the Series on Creative Writing: How to Break a Block

The occasional podcast series on creative writing continues. Just posted: How to Break a Block.

Several podcasts are coming up on various subjects, including conversations with other writers. Check out my main podcast page here.

Further surfing:

>I'll be teaching "Techniques of Fiction" at the San Miguel Writers Workshops and also in Mexico City this winter. Click here for my schedule.

>Giant Golden Buddha & 364 more 5 minute writing exercises

>Recommended reading on the creative process (several cover the issue of block)

>C.M. Mayo on Creative Writing: The Best from the Blog, a free e-book for members of the Dancing Chiva Literary Club (it's free)

Workshop, Podcasts, Newsletter for September 2011

--> Tomorrow, Saturday 24th, I'll be giving a one day only workshop on "Techniques of Fiction" at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland (near Washington DC). Visit my "Workshop Schedule" page for details.

--> If you can't make that, or, even if you can, may this podcast, "The Number One Technique in the Supersonic Overview," be of use for you with your writing.

--> More podcasts, workshops, the best from the blogs, and notes on current and forthcoming publications, are in my September 2011 newsletter which just went out to subscribers. (I use www.mailchimp.com, whence the funny picture of the monkey. )

Techniques of Fiction: New Podcast & Workshop This Saturday at the Writer's Center

A new podcast went live this morning: "Techniques of Fiction: The #1 Technique in the Supersonic Overview"--- apropos of my one day workshop which will be held this Saturday, September 24th from 10 - 3 pm (includes a free hour for lunch on your own) at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland (just outside DC).

To register on-line, and for more information about the Writers Center and this workshop, click here.

P.S. Many more podcasts for writers here.

Podcasts for Writers

New on my writing workshop page: podcasts for writers. To date these include:

On Decluttering Your Writing or, Respecting the Integrity of Narrative Design: The Interior Decoration Analogy
My answer to the inevitable first question in my writing workshops. From the series on creative writing here on the "Madam Mayo" blog. (About 7 minutes.)

"Twelve Tips to Help You Hang in There and Finish Your Novel"
Adapted from a blog post for "Madam Mayo," a guest blog post for "Work-in-Progress" and the Writer's Center's blog, "First Person Plural." Also part of a talk for the Writer's Center's "First Friday" lecture series in Leesburg, Virginia. (About 12 minutes.)

"The Writing Life: A Report from the Field"
A panel discussion at the Artlantic Festival at the Writers Center, May 22, 2010, with Yours Truly, David Taylor, Alan Elsner, Kevin Quirk, and moderator Jessie Seigal. (About an hour and 16 minutes)

P.S. More resources for writers here.

I'll be offering a one day workshop on "Techniques of Fiction" at the Writer's Center on Saturday September 24, 2011, and an extended two day version of the same for the San Miguel Workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in February 2012. I may offer a workshop with Dancing Chiva in Mexico City this summer. I'll be posting updates on the workshop schedule page. (Want the news? Subscribe to the Dancing Chiva Literary Arts newsletter here, and / or my newsletter here.)

The complete list of podcasts, which cover various subjects, remains on my main podcast page-- and you can also subscribe for free on iTunes.

C.M. Mayo's Dialogue Intensive at the Writer's Center on March 7, 2010

One day only Dialogue Intensive workshop for both fiction and creative nonfiction (personal memoir, travel memoir, etc) writers, both beginning and advanced, this March 7th, 10 am - 5 pm (with a one hour break for lunch) at the Writer's Center in Bethesda MD (next to Washington DC).

One of the most powerfully vivid ways to show character, relationship, conflict and/or mood is through the use of dialogue. For both beginning and advanced fiction and nonfiction writers, this workshop focuses on the use and misuse of dialogue, with a series of mini-lectures interspersed with brief exercises. The goal is that by the end of the workshop, the dialogue in your writing will be of notably higher quality.

For more information and to register on-line, click here.

For more about my books, visit www.cmmayo.com

More anon--- including a guest-blog post.

Winter Writing Workshops with C.M. Mayo

an Miguel de Allende (Techniques of Fiction); Bethesda MD (Dialogue Intensive): and Rehoboth Beach (Point of View). Click here for more info.

Ten Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Writing Workshop

Now posted on The Writers Center blog. Click here for more resources for writers. I'll probably be offering a one day writing workshop at the Writers Center (Bethesda MD) next winter or spring. To be notified, join my mailing list. More anon.

2018 UPDATE: An expanded and improved version of this post is available on my website here.

Guest-Blogger Nani Power on 5 Interesting Facts About the Monarch Butterflies

This month is the pub date for the multi-talented writer Nani Power's latest, Feed the Hungry, a memoir with recipes, centered around a life of travel, eclectic dining, and her decidedly eccentric Southern bohemian family. It also includes a chapter on Mexico’s state of Michoacan, where her family went to see the annual Monarch Butterfly migration, and apropos of that.... over to you, Nani!

1) Between October and March, one hundred million monarch Butterflies migrate to Michoacan state in Mexico, specifically a town called Angangueo, which is a four hour drive west of Mexico City. There is only one hotel in town, so call ahead!

2) The Monarch Butterfly is that majestic orange and black creature you see flitting about in your garden. They love to eat Milkweed, which contains a resin which not only colors the wings orange but makes these butterflies poisonous to birds.

3) Be sure you don’t touch a Monarch in Pacific Grove, one of their stopping points along the way, or you will pay a five hundred dollar fine.

4) Monarch Butterflies are available on the internet for release at Weddings and other functions.

5) The flashy Monarch has been called the “Elvis” of the insect world. Thank ya, thank ya very much.

---Nani Power

P.S. Nani also gives writing and cooking workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico--- and she has one coming up this November.

--->For the archive of Madam Mayo guest-blog posts, click here.

The Writers Center Open House This Saturday

Interested in trying some creative writing? This Saturday April 5th from 12-3, the Writers Center in Bethesda MD (a hop over the line from DC) is hosting an open house. So come on in, see what the place looks like, have some coffee and cookies, talk to workshop leaders, peruse the book gallery (it may be small but it has what may be the best literary magazine rack outside of New York City). I usually give a one-day literary travel writing workshop once a season--- however, this spring I'm teaching a one-day in "flash fiction" in Mexico City via Dancing Chiva. I'll be back to offer another workshop at the Writers Center this summer. Stay tuned. For full information about the Writers Center, its many workshops and workshop leaders, and the open house, visit www.writer.org More anon.

Dancing Chiva Workshops in Mexico City

Announced today: I'll be offering two special one day writing workshops in Mexico City via Dancing Chiva.
--->October 27th: "Techniques of Fiction" and
--->January 12th: "Literary Travel Writing."
For more info, visit Dancing Chiva or my workshop page.

C.M. Mayo's 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Writing Workshop

I'm going to be giving a special one day "Techniques of the Craft of Fiction" workshop in Mexico City this fall. More info here.

[>> CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE ON THE WORKSHOP PAGE AT WWW.CMMAYO.COM OR GO TO THE NEW SELF-HOSTED WORDPRESS SITE WWW.MADAM-MAYO.COM]

#1. Buy and read your teacher's book. (Analogy: would you let a carpenter whose work you've never seen remodel your kitchen?)

#2. Ask him or her to autograph it. (An autographed first edition hardcover can be surprisingly valuable! And: flattery never hurts! Don't be shy about asking for an autograph; authors love this, they really do.)

#3. Expect to learn. (Analogy: do carpenters learn their craft wholly on their own? Maybe what you'll learn is that this is a writing teacher to avoid. Certainly, this is much cheaper experience than having a bad carpenter mess with your kitchen.)

#4. Realize that most people who come to a writing workshop have naive notions about the writing world (think money, celebrity, booze-crazed Bohemia), no clue from Adam how hard it is to write anything worth reading, how tough it is get published, and how consternating an experience it can be to be published (criminey, all these people taking your workshops who never even read your book!!). Realize, you are way ahead of the game by following steps 1-3, and that, therefore, though you might learn a lot about the craft, you do not need validation from this workshop, its leader and/or its participants, which is what you were secretly hoping for, no?

#5. Expect to give thoughtful critiques to others who (though their manuscripts are suprisingly bad, not to mention boring and often tasteless), are, strangely, resistant and argumentative. Expect also to receive unbelievably moronic comments on your manuscript and know that this, actually, is a good thing because learning to take criticism with open-minded equanimity is part of learning to be a published and productive writer--- unless, that is, you want to be a writer who cringes at every review, every blog mention, every amazon.com shark attack out of Nowheresville, and is, therefore, both miserable and miserable to be around. (You can win the Nobel Prize and someone, somewhere, will say something unkind about your writing. So, Buck up.)

#6. Despite all of the above, take very seriously your critiquing of other participants's manuscripts, for good karma and all that, but also because the fastest way to learn to recognize problems in your own manuscripts is by identifying the same in others's manuscripts. I think it was Ann Lamott who said (more or less), "we point, but do not cut, with the sword of truth." Read the pages carefully, and offer honest, thoughtful, and detailed critiques in a spirit of kindness. (Wouldn't you want the same?)

#7. Remember the bicycle analogy. Like riding a bicycle, to take criticism productively, a writer needs to be able to balance between meekness (listening to everyone) and arrogance (listening to no one). Too much of either, your writing falls flat. (Too much of either and your whole life falls flat, now that I think about it.)

#8. Do the assigned reading. To learn the craft, workshops are not enough (see again Tip #4). If you do the assigned reading while in a workshop, rather than later (or never) you have the inestimable advantage of being able to ask questions and discuss it with the workshop leader and other participants.

#9. Remember, what goes around comes around. If you come to the workshop with an attitude of respect and goodwill, you will attract the same. (Any exceptions you will, one day, consider hilarious. You can also put them in your novel, ha ha.)

#10. Before, during and after the workshop, keep writing. In other words, don't let the workshop deadlines become a crutch. Don't give your power as an artist to anyone else; find your own motivation, develop your own habits. Play God. God riding a bicycle.
--- C.M. Mayo
Copyright (c) C.M. Mayo 2007
For more tips and many other resources for writers, click here.