Getting Published Now!

Coronado Adult EducationSpring 2015

Course Content & Why Write?

• Why This Course?• Why Are You Here?

• We’ll Talk about the course content & objectives• We’ll all get a sense of why each of us are here

• We’ll look at writing from the 100,000 ft. level• Then we’ll look at some tricks of the trade

Why This Course?

• Writing anything is a journey• Most of us who do this have been mentored• Have been doing this for four decades• It might be beneficial to package what I’ve learned• This is the first time I’ve done this• We’ll learn how to do this together

Why Are You Here?

• Writing is about telling stories – it’s about the narrative

• All of us have our own narratives – and that in itself is story

• Let’s all tell the story of our lives in three minutes. Suggest starting: “I was born at a very young age.”

• Some things you might include:

The Story of My Life in Three Minutes

• Where born• Family (X-generation, siblings, etc.)• Where you grew up• Where you went to school• How you happened to be in California in 2015• What you hope to get out of this course

Some Suggested Ground Rules

• We can conduct this seminar anywhere along a spectrum• Some ground rules I’ve found helpful in courses I’ve taken:

– Interactive– Participatory– Mutual learning– Constant feedback

• No homework – but opportunities to take your game to the next level

• The “Golden Rule” for your fellow attendees• A word about power point• Slides available on my website after each session

Great…so now that the administrative “stuff” is out of the way, what will we cover in these six weeks?

Course Construct

• Seminar One: Why Write?• Seminar Two: First - and Essential - Steps• Seminar Three: Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market• Seminar Four: “The Great American Novel”• Seminar Five: Establishing an Online Presence• Seminar Six: Social Media - Challenges and Opportunities

Why Write?

• History is what writers say it is• Picking your medium• A building block approach• Due diligence the easy way

First - and Essential - Steps

• Content-hungry media• Recycling and building content• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for

both parties• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of

collaboration

Non-Fiction - The Hungry Market

• Being - or becoming - the expert?• Pursuing a subject - or letting life happen?• Scratching itches - or entertaining?• How much to tell and what’s next?

“The Great American Novel”

• Great or not-so-great? What you need to know getting started

• Mainstream or genre? Which way should you go?• Defining your audience and picking a “voice” and

point of view• Getting the sale

Establishing an Online Presence

• What makes yours unique?• Beating the competition for “eyes”• Balancing content and entertainment• Doing-it-yourself…or…?

Social Media-Challenges and Opportunities

• Everyone is doing it• Vote early and often• Building a following• Sustaining momentum

…Whew!...now that we’ve had the overall look at the course, let’s get into the first seminar…but first…some

suggested exit criteria….

Suggested Exit Criteria

• Learn something useful you can apply now• Have fun doing it (mindfully)• Develop your network among your classmates

Why Write?

“History is what the historians and writers say it is.”

Norman Polmar(Forty books – and

counting)

Why Write?

• History is what writers say it is – what you say it is• Picking your medium• A suggested building block approach• Due diligence the easy way• If you do nothing else – Bill Terry

“There are authors and artists and then again there are writers and painters.”

Ian FlemingHow to Writer a Thriller

Some Things to Consider Before You Write

• Who are you writing for?• What are you going to write?• Where are you going to write?• When are you going to write?• Why are you going to write?• How are you going to write?

So Many Outlets – So Little Time

• A wide array of online media• Newsletters• Alumni magazines• Professional journals• Popular magazines• Newspapers• Non-fiction books• Portions of non-fiction books• Short stories• Novels – of all kinds

“Now, if you’re getting all fired up and ready to pound the keys, I might inject a word of caution. Actually, this word comes from my wife. For most of us, writing is not a team sport. An article for a trade journal or a short story is no big deal, but if you find yourself writing a long piece or a book, you probably ought to have a chat with your spouse. For most of us, writing means closing off the other people in your life for several hours a day and it’s something you may want to talk about before you begin.”

Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993

With That Caution in Mind

• Telling stories – the oldest profession• Telling stories – like your life depended on it!• We all grew up on stories• Life is a narrative• The test: So you’re in a bar with your friends…

One Way of Approaching This

• Articles in alumni magazine• Articles in professional journal• Newspaper articles• Non-fiction books• Mass-market paperback novels• Conference proceedings• Best-selling novels• ….

Mr. Clancy said none of his success came easily, and he would remind aspiring writers of that when he spoke to them. “I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf,” he once said. “You do it, and keep doing it until you get it right. A lot of people think something mystical happens to you, that maybe the muse kisses you on the ear. But writing isn’t divinely inspired — it’s hard work.”

Tom ClancyQuoted in the New York TimesOctober 2, 2013

Due diligence the easy way

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or tools to write.”

Stephen King(49 books – and counting)

Due Diligence the Easy Way

• Newsletters in your professional niche• Popular magazines in your professional interest area• Books that offer a compendium of information• Books that focus on a single niche• The next step – novelizing what you do• It’s all in the library stacks!

If You Write Nothing Else

My Personal Hero: and What Made Him So

Helpful Resources

• Writers on Writing (I)• Writers on Writing (II)• NYT Book Review• NYT Book Review – Last Page

And finally….

“Some men want to die with their boots on. When I cash in my chips, I want to be slumped over the keyboard. And they can plant me with my word processor. I may wake up and want to write about it.”

Dick Couch(Fifteen books – and counting)Shipmate, April 1993

Slides Posted:http://www.georgegaldorisi.com/

Next Week

First - and Essential - Steps

• Content-hungry media• Recycling and building content• Building relationships with editors – a win-win for

both parties• Solo or with a wingman? The pros and cons of

collaboration