Tag: writers

Musical Inspiration, Musings of A Writer

The Beatles, Still Inspiring Me After All These Years

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The Long And Winding Road That Always Leads Me Back To The Beatles

The long and winding road of writing always leads me back to the Beatles.

I am not much for writing fan letters, but as someone who loves music, and loves the Beatles even more, I wrote a letter to Rick Rubin about the documentary McCartney 321. It made my HULU subscription worth it. I found it to be an innovative approach to discussing the genius of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, as members of The Beatles and as solo artists. More importantly, it showcased the love they had for one another and the respect they had for other artists and genres of music. I  found the aspect of delving into tracks from a producer’s point of view to be fascinating. The way he pulled apart different aspects of tracks from the songwriting and instrumental perspective, made me appreciate the layering of sounds and the genius of the producer Sir George Martin.
For me, one of the things that make the Beatles as influential as they’ve been was their youthful sense of adventure and fun. They weren’t afraid to learn and try new things. There’s a sense of fun and brotherhood on every track. Whether it’s a ballad or soaring rock, it feels like we are there in the studio with them.  As artists, they understood the contribution producers made to each song. It was far more than just sitting behind glass. A producer serves as another member of the band, and they are just as important to the collaboration.  I’m a Gen-Xer and I will admit that I don’t understand how the music industry works now in a streaming Pandora and Spotify world, but I understand how much a good producer means to an artist or group.
I can’t remember when I fell in love with The Beatles. I’ve adored them for as long as I can remember. I had a super crush on Paul, who was and still is, the cute Beatle. He’s also the same age as my dad, who I believe is the coolest man in the world. Sir Paul is in my top five.  There may be some people who don’t know who Rick Rubin is, but he has produced everyone including Beastie Boys, RUN DMC, LL Cool J, Adele, Public Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joan Jett, Tom Petty, and the Heartbreakers, Rage Against The Machine, Johnny Cash, Mick Jagger, Dixie Chicks. Shakira, Linkin Park, Kanye West, Eminem, and the Wu-Tang Clan, just to name a few. I believed his eclectic taste and love for music, made him the right person to sit down with Sir Paul to discuss the Beatles and his solo work.
Ostensibly, writing and songwriting are different and the same. A songwriter is concerned with the way lyrics flow as its set to music. The words and the beat illicit different things to different people while everyone enjoys it.  Writing articles or books is another aspect of art in which words are used to transport readers into the pages, or inform their minds about different subjects.  I’ve always found that music helps me set a mood when I’m writing and I play everything from the Beatles catalog as a group and solo artists. One of my favorite ways to enjoy their music is in the car listening to the Beatles station on Sirius-XM.  it’s essentially all of The Beatles’ music, but they play the artists and records that inspired John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
There are plenty of arguments about songwriters and who is considered the best. While taste is subjective, for my money, The Beatles will always be at the top. They helped pave the way for the innovation that so many take for granted these days. Listening to their genius fuels my literary journey. I am sure other writers have artists that inspire paragraphs and pages. I hope you continue to enjoy whoever puts a smile on your face while you put pen to paper.
As a fan, this documentary was enough to keep me going until Peter Jackson’s Get Back hits the theaters or streaming services. I am looking forward to it.  If you’re a fan or someone who appreciates music, McCartney 321, is a documentary you should check out.
Happy Writing Everyone.
Musings of A Writer, View from the inside of a Literary Agents office

A Writer’s Life- Do you need a literary agent?

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Do you need an agent?

Most publishing professionals have been asked a slew of questions about the process, one of the most common questions we get is about whether or not you need a literary agent to get published.  So, as an agent, I thought I would address the definition of a literary agent and what we can and cannot do for writers.

What is a literary agent?

A literary agent is a person who represents the business interests of writers and their written works. We work with both new and established writers. Agents work with the Big Four Publishers, (Penguin/Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, and Macmillan) Simon and Schuster were a part of the Big Five. It’s been acquired by Bertelsmann, which also owns Random House and Penguin. In addition to staying abreast of all the changes within the industry, we’ve cultivated relationships with independent publishers, boutique presses, and small presses. Agents negotiate with publishers for the rights to publish their written works. This also includes subsidiary rights such as options from film producers, and theatrical or film producers for the rights to bring a writer’s written works to the big or small screen, as well as the stage.  The fee agents charge generally ranges between 15 to 20%.

What can a literary agent do for your career?

What a literary agent can do for writers

  1. In addition to negotiating publishing contracts on a writer’s behalf, we also keep track of any monies and payments coming to the writer whether it’s on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis.
  2. Agents are avid readers, and they both read and review manuscripts for both fiction and nonfiction works. A good literary agent will give you feedback and insights from their side of the desk. They’ll do their best to make sure your work shines.
  3. Agents spend their time pitching their client’s projects. They work to tailor each pitch to bring out the maximum interest of the acquisitions editor, editorial director, and editorial staff that reviews them. Agents rely on their authors to help them create the pitch, no one knows their work better. Additionally, literary agents will provide an assist for marketing plans, which are very important to secure an offer of publication for both fiction and nonfiction works.
  4. Agents also keep track of all submissions and they make sure to follow each publisher’s guidelines to the letter.

What an agent doesn’t do

  1. Agents aren’t copy and line editors. While they are happy to provide feedback, the work of getting the manuscript into fighting shape is up to the writer. We suggest hiring a reputable editor to do the work.
  2. A good agent doesn’t charge a reading fee. Reading is a part of the job description. A lot of agents know good copy and line editors and proofreaders. They may have a few names for you, but there are no finders fees paid to the agent for every writer a freelance editor works with.
  3. Literary agents can’t make or guarantee that a publisher will offer you a contract. Agents will do their best to get you published. Remember, an agent doesn’t make a dime until the writer does.
  4. Agents have a lot of connections, but they aren’t publicists, editors, or advertising and marketing professionals.  Think of it this way, you might have a great cardiologist, but if you need heart surgery, you need a cardiothoracic surgeon. Even though your cardiologist specializes in heart health, you need an experienced surgeon. If a writer hires a publicist, the agent can work with them in terms of logistics and be a liaison between the publishing company and the PR firm.
  5. Agents cannot advise writers about tax or legal issues. See number 4.

What’s the benefit of having a literary agent represent you

A literary agent allows writers to concentrate on writing. The agent will focus on procuring the best and most lucrative offers they can on behalf of their clients. There are great benefits to having an agent land a deal with a traditional publisher, be it the Big Four or an independent press. First and foremost, nearly all the high-profile publishing companies don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, whether it’s the next Harry Potter or War and Peace. Agents are the gatekeepers of sorts. They have vetted the authors they represent and editors know they can trust the agent’s client list. This is the difference between getting a read or sitting in an enormous slush pile.

How can you find a literary agent

You can use a guidebook to help you find a literary agent. One of the top resources you can use is The Writer’s Market Guide to Literary Agents 2020: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published (2020). The Writer’s Market has been around for a long time and is pretty accurate. The listings are exhaustive and contain each agent’s specific specialties. Moreover, it lets you know if they are taking on new clients and what their submissions requirements are to be considered. It’s important to pay attention to those details and follow them to the letter.

You may also be able to get more information online through Reedsy, a website for writers and writing professionals. There is also literaryagencies.com which has a list of agents from around the country.

Hurry up and wait. What happens after you decide to seek a literary agent out for representation

Once you’ve completed your research, make sure your manuscript is in the best shape it can be when you query and submit it to an agent. With the exception of large firms, most agencies aren’t that large and it may take some time for them to get back to anyone who queries them. Try to query during their submissions period. Even then, it may take time before you hear back. Most agencies’ email servers will send an email to let you know your query was received. However, if you haven’t heard anything back in two weeks, send a follow-up email to see if your query was received. Most agents are happy to check their queue.

On average it may take anywhere from six to ten weeks for most agents to get back to you. Don’t take it personally. Agents have clients they are already actively representing, which is a good thing.

It’s important to remember that getting a book published is an exercise in patience, and with an agent, it will take more time. From your submission for representation to signing with an agent, to the agent actively pitching your book to publishers.  It’s a lot to consider. Writers must weigh the pros and cons of working with an agent and make the best decision for yourself and your writing career.

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Living Your Best Life North of Forty and Fifty Plus

Writing and Baking to find my creative Zen place

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https://stillachicklit.com/2021/01/29/when-stuck-behind-a-creative-gate-this-writer-loves-to-laminate/

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

President Harry S. Truman

President Truman seemed like the kind of man who liked to take charge. He believed the buck stopped with him. While it might seem like a bit of a stretch to relate this philosophy with creativity, it’s worked for me, in the reverse. When I find my brain is short-circuiting while I’m in the midst of writing, I go into the kitchen to re-wire my thinking, and my first inclination is to bake.

For many people, baking is mysterious and difficult. Cooking allows chefs and home chefs to think outside of the box and add a little of this, or a pinch of that. Whereas baking is a science. The formula is set in the recipe. There is no deviating. It’s that sense of order that calms me. Artists tend to live in their heads, and that’s truly seen in writers. The thought process involved in creating characters, plots, and dialogue, mixed with outside research, could drive anyone bonkers. So, it’s important to find something that aids you in this process. It doesn’t have to be cooking, baking, or anything in the kitchen. Just do something that works for you. It also works wonders if you have a presentation or report due for school or work.

I’m currently working on a novel and a couple of cookbooks. I have a few other fictional works in my queue, but I only work on one novel at a time. Doing more than that, is a recipe for disaster and it’s biting off way more than I can chew. I have begun the process of putting slides together for the cookbook and I hope to have another test kitchen to take photos for the illustrations. It’s why lamination was the way to go for me. The busy work of all the components for puff pastry keeps my hands busy and my mind focused. I figured out the layout I wanted and my family had fresh turnovers for breakfast. It’s a win-win for everyone.

The other fruit of my labor

Puff Pastry recipe by Dessert for Two adapted by me

Ingredients

2 cups (125 grams) all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend)

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

20 tablespoons high-quality unsalted butter (5 ounces), cold (vegan butter)

2/3 cup ice cold water

Instructions

In a medium bowl, add the flour and salt. Stir to mix.

Next, cube the butter and then add it to the flour bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the dough. It will be very crumbly, and you’re done when the butter is in uniform pieces all about the size of peas.

Next, make a hole in the center of the dough and pour in all of the water. Using a fork, stir to combine the dough.

Flour a cutting board, and add the dough. Pat it into a rough square. You will still see chunks of butter and it will seem too dry, but do not add extra water. The dough will come together with each roll.

Flour the rolling pin, and roll the dough out in front of you into a rectangle about 10″ long. No need to be too precise here.

Fold the bottom third of the dough over the middle of the dough. Fold the upper third of the dough on top of the middle too. Rotate the dough one-quarter turn, and repeat. Use additional flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.

Roll out, fold, and turn the dough at least 6 or 7 times.

When done, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour, or overnight. Dough may be frozen, too.

Roll out with flour for desired puff pastry use.