Help One Another - Writer Style

For the longest time I've felt like I just don't do my share of helping others.

The ways I observe other writers support each other often seems like it would be more beneficial to me than to the person on whom I would focus my helping attempts. (ie. having interviews, guest-bloggers, etc...)  Additionally, I've got some social awkwardness that carries over into World-Wide Web Land.  I wanted to help other writers, but didn't really know how a shy writer with short social media reach could actually provide valuable support.

Photo Couresy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Until yesterday.

Over at The Writer's Guide to E-Publishing, author Gordon Kessler posted on maximizing an Amazon book page.  Besides getting some great marketing ideas, some of the suggestions in the post included easy yet effectual ways authors can help each other with the dreaded marketing issue.

The three ways authors can support each other on Amazon are:

1.  Did you know Amazon book pages have "like" buttons?  I didn't.  But how easy is it to simply click a button as a vote for your favorite new author (whether traditionally or indie published). As Mr. Kessler pointed out, the more "thumbs up" clicks a book has, the more perceived credibility it may have with readers, which can only help anyone achieve success.  Also, the "like" button may figure into the Amazon algorithm to determine ranking and best-seller status.

2.  Reviews, reviews, reviews. But wait, there's more.  We all know positive reviews are helpful. What I didn't know is that on Amazon the most "helpful" reviews are moved to the top of the review list. So, even if we don't have time to leave our own review, we can help our fellow authors by finding the positive reviews and clicking "yes" on the question "Was this review helpful for you?"  If the positive reviews are found to be the most helpful, then those are the ones potential readers are going to see first.

3.  Download some freebies in the same genre as your author friend's book.  The potential effect of buying your friend's book, and then downloading some freebies in the same genre is that it may (no guarantees, of course) put your author friend's book on the "Customers who bought this book also bought..." list on those other books.  This thereby increases visibility for your author friend's book.

What are some ways you support other authors?

A Writer's Hierarchy of Needs by Cindy Keen Reynders

I'm so happy to welcome my writing friend, Cindy Keen Reynders to Motivation for Creation.  One of the local published authors, she has been a source of support and assistance to me since almost the beginning of my writing.  She writes paranormal romance with a quirky humor that made even my husband laugh out loud.      

When Cindy offered to share this post about the Writer's Hierarchy of Needs, I jumped at the chance! Please enjoy the article, and give Cindy's blog, Saucy Lucy Wisdom, a visit afterward.  Take it away, Cindy!

In 1943, while Adolf Hitler was waging his reign of terror, Abraham Maslow was developing his theories on mental health and human potential. If Maslow had done research on someone with a disturbed psychology, perhaps he might have chosen Hitler. Instead, Maslow chose to study healthy, well-adapted individuals.

Because of his research, we now have a diagram called “Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs.” I’ve posted Maslow’s five levels of self-actualization. The bottom of the pyramid represents basic needs of survival, while the top levels represent what we need to personally flourish.

Maslow’s theory suggests that once people have met the basic needs of shelter, food, etc., they typically branch out to connect with others, then begin to achieve and accomplish in different areas. Now maybe this is a stretch, and I don’t have any fancy-schmancy college degrees that lend any credence to my meanderings, but I decided maybe I could translate those five levels of growth progression into what we need to grow as writers.

Please bear with my crazy ramblings, but here it is:

A WRITER'S HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS

Maslow said that in order for people to survive, they need to have basic needs met such as food, water, sleep and air. 

For writers to survive, we first need something to write with; paper and pencil, typewriter, computer--that sort of thing. We need the basic tools to record our stories. Without these, we are dead in the water because our characters and plots will stay stuck in our heads forever, driving us crazy rather than (hopefully) entertaining the masses.  

SECURITY NEEDS

Next Maslow said people need safety, security and shelter to survive. 

Let's see...for a writer, at least at the beginning of our careers, before we start earning the big bucks, that would mean we need a day job to enable us to buy food and clothes, to maintain our homes and cars and to afford health insurance. Or that would mean maybe we are retired and have a steady pension that takes care of necessities. Or we may possibly have a significant other who provides financial stability so we can concentrate on building a writing career. Here's another possibility, and this is the funnest to think about, maybe we inherited wealth or won the lottery, making us independently wealthy and enabling us to pursue writing without financial concerns. You get the idea. I think I also want to add that a writer needs a dedicated area to write in, such as a desk in the corner of the family room, a place at the kitchen table or maybe even our own office where we can focus on creating.

SOCIAL NEEDS

Maslow said social needs aren't as necessary as the psysiological and security needs. However, once the first two needs are fulfilled, people begin to reach out for friendship, companionship and acceptance. 

For writers, I would say that at this stage we begin to connect through social networking sites dedicated to writing or we begin to join writers groups and attend meetings, attend writers conferences and possibly join critique groups so we can receive feedback, recognition and acceptance as recorders of the written word. We crave being with other writers, to feel the special energy that wordsmiths create and to hold discussions using the unique language known only by other authors.

ESTEEM NEEDS

Once the first three needs are satisfied, Maslow found that people needed to validate themselves by building their self esteem. 

For writers, at this point, we may feel confident enough in our writing that we begin to submit our work to writers contests where we will hopefully receive enough positive feedback to improve our scores, enabling us to eventually place in a contest or possibly even win. At this point, writers are probably confident enough to submit their work, weathering the rejections (albeit difficult), until eventually pieces begin to sell. Then, hallalleujah, we begin to receive recognition for our contributions to the literary world.

SELF-ACTUALIZING NEEDS

At the top tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this level happens when people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested in fulfilling their potential. 

For writers, this is where the rubber really hits the road and we begin to spread our wings. We write to please our own muses, not someone else's muse. We challenge the boundaries of our imaginations, we take on more difficult plots and our characters become deeper. We have found our voices, and we are comfortable with our writing skills and what we know about the craft. This is where our writing seems to take on a life of its own. By the time we've reached the fifth level, we are only limited by our own imaginations. In essense, we strap on wings and let our writing soar. As long as we keep our eyes on the finish line, we have nowhere to go but up.

What do you think of A Writer's Heirarchy of Needs? Is there anything that you think should be added? Do you see yourself in any of the levels?

Author of the Saucy Lucy Mystery series and the paranormal romance, The Seven Year Witch, Cindy also works as a marketing specialist at the local school district.  She lives with her husband and little dog, Ewok (who does indeed look like an Ewok).  She is currently working on the second installment of The Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan series, due for release in late 2012.  You can find Cindy at her blog, Saucy Lucy Wisdom.

Dear Loved One by Karen S. Elliott

I am so fortunate to welcome freelance editor and writer extraordinaire Karen S. Elliott to Motivation for Creation.  The first time I met Karen was through the Writer Unboxed blog, and then through the WU Facebook group.  Always helpful and friendly, she gave me some advice about some questions I had regarding blogging.  Just recently, we reconnected when I signed up for a Linked In account, and her e-mail happened to be in my contacts.  We started talking, and ended up deciding to swap some blog posts! This particular post is a favorite of mine, and I think you all will enjoy it as well!

Dear [Loved One]: I am a writer

My name is not Shakespeare, Poe, Bronte, or Rowling, but I am a writer just the same.

I may not be a doctor, lawyer, or executive chief, but my writing – to me – is just as critical. Can you indulge me, just a few moments?

You read articles in People, Sports Illustrated, Time, or Cosmo about the problems with celebrities and their children, the latest athlete arrested for drugs or spousal abuse, the trouble on Wall Street, or how to apply your make-up for a night on the town. However, when I try to talk to you about the article in Writer’s Digest about e-book vs. print book or how to improve my web presence, you give me the hand wave and say, “Who cares?”

You’ll spend a half hour with your nose in a catalog for new clothes, a new computer, or new hunting gear. I’ll spend a little time trying to find that just-right creative writing class or the perfect book for getting my novel to market, and you tell me I’m wasting my time.

I supported you when you wanted to start a small business, when you wanted to get out of a small business, when you wanted to start a new job, or retire. When I have a great idea for a new book or realize the book I’m writing must be shelved, you say, “Oh well” without lifting your head.

I’ve spent hours in the car with you to get to the ball game, watch the ball game, and get home from the ball game. I’ve watched, waved, and smiled as you pull out of the driveway on your way to that week-long hunting or fishing trip or when you were going for a girls’ weekend at the spa. But when I plan a day-long workshop at the local university or a weekend conference in Vegas or Seattle, you ask me, “What about the kids?” “What about dinner?”

I’ve sympathized over your aching joints or shin splints, your aching back, and your stress-related headaches. But when I describe my tired, bloodshot eyes or I’m afraid I might have carpal tunnel, you remind me you told me I shouldn’t spend so much fruitless time at the computer.

I’ve observed as you spend hours watching L&O marathons, night after night of Dancing With The Stars or American Idol or weekend sporting events. But if I ask for one hour of uninterrupted time to hash out a new outline or finish my edit, you complain.

You go online and spend hours sifting through junk email, silly chain mail, and funny pictures. You play farm games, card games, or puzzle through Sudoku. I spend online time with writers, agents, publishers, editors; I learn about writing, how to query an agent, or how to land a publisher. And you wonder why I don’t do something productive.

You regale me with stories of the quirky character at the grocery store, the fabric store, or the paint guy at Home Depot. But if I try to describe one of my book characters, one of my villains, or my protagonist’s triumph, your eyes glaze over.

I agreed when you wanted to upgrade to a $1,000, 54-inch TV, when you wanted another new car or yet another pair of designer leather boots. Yet you scoff when I want to spend $500 on a weekend writers’ conference or a professionally-designed website.

You spend hours tending your garden, washing and waxing your F-150 baby in the driveway, or creating the perfect lasagna. But you tell me I’m wasting time when I struggle over the perfect paragraph, the perfect opening line, the perfect surprise twist.

I celebrate with you when your second cousin in Alaska has her first baby, your aunt and uncle buy a retirement condo in Florida, or your friend in Arizona graduates from ASU. The birth of my novel is barely a blip on your radar.

I have coddled you through the flu, knee surgery, and that pesky rash. I have consoled when you were depressed and commiserated with you over what the boss had the nerve to do on any given day. Yet when I try to tell you how much mind-bending, sleep-losing trouble I’m having with my final chapter, you suggest I just give it up.

You will read a book if it’s on the NYT Best Sellers list (by someone you don’t know and have no hope to ever meet), a tell-all book by a politician you didn’t vote for, or a memoir by your favorite sports figure. Why won’t you open my manuscript?

You read numerous blogs every week about cupcake-decorating, care and feeding of a Labrador, how to paint a War Hammer figurine, or how to grow the perfect rose bush. Why won’t you sign up for my blog?

I hope we never have to talk about the death of my dream. I’m afraid you won’t listen.

***

Karen was raised by a mother who wanted to be an English teacher and who worked for Merriam-Webster as a proofreader and an aunt who could complete the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in a day. Their favorite expression was, “Look it up!” Karen reads punctuation and grammar manuals for fun. Her favorite book is the dictionary.

Karen is an editor and proofreader, blogger, writer, and grandmother. Visit her blog. Connect with Karen on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.  See her new website at The Word Shark. 

An Unrecognized Positive of Platform Building

I have a confession to make.  I have been platform-building obsessed.  The fact that last night, when I started talking with my husband about this blog post, my four year old asked me if I had any new followers is proof of it.  Both of my children are knowledgeable about Twitter, tweets, and Tweetdeck.  They know the logos by sight.  But my need for a self-help group is not the subject of this blog post, so I'll continue one.

As a beginning writer, I put platform-building off because it seemed a silly idea.  I hadn’t had any success, none of my writing had been published anywhere, and who would I be talking to, anyway?  However, after it became clear I was hooked on writing, I decided to join in and began platform-building.  I started a personal Facebook page, and then a blog several months later.  My last holdout was Twitter, which I started in August.  Over time, and as my platform has grown, I have begun to recognize some positives to platform-building, the biggest two being support and motivation.

When I started writing, I concentrated on short stories.  I learned Heinlein’s Rules early on, and once I had a finished story that seemed to make sense, I started sending them out onto the submission trail of tears.  Having stories in submission, even if they were ultimately rejected, gave me the feeling of being a “real” writer.  I was engaged vicariously with the writing industry, and on occasion editors gave me favorable feedback, even if they ultimately rejected the story. 

Then I began writing my first novel.  I no longer submitted short stories, because I didn’t have any new ones to offer.  Without submitting, I also lost the sense of engagement with the writing industry and/or community.  That’s when my blog became important.

I moved my blog from tumblr to Blogger last November, about the same time that I started my novel.   I felt pretty sad about the whole blog thing because I had no followers, except my husband, one of my best friends from high school, and my cousin, who also writes.  I sincerely appreciated their kindness, but it did feel like pity-following.  At my cousin’s wise counsel, I soldiered on, and eventually got two non-related followers.  Then I was in business.  The knowledge that there were two people out in cyberspace who expected me to deliver my writing to them on a regular basis kept me blogging, even if it seemed useless because I didn’t even have a book to offer them.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, when I received a rejection from a big-name webzine.  The typical “what the heck am I doing” started running through my mind.  I thought about giving up, but the knowledge that I now had a few more than twenty followers on my blog and a little under a hundred twitter followers held me accountable to my dreams.  How could I just close up shop when all these people were watching?  I didn't want to be a quitter in front of an audience.

No, the numbers aren’t large, but they are my numbers, and quite honestly, I feel pretty convinced that the followers I do have are meaningful.  Yes, on Twitter especially, there are the people I know followed me because they want to sell me (and my friends) their book, but many of the people I have gotten to know through blogging and tweeting are people that I enjoy hearing how their lives are going.  They are people who have similar thoughts and ideas, hopes and dreams.  I have found support through platform building that motivates me to continue down the writing road.

Have you recognized any positives from platform building in your life?

The Motivation Station

After speaking with some writer friends, I decided to open up the Motivation Station.  It is a place for those who are interested in some company on the journey to meet their writing goals to share their successes and gain support in their struggles.  At this time the only real rules are that we use kind words that are positive in nature.  Click on the page link above, and check it out!

Back on Track from Procrastination

Keeping with the theme of obstacle illusions, I thought today might be a good one to talk about procrastination.  This week I returned to my day job full time, got both children (mostly) into their respective schools, and did very little writing.  I could have gotten up earlier to write in the mornings.  I could have written, even if just for ten minutes, at night before bed. 

Did I?  No. 

Why?  Procrastination, plain and simple.

I am the type of person who needs to know what direction I am going and when I need to get there.   I partially outline my stories before starting, and I set goals to keep me on track with my writing.  These two personality traits created two forces that worked against me this week. 

The first is that I have hit the point in my novel that is unknown territory.   I know how I want to end the book, but I am not sure how to get there.  Additionally, I have 60,000 words in a variety of computer files, and I am starting to feel the effects of fatigue.  The writing is not flowing so quickly, and instead of the thrill of discovery, I have the feeling of slogging through mud.   The idea of sitting at the computer and picking my way through my subconscious was not terribly appealing.

The second is the continuous tug of war that I experience between reasonable expectation and failure to meet the goals I set.  I missed my goal for finishing my first draft by June, then the end of June, and then the end of July, leading to a huge derailment of the writing train.  I became disappointed in myself, and was not going to let myself off the hook easily for missing my mark not just once, but three times!   The emotional self-flagellation did not increase writing output, but had the opposite effect.  I didn’t want to hear the voice berating me that I could be done by now if I would have…

Benjamin Franklin stated “You may delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again.”  The reality is that beating myself up for not meeting a goal does not do me (or anyone else in a similar situation) any good.  Regardless of the reasons why we procrastinate, us procrastinators need to get back on track, and continue on our paths.  We need to accept where we are at present,  make a plan to pull ourselves up out of the mud, get pointed in the right direction, and gain support to keep us there.

Easy enough, right?  I have decided to get up at five o’clock to write before I go to work for the next week.  That’s my plan.  My support is my husband, of course, but also the fact I have shared my plan with you all.  If anybody out there needs to make a plan and wants to fess up and share it here, please feel free.  We can have a support group, right here on Motivation for Creation! 

Photo courtesy of: <p><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=112">Image: Matt Banks / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>