blog.SoupKitchenWriting

STEPS TO GET BACK INTO WRITING.

Soup Kitchen Writing — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:56:52 GMT

Want to find time to write. You have all the time there is.

Right now, write these suggestions.

OPENING LINE: Write a letter to your writing. Tell where you have been and how you feel about your work. Congratulate, apologize. Make a pledge to write often.

OPENING LINE: If we sang together would our world regain harmony.

Write for 15 minutes about our culture's loss of song.

Or write these subject: My Grandmother, Cherries, My Most Embracing Moment

POST YOUR WORK HERE OR http://blog.WriteYourLifeStory.org

IGNITE YOUR WRITING

Soup Kitchen Writing — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:14:48 GMT

Regis University has asked me to present at "FIRE WITHIN DANGEROUS MINDS" Conference, Friday Nov 7. This Forum is more than the ordinary gathering. Ignite your imagination with stimulating speakers and come
WRITE HOT! with Anne Randolph, Fri, Nov 7 at 1:15.

Check it out: FIRE WITHIN DANGEROUS MINDS
A Forum for Provocative Thinking

www.ShowMeTheFire.org Regis University, Leadership Development

OTHER WORKSHOPS AND TALKS with Soup Kitchen Writing

Thus Nov 20 11:00 am IGNITE YOUR BLOG Cherry Creek BPW (Business and Professional Women)

Sun January 11, 2009 FIRE UP YOUR WRITING! Parker Writers Group
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Parker Library

Wed January 14, 2009 WRITE HOT! Colorado Authors' League in Aurora at Dr. Judith Briles’ home
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM : Soup Kitchen Writing: Write Hot with Kitchen Table Writing!

January dives into the craft of writing with Soup Kitchen Writing founder Anne Randolph www.SoupKitchenWriting.com on Wednesday, January 14th from 6 to 9 PM in Aurora at Dr.Judith Briles’ home.

Turn your “OK” and “Good” writing into “GREAT” writing. Anne will deliver an experiential “fresh writing” workshop with all the techniques and time to actually write! Her dynamic exercises find the “white-hot center” of your work. You’ll learn how to create “tension” that grasps your reader’s attention. As Anne says, “Write is a verb. Put your words into action!” For both non-fiction and fiction writers.

GET BACK TO WRITING

Soup Kitchen Writing — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:50:32 GMT

USING PROMPTS

Here are some start lines that can ignite your writing.

Start with one of these lines. Repeat the line until something starts churning. Write whatever comes out of your pen. Be courageous, say anything, from your "grocery list" to "My mother had too much stuff and I felt..." Write at least 10 minutes or at least several pages. If you get stuck repeat the start line.

Time your writing. I set a timer for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, or 45 minutes. When the buzzer goes off, I give myself a few minutes to complete the work. If you time your writing, your body will naturally adjust to the time, giving you a Beginning, Middle and End. If you tell yourself to “wrap up” at the end of your session, your body will usually come up with a great ending line, the cap.

Try timed writing. Do it now!

OPENING LINES:

“I remember...”

“If only...”

“She could have...:

“What I really want to say is...”

“At any time...”

Send me samples of your work. http://www.SoupKitchenWriting.com or http://blog.WriteYourLifeStory.org

WHAT IS KITCHEN TABLE WRITING?

Soup Kitchen Writing — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:58:42 GMT

Any time you sit down to write and allow yourself to “free write” which I term “fresh writing” you are doing Kitchen Table Writing. You create “coffee writing: in a coffee shop, or “arm chair writing” at home, or propped up on a pillow for “bed writing,” or “airport writing”, “lunch time writing,” get the gist. Anytime you let the energy flow whether you write on your computer or most especially by hand, when you tell the truth, touch your core, you are performing Kitchen Table Writing.

The essence of Kitchen Table Writing is to allow the pen to guide. Let whatever comes out of your hand, your pen, hit the page. Kitchen Table Writing is meditative, a time for praise, acknowledgement, gratitude; a time to sort out a challenge, or to describe the tree outside your window, the sky. Free the writing spirit and let what needs to come through your subconscious erupt on the page.

One Soup Kitchen Writer describes this experience as a time to “get clear.” Another, surprised at what he had written, exclaimed, "It's the pen's fault."

Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, Kitchen Table Writing is the time that you, the writer, allow yourself to be fresh on the page.

Join Soup Kitchen Writing, write at my kitchen table, and as a bonus, you get homemade soup!
RSVP info@SoupKitchenWriting.com www.SoupKitchenWriting.com

September 12-14 RMFW Writer’s Conference

Soup Kitchen Writing — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:47:03 GMT

*Luckily, last year I was one of the presenters at the Rocky Mt Fiction Writers Sept Conference in 2007. Click Archives for a summary of this session.*

Each new autumn day brings us closer to the annual Colorado Gold Conference. Staged by the Rocky Mountain Fiction writers, this year will be the 25th conference, and offers an impressive line-up of agents and editors.

This year the Colorado Gold conference is scheduled for September 12, 13 and 14. Visiting editors include Ben LeRoy (Bleak House Books), Daniela Rapp (St. Martin’s Press), Denise Little (Tekno Books) and Faith Black (Avalon Books).

And look at the variety and quality of agents you can meet at this conference! Becca Stumpf (Prospect Agency), Donna Bagdasarian (Maria Carvainis Agency), Kate Schafer (K T Literary), Kristin Nelson (Nelson Literary Agency), Laura Rennert (Andrea Brown), Miriam Kriss (Irene Goodman Literary Agency) and Rachelle Gardner (Wordserve Literary).

Add to that impressive assembly the keynote speaker, NY Times Best-selling Author P. J. Parrish and NY Times Best-selling Author Shirley Jump as the closing speaker, and over twenty published authors who will share their market knowledge and writing techniques in three days of powerful writing workshops — and you can see why this conference is one of the region’s hottest.

I’ll be reading for Donna Bagdasarian on Friday and moderating panels with agent, Rachell Gardner and Cold Critique Reads on Saturday, as well as Shirley Jump's workshop on Synopsis that Sell. Join us!

For more information on this powerful conference, go to http://rmfw.org/conference.aspx

Try timing your writing sessions

Soup Kitchen Writing — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:08:16 GMT

Something I've learned here, other than we're all doomed, is to take an kitchen timer and set it for how ever long you can conceive of writing something. Since I'm working on four different things write now, I set it for 1/2 hour. It's amazing how that countdown spurs me.
When it dings, I wrap up what I'm doing. I make a backward outline, meaning I write down what's happened in the story not what's about to happen, write one line to spur me the next time I write, reset the time and start on the next thing.

I also time breaks. I give myself ten minutes or fifteen minutes to do what ever I'm going to do. Then I get back to it.
It works for me. Peter Schuyler, Screenwriter in LA.

Persistence Pays Off

Soup Kitchen Writing — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 07:26:04 GMT

A class member from the Screenwriters Conference in Santa Fe asked about building relations with agents, editors and producers. Here's my response:

I have found that making pitches is a numbers game. The more you make the better the response. Generally you will not hear back from folks you send scripts to or you will get a quick rejection email. Don't worry about that, just keep sending.

Another place to pitch to agents is at other conferences/ Remind me where you are from and I will try to suggest some for you. The Willemette Conference in Portland is a great one (I believe it happens the end of Aug or even the 1st of Sept) There is a good one in Denver Sept 12-13 info at www.rmfw.org. Also another good one in Colorado Springs in April by Pikes Peak Writers. Then there are all the Screenwriters ones in LA and more.

It's a good idea to build relationships. Talk with agents, producers, editors at conferences and then ask them advice questions after, just like you did in contacting me. Some folks will actually answer a question rather than talk about your work. The main point is to keep at it. Persistence pays off. Anne

Comment with your questions about submissions.

JOIN THE BLOGGING EXPLOSION!

Soup Kitchen Writing — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:50:14 GMT

I am excited to offer a workshop for the Girl Scout Leadership Conference this week. Through Building Leadership: Teaching Democracy, 35 Senior Scouts have participated in the UnConventional Women's Forum sponsored by Swanee Hunt and benefited from the DNC Conference in Denver this week.

Here is a summary of material I presented in their blogging workshop.

WHAT IS A BLOG?   A place on-line to communicate your beliefs and your thoughts.
WHO BLOGS?    See major bloggers at wwwTheBigTentDenver.org (at About, see Participating Blogs)

RESOURCES FOR BLOGGING

My blog, blog.SoupKitchenWriting.com, is hosted by GoDaddy.com. Make a comment for a prize!
At GoDaddy.com you buy your domain name (AnneRandolph.com) and get a free Webpage and Blog.

I post people’s writing at blog.WriteYourLifeStory.org. Send me some of your writing to post!

Primary places for blog hosting:   GoDaddy.com
1. WordPress.com provides a free blog. You select the template and begin.
2. Blogger.com by Google is also free.
3. TypePad.com is used by many writers. It’s not free.   Also see Sixapart.com.
4. Ning.com offers a free website and blog. I have one up as www.SoupKitchenWriting.ning.com

News blogs: www.bloglines.com
Tips for Blogging at www.BuildaBetterBlog.com

SAMPLE AUTHORS BLOGS

Anne Randolph: blog.SoupKitchenWriting.com   WriteYourLifeStory.org
Cynthia Morris: www.OriginalImpulseblog.com
Alyson B. Stanfield: www.ArtBizBlog.com
Janice Hoffman: www.RelationshipRules.com
Linda Ann Smith: PowerofRituals.wordpress.com

Keep Writing. Be Persistent.

Soup Kitchen Writing — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:46:09 GMT

A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING GOING WITH MY MANUSCRIPT. I did two things.
1. Two other writers and I formed a MasterMind Group where we check in each week to see where we are with our goals. The first two weeks of this experience was great for me. I was extremely productive. I also had a deadline which helped keep me on task.

2. I emailed some writers and asked them what they did.
Here is an answer about "keeping going" from an experienced writer.

I hear your frustration. Everything I've read says you have to be in it for the long haul. Persistance is the key. I've finally finished after 8 years. It doesn't mean I couldn't fuss over it some more. Even published writers say when they look at one of their published works they see things they'd change, but nothing's ever perfect. i'm sending it out again and starting my second book. Perhaps, you should concentrate on the rest for awhile then go back with a revised perpective.

I'm in a good writing group and the reactions of members to the revision process is telling. There are several who won't do it at all. Just send the first draft out and revision be dammed. I get tired of listening to their stuff over and over again without any improvements.

My closest writer friends are a study in contrasts. One, in her 50's, just got an agent and is working on the process. Her agent wants her to begin her second book. The other one is 28 and has had her manuscript out to several agents. They like it, but turn it down. She's rewriting but talking about giving up. That would be a shame because she is very talented. Won an award. I wish I could write as easily as she can. She's a good critiquer though.

Hope this helps. I'm just plugging away. Pat Thompson

A Writer Is

Soup Kitchen Writing — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:11:23 GMT

What a great way to describe "The Writer." This entry is from participant in www.WriteYourLifeStory.org summer workshop. Post your own version of "What is a Writer." Anne Randolph www.SoupKitchenWriting.com

A writer is... fresh, revolutionary, dressed in the garb of her grandmothers words, all the words she herself could not, would not, dared not speak. A writer is a cliff dweller with hawk eyes overlooking the sunrise and sunset of all that is and describing in detail how it feels, tastes, looks and smells. Nothing escapes the writers reach or grip unless she chooses to ignore or deny or overlook. All of life enters in naked and filters back out clothed in words, as poetry sensible or insane. A writer does not seek to please. A writer tells the truth. A true writer knows what old fashioned honesty is, simple honesty from the old days, the kind we wish politicians had. A writer is radical and deep, unique and desperate. Seething with creation all pent up if caught without a pen.

Taryn www.WriteYourLifeStory.org

GUIDE TO WRITE FREELY

Soup Kitchen Writing — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:59:42 GMT

TEN GUIDELINE FOR WRITING FREELY

1. Pick a scene in your mind

2. Think you are telling somebody a story

3. Start putting words on paper ant let your pen run

4. Remember your emotions

5. Fit in the context

6. Avoid unnecessary words and incidentals

7. Give concise descriptions of people and places

8. Inject humorous side

9. Conclude with a punch line

10. Reread and enjoy!

Philippe Dunoyer
Write Your Life Story

Wednesday morning workshop 6/4/08

"Write Freely" Rules of the Road

Soup Kitchen Writing — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:00:13 GMT

From my new book Soup Kitchen Writing: An Easy Guide to Kitchen Table Writing,
I list the 10 Rules for "Fresh Writing."

Rule #4: Go with the flow. Check the critic at the door.

When we begin our writing sessions, before we have clicked into the zone of writing, sometimes the critic slips in on little cat feet ready to haunt us. Some voice we have heard in the past, some warning that tempts to hold back creativity loves to stop us in our tracks.

The critic has a place in the afternoon when we are editing, or the voice that says, "Stop, Look and Listen" to keeps us from crossing the street without caution. But... this critic, mean old Aunt Minnie, your mother's voice, an admonishing father, all can make us strive for perfection and immobilize to creating.

Before we begin our work, CHECK THE CRITIC AT THE DOOR. If that nasty buggy won't stay outside your house, then imagine a bubble in front of you. Put that demon little wiggler in a bubble, and like letting go of a balloon, let the bubble go. Let it drift out of your space, your house, your neighborhood, way to the edge of the universe. Then gently or with great aplume, explode the bubble. Hurrah! If exploding seems too harsh, dissolve it. Let it fade away. Make fireworks and let it go. You are free. You have permission. So now sit down and write freely. Celebrate your progress! Get to writing.

Go with the flow! Check the critic at the door.

Post your writing

Soup Kitchen Writing — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:16:42 GMT

What a week in Santa Fe with Screenwriters! Folks actually got up at 7:00 AM to write in our Writer's Warm-up workshop. And they came back other mornings as well! Congrats to these early bird writers.

A couple of Santa Fe Writers have posted some of their writing as comments at the See Your Self in Print posting below. Join them.

Post samples of your story in the comments on this blog.SoupKitchenWriting.com. Go to comments, paste a bit of your story up to 3000 characters. Click subscribe in comments and you can also subscribe to this blog and get new entries sent to your email. Post your work and see yourself in print! Anne

Writing in Santa Fe

Soup Kitchen Writing — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:18:17 GMT

I'm off to Santa Fe for my 8th year to lead Writers Warmup at the Screenwriters Conference in Santa Fe along with Christopher Vogler of The Writer's Journey, Jeff Arch author of Sleepless in Seattle and Cynthia Whitcomb writer of over 70 produced screenplays. Great company. Check out their website at www.scsfe.com. Interesting people in the film world. On the weekend folks have a chance to pitch to producers. There is still room to join us. And Santa Fe is always great this time of year. Anne www.SoupKitchenWriting.com

USING PROMPTS

Soup Kitchen Writing — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:19:03 GMT

Here are some start lines that can always ignite your writing.

Start with one of these lines. Repeat the line until something starts churning. Write whatever comes out of your pen. Be courageous, say anything from your "grocery list" to "My mother had too much stuff. I felt..." Write at least 10 minutes or at least several pages. If you get stuck repeat the start line.

Time your writing. I set a timer for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 45 minutes. When the buzzer goes off I give myself a few minutes to complete the work. If you time your writing, your body will naturally adjust, giving you a good beginning, middle and end. At the end of the time if you tell yourself to wrap it up, your body will usually come up with a great ending line, the cap.

Try timed writing. Send me samples of your work. Anne www.SoupKitchenWriting.com or blog.WriteYourLifeStory.org

START LINES:

"I remember..."

"If only..."

"She could have..."

"What I really want to say is..."

SEE YOURSELF IN PRINT

Soup Kitchen Writing — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:49:58 GMT

You have been doing great work.

Your new challenge: Send it out. Post samples of your story in the comments on this blog.SoupKitchenWriting.com. Go to comments, paste a bit of your story up to 3000 characters. See yourself in print.

Dear Ending

Soup Kitchen Writing — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:50:16 GMT

At our last Soup Kitchen, editor Karen Reddick wrote this letter to her manuscript. Can't we relate to the same frustration when our writing has sat for a bit. Thanks, Karen for sharing. Let's get back to our editing and writing and refind ourselves. To all of us, finish that book! Anne Randolph www.SoupKitchenWriting.com

Writing prompt: To my writing: Dear . . .
By Karen L. Reddick

Dear Ending,

Will you ever end this 10 year agony? Will you allow me to finish this masterpiece that I call a Novel?

The stage has been set, the cast has been drawn, but the curtain will not fall. So many people have read your work and so many people want you to finish what’s started.

Give me a sign that you are ready. Give me a clue so I can move on.

The steps are in place, the readers’ await, but you sit in a drawer, unable to show yourself. You sit in a drawer, failure you say. You poser, you phony, you fake. The ending holds back for fear of exposure. For if the ending would come then the story would show that you’re not a writer, just a two-bit ‘ho.

How silly you are to think you can write. Your muse is gone now. Close this chapter and say goodnight.

Move on, move one, the story is great! Success, success it’s there don’t wait!

Karen Reddick, Author of Grammar Done Right www.TheRedPenEditor.com

From a Soup Kitchen Writer

Soup Kitchen Writing — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:19:49 GMT

Dear Writing,

Dearest writing! Lovely stream of words on the page! Why do you run into hiding when we get near other writers? I understand it’s not the writers themselves, necessarily, but the Big Writing Events where they congregate. What scares you about those events? What pierces your heart, what paralyses you, makes you mute? For myself, I feel I will be found out, proven a fraud. Something will be expected of me that I won’t be able to deliver. They will see through my shell like a pane of glass, I will be exposed and found wanting. That is my fear. Ungrounded in any lived experience but undeniable in feeling. Have you piggybacked onto my fear? Have you let my neuroses infect you? Do not allow it! Lovely writing, resist! Your voice is a bell, pure in my heart. Do not let the world squash you, or I will be lost. I rely on you daily to connect me to the things that matter, to keep my head above the waves of the daily grind that threaten always. Writing, you are beautiful. Cool when the fires rage, warm in the dead of night. You are golden in this tarnished world. My solace. My lifeline. Be strong, I will back you. Others may criticize, may say this world should go there, the ending is all wrong. Those are trifles, not the substance of you. You are the ink leaping from my pen, the unseen worlds forming in my mind. We will persevere in the face of Right Writing, Correct Grammar, The Way It Should Be Done. That is balderdash, and we won’t listen to it. Stay with me, my pearl. Together we will brave Big Writing Events, and we might see familiar faces, other writers clutching their sacred boxes of writing, hoping no one will take them or force them open. Shielding them from callous eyes, yet wanting to offer them, their most precious gifts.

Kathy Mitchell April 30, 2008

Meet Author Alyson Stanfield and her new book "I'd Rather Be In the Studio!"

Soup Kitchen Writing — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:58:53 GMT

Today I’m hosting Alyson B. Stanfield, author of I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion. Alyson is here as part of the blog tour to help promote the book and is also giving away a free copy. She’s invited me to ask a question related to the book. Welcome, Alyson.

ALYSON: Thank you for inviting me here, Anne. I have loved every writing workshop I've attended with you. You are such a positive person and I'm thrilled you wanted to host me on your blog.

ANNE: That's great. And thanks for the quote in your book from our workshop on "Why do we write by hand." You are a genius in marketing. Let's get right to some questions. And folks read on, you can win one of Alyson's new book.

How much time do you spend in writing your blog and emarketing materials?

ALYSON: This varies greatly and I really should keep track of it. In fact, your question has prompted me to do so. Maybe we can do a follow-up post next month and I’ll let you know a definite answer.

What you should know now is that in the beginning of ArtBizCoach.com, I spent probably 80% of my time marketing. I was trying to build an audience for my newsletter and randomly sent it to anyone who cared to open it. (Don’t do this unless you plan on personalizing each email. Otherwise, it’s considered spam.) Someone once told me that small business development centers tell start-ups that they should spend 70% of their time marketing for the first couple of years. I believe it.

Right now, I do very little direct marketing. I have a subscriber base of more than 7,000, which tends to help me get the word out. My goal is to keep writing a value-laden newsletter and helpful blog posts. This is how people find me. Good news travels fast! All of my workshops these days are the result of invitations sent to me. In other words, I didn’t have to seek them out. For this reason, my schedule looks very different from someone who is just starting to build a business.

What does your marketing schedule look like?

The things I do each month (or about once a month):

Write at least one article for publication, such as one for Art Calendar.

Host one complimentary teleseminar with a special guest.

Check my Web site stats.

Meet with a couple of people for coffee or lunch.

Meet with my mastermind partner.

Things I do each week:

Write my newsletter and record it as a podcast.

Link my newsletter in a blog post somehow.

Listen to an expert on a teleseminar. Last week, I listened to one on creating video for your site. I’m all pumped up about doing video now.

Attend one meeting, such as the monthly Colorado Independent Publishers Association meeting.

Check Facebook. I’m not terribly adept at this yet, but I keep going back and old friends and classmates find me, which I think is amazing.

Check my blog stats.

Update my Web sites. I have a number of them, so there’s always something that needs work. I tend to do the updates as needed.

Send thank-you notes. Lately I’ve been sending them to people who leave nice reviews on my book’s Amazon.com page.

Allow time for planning. Currently, I’m planning an artist seminar in Colorado next fall. It’s my response to having to travel so much this spring.

Things I do each day:

Comment on blogs. I am addicted to Google Alerts, so I know right when someone has posted something about me or my book on their blog. So, I hop over to their site and leave a comment.

Check in with clients and students in my classes. You may not think of this as marketing, but I do. It’s critical to maintaining relationships.

Blog. Really, I don’t post to my blog every day. The posts seem to come in fits and starts, so I might have a ton of ideas for blog posts on one day. If they’re not time sensitive, I’ll postdate them and pretty soon I have a week’s worth of posts.

Plan my day. This is my most important step. I do it at night and review it again in the morning.

Twitter (this is new to my schedule and I don’t know where it will lead, but I’m trying it out--see twitter.com).’

Please link here for the free book giveaway instructions:

http://idratherbeinthestudio.com/blogtourfreebook.html Interested in winning a free copy of’I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion’ Visit this site, read the instructions, and enter. Your odds are good as she’s giving away a free copy on most of the blog tour stops. You can increase your odds by visiting the other blog tour stops and entering on those sites as well.

THANKS ALYSON.

And thanks for joining us. Here is how to reach her. ANNE www.SoupKitchenWriting.com

Alyson B. Stanfield

Author of

I'd Rather Be in the Studio!

The Artist's No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion

P.O. Box 988
Golden, CO 80402
303.273.5904

alyson@artbizcoach.com

website -->http://www.artbizcoach.com

blog -->http://www.artbizblog.com

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR WORK

Soup Kitchen Writing — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:26:49 GMT

Some folks have asked me: How can I organize the writing I have already done?

During the week of each writing session, I suggest that you type your entry into your computer exactly as you wrote it. Give it a title and a date. I include the time of day because 8:00 am writing is different from 12:00 am work. This way you will not get behind in recording your writing into the computer. You can go back to the piece later for editing. More on recording your edited work later. Keep writing, Anne