This Website Has Moved!

Please visit my new, updated site:

emilyjeanroche.com

Doing Awesome Things Online and IRL (Linkup Party)

I love the Internet. This magical, etherial place where people can create, share, and connect with others across the globe who share similar (and radically different) interests, ideas, fandoms. I have been inspired to create a shout-out post featuring a few of my friends and family who are doing awesome things on (and off) the Internet.

Let me start with Victoria Wilson, as she is the inspiration (and link-up host) for this post. I am super proud of her courage to soon put her book into the world. She blogs over at victoriasramblings.com about her life as a writer, wife, and new mom.


Next up, my mom. Pat Gerke worked in the tasting room of a local winery for years, and asked herself what she could do with all those empty wine bottles. Now she up-cycles old bottles into awesome art. Check out her Etsy site, Bottle Redux. She also sells them around town at local shops.

Victoria Stoklasa, my friend from college, has written several political ebooks such as Sign It Into Law: How to Put Your Petition on the Ballot and Buddhism and Politics: Citizens, Politicians  and the Noble Eightfold Path. She is also an excellent photographer. She did our wedding photos! Plus her website is superbly designed. 

I recently had the opportunity to talk with author Matt Hlinak at our family reunion, and he offered me some excellent words on wisdom and insight into the publishing world. You can check out his book DoG in paperback and ebook. You can find his short stories in 100 Doors to Madness and Sudden Flash Youth. 



I hope you'll join us in some community building and share what cool things your friends are doing online. Make your own blog post for the link-up party, or leave a comment below.

Great Quotes About Writing from John Green

New York Times Bestselling novelist John Green has a lot to say about may things. From interviews, YouTube videos, twitter, etc., here is a list of quotes to inspire writers:

1. On writing The Fault in Our Stars: “I would go into Starbucks every morning at 7:30, open up my computer, and begin to weep.”  -from an interview on Colbert Report 

2. Advice to aspiring writers: “Every single day, I get emails from aspiring writers asking my advice about how to become a writer, and here is the only advice I can give: Don’t make stuff because you want to make money — it will never make you enough money. And don’t make stuff because you want to get famous — because you will never feel famous enough. Make gifts for people — and work hard on making those gifts in the hope that those people will notice and like the gifts.” -from this Volgbrothers video

3. More Advice to people who want to become writers: “My advice for the process learning to write well is, first, to read a lot. I think that’s the only apprenticeship we have as writers. That’s the only access we have to the way that stories have been worked on paper… My second piece of advice is to tell stories to your friend and pay attention to when they get board.” -from an interview with Ohio State "Writers Talk"

4. On what inspires him as a writer: “I think a lot of it was the books that I read and wanting to be a part of that conversation in a different way, not just as a reader, but also as a writer. I was inspired by every book that I ever read—weather I liked it or not—because they all have a cumulative effect.”-from John Green answers your questions at Worthington Libraries  

5. On eBooks vs. paper books: “I don’t really care how people read; I care if they read.”-from this Vlogbrothers video 

6. On books belonging to their readers: “The real business of books is not done by awards committees, or people who turn trees into paper, or editors, or agents, or even writers. We're all just facilitators. The real business is done by readers, and the Looking for Alaska that you read is not quite like the Looking for Alaska that anyone else reads.” -from this Vlogbrothers video

7. On fiction vs. reality: ”Just because it’s fictional, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” -from this AFC Wimbly Womblys video

8. On abandoning books-in-progress: “Sometimes I don’t finish the book–or at least not for a long time. That’s always a bit depressing, but I don’t think it’s wasted time–even if you end up not finishing the story. You were learning something as a writer that you needed to learn. The difficult thing is figuring out when a story really SHOULD be abandoned, and when it’s just the mid-story blues–which I think happens to every book.” -from John Green’s Website 

9. On writing characters who are different from yourself: “All fiction is an attempt at empathy: When I write, I’m trying to imagine what it’s like to be someone else more than I’m trying to express what it’s like to be me. So in that sense, it’s very helpful for me to write from the perspectives of characters who are at least a little different from me.” -from John Green’s Website 

I'm sure there are plenty more. Add your favorite John Green quotes in the comments. 

My Creative Process

My creative process is a little frazzled. I prefer large chunks of time to work on writing, but life tends to get in the way. If I find myself awake in the early morning, I brew a pot of coffee and squeeze in thirty minutes of writing before the family awakes or I have to leave for work. Again, I might get an hour or so of writing before bed, if I'm not too sleepy. Sometimes I can sneak off to a coffee shop for a few hours if need be. As it is, I've learned to write in the bits of time life, work, and family allow. Like right now, I'm writing this blog post while my daughter is watching Frozen. (Otherwise she'd be in my lap wanting a story.)

When it comes to writing, I'm the dump-and-clean-up sort. I wrote the first draft of my novel with the goal of getting the words on the page and connecting them in a coherent way. I started with the beginning, but jumped around after that. I ending up writing the ending and having to make the two ends meet. Once the first draft was finished, I let it sit for a while before editing and revising. When I revise I delete parts that don't add anything and I expand places that read like a summery. I also like to read each chapter aloud to myself to hear how it flows. So, if you ever see me at a coffee shop talking to my laptop, don't think I'm crazy.

This post was written as part of a LinkUp Party. Check out how these other bloggers explain their creative processes: http://victoriasramblings.com/your-creative-process-my-first-linkup/

The Development of a Writer

Writers are made, not born,
Photo modified from Petr Kratchvil

The idea of a "born writer" has spread as a meme. Take, for example, this pin on Pinterest. But the whole concept of being born a writer is flawed. Writing develops over time. These skills don’t grow in a vacuum void of human contact. We start out with a certain amount of potential, but we need other people’s help to get there. Early environment, engaged reading, and writing practice all shape how writers develop.

Early Environment

Learning to write starts with learning a language. The environment in which people are raised influences development. People are not born with any communication skills beyond crying. They can't even write "WAAAH!" Babies learn to talk in their home and daycare environments by listening to parents and caregivers. At an early age, humans have a capacity to learn language that is lost as we grow (which is why my toddler already knows more Spanish than I do). As Ayn Rand writes in her book The Art of Fiction, "Language is a tool which you had to learn; you did not know it at birth. When you first learned that a certain object was a table, the word table did not come to mind automatically; you repeated it many times to get used to it."

Research shows that children in poverty are exposed to fewer words than their peers in high-income households and have significantly lower vocabularies. By the time they reach school, these children have catching-up to do. It’s not fair to classify people from privileged homes as “born writers.” Being exposed to a wide range of words from a young age does shape vocabulary, and might produce better writers, but they are no more born to write than people who grew up in poverty.

Engaged Reading

Photo Harald Groven

Just as children aren’t born writers, they aren’t born readers, either. Children need to be read to, they need to be surrounded by books, they need to be engaged with text in their environment—all before the age of three. Without a proper, stimulating environment, potential can be wasted.

I hope that anyone who considers herself a writer reads widely and varied. Authors don't have to have an MFA in creative writing; although, it doesn't hurt. We learn how to write—how stories are told, how dialogue works, etc.—by reading what others have written. As author John Green put it: "I really think that reading is just as important as writing when you’re trying to be a writer because it’s the only apprenticeship we have. It’s the only way of learning how to write a story." Avid readers make better writers, and those writers are influenced by everyone they have ever read.

Writing Practice

To call someone a “born writer” is a disservice to his grade-school writing teacher. She had to read his fledgling attempts and find ways of improving them. All authors went through a period of substandard writing when they were learning. The idea of being born a writer deflates the aspirations of a young people because they aren't good at it, yet. I don't want today's students thinking they'll never be a writer. Author Maureen Johnson has something to say about that:

The more people write, the better they become. This is why there are creative writing classes, MFA programs, and sections of the bookstore dedicated to writing prompts and exercises. Neither J. D. Salinger nor J.K Rowling came out of the womb knowing how to write. It took practice and mistakes and writing and rewriting to refine the craft.

People are born with the potential to achieve greatness. And some people are born with a higher potential than others, but calling them “born writers” discredits everyone who helped them along the way. Writers are made, not born.

How to Do a Writing Workshop

10 easy steps to a writers workshop
Photo Modified from Greg Turner, Flickr

A few months ago, my writing buddies and I started the Berea Writers Circle. At our most recent meeting, we studied "The Art of Critiquing," focusing on peer-critiques. Some people call these "critique groups," others call them "writing workshops," I consider those terms interchangeable.

Many chapters and articles are written on the subject of how to do a writing workshop. For our Writers Circle, my husband John and I made this 10-point guide based on material from Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft and Susan Bell’s The Artful Edit (along with other articles and our own experience).

Before the Workshop

1. Submit a short section of writing a few days before the meeting so that everyone has adequate time to consider and comment. 
2. When critiquing another’s work, read straight through before marking corrections. You may want to note first impressions. 
3. Go back through the text. 
• Mark spelling and grammar. 
• Point out what doesn’t work—confusing language, misunderstandings.
• Write down questions you have.  
• Include praise for the good parts—saying what works can sometimes be more helpful than saying what doesn’t work. 

During the Workshop

4. Meet with the group and take turns sharing your impressions. Be mindful of the amount of time you spend talking. 
5. Listen quietly to others’ critiques. 
6. Be honest and respectful. Treat other's work as you would like your own treated. 
7. Avoid comments such as “I love it,” or “I don’t like this,” without explaining why. Include a suggestion with every criticism. 
8. Focus on major issues. (The writer can read your minor comments later.) 
9. Keep the comments about the work, not about the writer nor what you would have written. 
10. After a piece has been workshopped, the writer may briefly respond. 

Members of critique groups should commit to a regular meeting time (be it monthly, weekly, etc.), and communicate with each other regarding absences. You can send your section of writing via email a few days before. Some people mark the document using their word processor's comments and track changes functions and send it back via email. Others like to print it out and bring handwritten comments to the workshop. Do whatever feels comfortable. 

5 Ways Reading a Book is Like Drinking Wine

Photo via learningdslrvideo.com

On a chilly autumn evening, I like to curl up next to my faux electric fire with a glass of Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon and read. I'll turn the pages of a well-loved book, or I'll download something new on my e-reader. The wine and my book help me relax after a long day. And I think how much the two have in common. 

1. Attack, Middle, and Finish
Each sip of wine tells a story. There is the attack, the beginning of the sip, that introduces the characteristics of the wine to my pallet. Next, there is the middle that contains the real body of the wine. Finally, the finish resolves in my mouth, ending the tale. The attack, middle and finish parallel the beginning middle and end of a story arc. And, like a good wine, a good story lingers with me after it's gone.  

2. Better with Age

On our honeymoon, my husband and I indulged in a bottle Château Gruaud-Larose. It was so good that we bought another bottle to take home and let age. We couldn't do that with a lower quality wine. At least, it wouldn't turn out very well. Quality books are like vintage wine: they withstand time to be read again in the future. We call them classics.

3. The Cheap Stuff

Drink too much Three-Buck Chuck, and my taste buds lower their standards. "This stuffs excellent," I think. When I get around to drinking something decent, I realize I'd forgotten what good wine tastes like. When I finally open that Château Gruaud-Larose my pallet will revel in what it's been missing. Similarly, after reading a slew of airport novels, my brain adjusts to that style. It can even start to affect my writing. Thus it is important to read (and drink) widely and varied.

4. The Book Hangover
Sometimes I read late into the night, binging on the urgency of character-driven plots. "Just one more chapter," I tell myself. "Then I'll go to bed." After a night like that, I wake in the morning groggy and cotton-mouthed. I force myself to leave the covers. Un-showered, I trudge in late to work and vow to never do that again. The same goes with too much cheap wine. This is why I try not to drink (or binge read) on a school night.  

5. You Can't Judge a Wine by its Label
The title and cover of a book can't guarantee what sort of story lies inside. While the cover gives some inkling of the genre and the title tells me something about the story, I can't really know if I like it without reading. Likewise, a wine label might tell what grapes were used or the region where they grew, but I don't know if I like the wine before I take that first sip. I can't be sure about the book before I read the first chapter.