On the Premises

Some time ago, I wrote about using starter sentences to spark writing ideas. I recently ran across On the Premises, an online magazine devoted to a particular writing contest.

How does it work? Several times a year, On the Premises opens a contest to stories based on a story premise…supplied, of course, by their magazine. The premise for the current contest is:

THE PLAN

One or more characters have a plan. They think it's a good plan. Are they right? That's up to you, but whether the plan is brilliant, stupid, or anywhere in-between, something goes terribly wrong when the characters try to execute it.

Even if you don’t enter the contest, imagine the possibilities for using that premise to spark your own writing. Your story could be about a bank robbery, a wedding proposal, a surprise party or a battle. Think of anything that requires a plan, and write about it. Of course, I do urge you to enter the contest if you write a story based on their premise…the deadline isn’t until September 30, and it offers a cash prize, a chance to be published and the chance at a critique if they reject your story. (Yes, they actually critique some rejected stories, a valuable service few magazines offer these days.)

If you are interested in their contest, by the way, here’s some more info.

Write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long that clearly uses the premise.

Deadline: September 30, 2009, 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

Prizes: 1st - $140, 2nd - $100, 3rd - $70,

Honorable Mention - $25.

All payments in US dollars.

Between zero and three honorable mentions will be published.

No that you have another story idea, go forth and write!

Pedal to the Metal

It's great to talk about creative writing techniques and tools, but what about an audience? Everywhere I turn, I hear about how tough times are economically. I've also seen it proven in my own immediate family. How much good does brilliant prose do you if there's no one to read it?

Don't get me wrong; the better your writing, the better your chance of getting published. Still, in these times, it doesn't hurt to put the pedal to the metal (uh-oh, cliche alert!) and dig up some work for yourself. Here are a few websites that have helped me:

http://ezinearticles.com
This site doesn't pay for articles, but it does provide exposure. There's a lot of trash on the site (in my opinion), but real quality will stand out. You may wonder why you'd bother if it doesn't pay. Remember...exposure! Mainly, it allows you to put links in your bio to direct readers to your website, if you have one, where you can sell them your services. I'm not actively submitting to ezinearticles.com right now, but when I did, I saw a real uptick in my web traffic.

http://www.elance.com
This one is my favorite. Elance.com hooks up service providers with service seekers. It's a bit of a hassle to set up an account, but well worth the trouble. You can create a free or paid account. the free account limits the number of projects you can bid on, but it's good for a start. Yes, you have to bid on posted projects but, trust me, writing a good proposal will only sharpen your creative writing skills! You also get paid real money in a secure environment, since they offer an escrow service.

http://www.demandstudios.com
This one is new to me, and I haven't actually found work through them yet, but it looks promising. There is an application process. Try it out and tell us what you think.

http://www.guru.com
Others may have a different opinion, but I wouldn't bother with this site. They offer a free membership, but most jobs seem restricted to paid members. If you have different information, please let me know and I'll be happy to put in an addendum!

Of course, you don't want to give up on the traditional creative writer's mainstays of literary journals--and tradition methods like finding them through the Writer's Market--but sites like these can provide a boost to your income if you're a struggling writer.

Best of luck!

"Computer, Take Dictation": The New Frontier of Creative Writing

Ever wished you could dictate your creative writing and have it magically type itself? Well, you can…in a manner of speaking. No, it’s not magic; it’s speech dictation software.

Speech dictation software, also called speech-to-text software, has been around for a while but, as with most technology, it gets better after a few generations. For me, speech dictation software wasn’t worth the comparative hassle when I first discovered it. Until, that is, I found my hands full of a baby girl who didn’t want to be put down. Suddenly, my formerly dismissed ViaVoice software became a lifesaver. Still, every writer has his own needs, so you will want to think about whether it’s worth it for you. Here are some pros and cons.

Cons

• Setup is time-consuming.
  Speech dictation software needs to learn your voice and speech patterns in order to correctly take your dictation. With ViaVoice, that meant reading several scripts into the microphone so the software could recognize the words when I spoke them. Not exactly plug n’ go. Even after you set up the software, you won’t find the proverbial smooth sailing. While the going will be smoother the longer you use the software, at first you’ll likely find yourself pausing at least once per sentence to correct a case of mistaken word identity.
• Words aren’t the only things you have to dictate.
  Perhaps there are more intuitive programs out there, but the software I use requires me to dictate punctuation—commas, periods, quotation marks—and paragraph breaks. It can be frustrating to be in a zone and have to remind yourself to dictate every detail.
• Not all dictation projects are created equal.
  Some pieces of writing are easier to dictate than others. A short article like this—with simple words and straightforward speech—isn’t bad. On the other hand, you’ll probably want to think twice before dictating a fantasy epic with scores of difficult, imaginary names.
• The right software can be the wrong price.
  You can practice your typing for free, but you have to buy software. It’s a sad but true fact that the better the product, the higher the price. I bought ViaVoice because it sported a lower ticket price, but software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking can be $100, $200 or higher. The more bells and whistles (or wireless or mobile capabilities), the higher the price.

Pros

• Bad typing skills aren’t a problem.
  If you’re a two-fingered keyboard pecker, speech dictation software may save you hours once you configure it to recognize your speech patterns. In that case, it’s probably well worth the time involved in setup.
• Your hands are free.
  If you have a legitimate reason to need your hands free—such as disability, a newborn baby, or a desperate need to multitask—then speech-to-text software will give you the freedom you need to write while keeping your hands free. In fact, for those restless types, a long enough cord on your microphone will even allow you to pace. (If you’re pacing to put a crying baby to sleep, though, watch out. I’ve discovered from experience that a sensitive mic will pick up all sounds within range and try to translate them into words!)
• You can hear your words out loud.
  Many professional writers advise reading your work out loud to see if it flows as well in speech as it does in you head. Dictation gives you a jump on that process. You’ll hear your writing spoken and be able to correct rhythm and flow problems before they ever make their way to the printed page.
• MS Word isn’t the only program that responds to dictation.
  Once you learn your software, you’ll be able to use it for other programs. Software varies but, depending on the capabilities yours has, you may be able to use it to write and send emails or browse files on your computer.

Those are simply a few of the pros and cons involved with speech-to-text software. As I said before, you’ll have to look at your own situation and decide if it’s the right step for you.

If you decide to go for it, you’ll then need to look at your options. I’ve mentioned two of the best-known brands, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and ViaVoice, but there are others. Do your research and ask around, and I’m sure you’ll be fine. Soon, you’ll be back to putting words to a page…Star Trek style.

I'm Back!

For those of you who faithfully follow this blog, I apologize for my loooooong absence. With nine months of pregnancy and my daughter's subsequent birth in May, I found my hands much too full for blogging. Now, though, I hope to come back full force, starting with a post on speech dictation software. Watch for it!

Meet my new distraction: http://moiradisalvo.blogspot.com