Writers Guild features Travel Writing 101

In some cultures, you don’t offer anything with your left hand, says Chris Ciolli, a former Midwesterner who is a teacher, writer and translator currently living in Barcelona.

Chris Ciolli

Chris shared these and other tips in her lively and informative presentation on travel writing to the Lake Writers Guild meeting in Osage Beach on July 21, 2012. She says she makes sure she extends only her right hand in these situations by sitting on her left.

Chris also spoke about the various aspects of travel writing, including researching the region prior to your trip, learning about the history of a region, its cultural standards and norms, its handicrafts, and especially sampling its cuisine. She pointed out that offering food is often the result of considerable effort and sacrifice, and turning it down can be insulting. So be adventuresome and expand your palate by trying the Durian or haggis or blood sausage, and then write about your experience.

Chris related that there are a lot of travel writers and a lot of travel markets, so take your time to focus on a different slant. Instead of describing the cathedral of Chartres, you might tell a story about someone whose life was changed by the building’s beauty and grandeur.

You can write about food or activities or handicrafts. Talk to local people whenever possible, and ask specific questions about unique customs or anecdotes. Take a lot of photographs in a variety of styles, including landscapes and portraits. Most importantly, make sure you have all names and places spelled correctly, because you may not get a second chance to get them right.

When you return from your trip, assess what you have in the way of pictures, notes or videos, if you took them. Think about your markets. Do you want to write for a food magazine? Sports? Do you want to highlight handicrafts? After you’ve made your choice, query your market, which could include a local newspaper, a trade or consumer magazine, or a travel website.

In conclusion, Chris offered the group a detailed list of travel markets. For an extensive list of Chris’s clips, you can pay her a visit at ChrisCiolli.com.

The Writers Guild will offer a program on writing for children and young adults at its next meeting on Saturday, September 15 at the Osage Beach Library. In November the Guild will offer a program on Proofreading and Editing Manuscripts, and other informative topics for authors. Mark your calendars and plan now to attend these important presentations.

How To Write and Market Books for Teens

A Presentation by Christina Williams
Written by Elizabeth Simons
of the Lake of the Ozarks Writers' Guild

 

“I got a marketing degree in 1992, but that was before the Internet. Now everything has changed,” said Christina Williams, author of Destined Love is Immortal, a novel for teens in the fantasy genre. 
 

 

At the September 15 meeting of the Lake Writers Guild, Christina talked about how she marketed her e-book, Destined Love Is Immortal, once it was finished. She chose Amazon as her venue because it provided five days of free downloads of her book every quarter. This would increase visibility and would get her book into the hands of readers who would then hopefully write an enthusiastic review and increase sales. She also talked about using Twitter to spread the word about her book.

 

Regarding the writing process, Christina said she wrote one hour a day. In a household with five children, that’s all the time she has. That hour represents about 1,000 words, or roughly three pages. “Dishes and laundry are always there, but if you write three pages you’re three pages closer to getting your novel done,” she said. That’s how she was able to write Destined Love Is Immortal, a story in the fantasy genre about a young girl who travels to Belgium to escape a troubled past, and falls in love with a most unusual hero.

 

Make your characters memorable. People may love them or hate them, but they won’t forget them. To avoid plagiarism, she said it’s better not to be reading a book while writing your own.  Keep writing, even if you feel you’re stuck. You can always go back and change things once the book is finished. She said that once she finished her novel she removed 20 pages from the beginning and condensed them into one paragraph.

 

Christina stressed the importance of formatting, especially for e-readers. And in order to get a five-star rating, it’s imperative to have an error-free manuscript.  If you have a lot of errors, people will let you know with bad reviews. 

 

She went on to say that the cover of your book is critical. Remember that some people are color blind. A white text against a dark background will grab the reader’s attention. Spending the time to create a cover that will capture the eye is critical.

 

Christina is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma and has worked, lived, and traveled extensively in Europe. Previously an owner of a martial arts school, Ms. Williams currently holds a second degree black belt in the Korean Martial Art of Han Mu Do. You may follow Christina Williams on Twitter @immortalswriter. Her e-book is currently available on Amazon.com, where it has a five star review rating. 

 

Christina distributed a list of online and print books that provided information about the writing and marketing process. For information about these publications, contact the Arts Council at lakeartscouncil@yahoo.com,  or call 573-964-6366.

Arts In The Park

Saturday, Eldon’s Rock Island Park was invaded by pirates – young pirates.  However, there was little pillaging and most of the loot they hauled away had been made by their own hands.  Bandanas, miniature sailing ships, tie-dyed shirts, and Jabbersocky puppets crafted with the denizens of Wonderland were among the prized possessions.  By the end of the day, with bellies full of hotdogs, snow cones and popcorn, the youthful plunderers boarded their transportation crafts, ordered their crews to set a course for “home” and began dreaming of what the next Art in the Park might have in store for them.

 

I love Art in the Park – a day full of laughter, creativity and free goodies for the little ones.  But, it’s not just the happiness of the children, for whom the event is hosted, that I treasure this event.  It is the outpouring of support shown by the community for these kids.  Together, parents and volunteers from lake area businesses and organizations set about creating a special day that includes free food, crafts and prizes.  Giving freely of themselves and their time, these volunteers help create wonderful memories and a strong feeling of community.

 

Of particular note was the cast of “Alice, Through the Looking Glass”, a play created and directed by Tim Williams of the Lake Arts Council.  These young actors appeared at the park, in costume, ready to spend what started out as a rainy day helping children create Jabbersockies.  The White Rabbit patiently encouraged children to repeat impossible tongue twisters to receive a felt tongue for their sock puppets.  A trio of talking flowers led the Hokey Pokey for a pair of google-eyes.  Pompoms were earned in an egg race with Humpty Dumpty and Tweedledee.  Doing a fancy jig for the Red Queen earned jewels and great praise.  Once all of the components were collected, the adventurous youths proceeded to a table to begin bringing their Jabbersockies to life.  Denise Alford, Linda Sanders, Rose Adams and the Lake Arts Council’s Youth Activities Director, Charlie O’Neill assisted the little artists with glue, markers and the patience of saints.  By two o’clock, many of the tents and tables had been folded up and put away for later use, but the costumed teens continued to welcome any late-comers.  Their excitement and cheer had not waned in the slightest throughout the procession of little boys and girls sporting paper eye-patches and painted goatees.  As the crowds dispersed, there was no sense of relief among the teens.  Instead, the excitement continued as they huddled together to discuss things they could do to at the Linn Creek Art in the Park.

To the many volunteers who made today an amazing experience and to the Miller County Child Advocacy Council who puts on this event each year, I offer, on behalf of the parents and children of the lake area, my deepest thanks.  To anyone who missed out on Saturday’s activities, reserve a spot on your calendar for Art in the Park in Linn Creek, presented by the Camden County Child Advocacy Council on October 6th.  I urge everyone to join us.  At Art in the Park, there is no such thing as too many children or too much fun and there can never, ever, be too many volunteers!

 

For more information, please call the Lake Arts Council at (573) 964-6366 or email us at lakeartscouncil@yahoo.com.