C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

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01/28/2011 • 2:55 PM 1

VIDEO Friday Reward: Flash mob at the Eaton Centre

Viral Video Friday! (wpromote.com)
Flash Mob Wedding (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
OMG! A Flash Mob Wedding! (perezhilton.com)
Christmas Food Court Flash Mob Crowned Most Popular Flash Mob Ever (socialtimes.com)

Filed under: Media

01/28/2011 • 11:58 AM 3

Since You Asked: Writing Symposium Link

The Writer’s Union of Canada e-mail follows. (They requested we spread the word. It just occurred to me I should do just that. You know…here…obviously. Silly of me not to do so earlier. Apologies.)

SPREAD THE WORD!

The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is offering the Professional Development Symposium “Secure Footing in a Changing Literary Landscape” in Toronto, St. John’s, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria, in February and March of 2011. The symposiums take place from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Even if you have attended a Writers’ Union of Canada workshop in the past, you won’t want to miss this exciting new day-long exploration of the changing literary landscape.

Authors Betsy Warland and Ross Laird will illuminate the new landscape of digital literature and publishing and discuss its impact on traditional modes of creation. Kelly Duffin, the Union’s executive director, will discuss authors’ contracts in the digital age.

This full-day event is designed to address the creative and financial questions that arise as writers navigate print-based and digital literary landscapes. The symposium also explores the importance of community and the need for writers to develop their own writing community.

Most workshops of this calibre charge hundreds of dollars. The price of this symposium is $75.00 and covers costs, including lunch. For registration information on the city and date closest to you please go to www.writersunion.ca/registration.pdf. Please circulate this information to writers you think might be interested in coming to this event. Space is limited so register today.

Related Articles

Editing: How to take advice (chazzwrites.wordpress.com)

Filed under: authors, publishing, self-publishing, Writers, Writing Conferences, Arts, Professional development, publishing, publishing industry, wriers, writing, writing symposium

01/28/2011 • 7:00 AM 6

Editing: How to take advice

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Mostly people follow the advice that appeals to them. If five people give them the same uncomfortable advice, they’ll keep asking until lucky advisor number 15 tell them what they were hoping to hear. That’s not the way to progress.

Blogging about writing and publishing can be a quixotic adventure. For instance, I went through an entire short story one time and showed the writer precisely how he could improve his writing. These were very straight-forward craft issues that got in the way of readability. The next piece he sent me had the same problems.

Not everyone has to write like I do. However, since he was so enthusiastic about my original suggestions, I wondered if it was a question of the writer needing more time to absorb the information and practice.

In a writing critique group, you can spot the defensive people quickly. They write Stet! beside each suggestion (including that tell-tale exclamation point.) Defensive writers spend a lot of time talking when their critique group colleagues ask questions or are confused. Instead, they should be listening. Any writer is free to disregard suggestions, but not during the explanation of the concern.

Is advice all for naught? Sometimes. But professional writers take advice most of the time. They aren’t so attached to their writing that they expect it will be 100% perfect on the first draft. That’s crazy-talk. Professional writers respect writing too much to make that assumption.

Just remember: an editor’s focus is the text. They’re trying to help you.

However, if you sense an editor is looking at it as a game where they’re tracking points, zeroing in on every error as if it’s a moral victory…well. Delete them.

Also, I have to mention that sometimes the advice is just bad:

At Psychology Today I found a great post called 11 Types of Bad Writing Advice.