Hello Writers and Those Who Love Them:
In recent weeks, I’ve had a couple of amazing experiences with writing clients that can be summed up in three digits: 250. I used to proselytize about the benefits of the old Graham Greene method of writing 500 words a day (see my video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q), but let’s face it, writers have lost a lot of focus and mojo with our iPhones and Facebook posts since the days of G-Squared. (Yes, I just gave the author of The Third Man a rap name). So in the spirit of spreading the love, I throw down this velvet glove and say:
Take the 250 words a day challenge!
250 words = one page. If you can write a few chatty emails, tweet a couple of ironic observations, or write a three page note to your cat sitter (guilty!) then you can certainly bang out a page a day. As you mathematicians have already concluded, that could get you a whole 365 page manuscript within a year. But realistically you will probably end up with many more pages, because we all know the hardest thing is often to just get started. And as for going Greene, here’s what one of my clients said after I suggested trying for more words:
“I think 250 words a day works well for me because it's so no pressure on days that I feel super busy or distracted, and I've doubled or even tripled it so many times on lighter days that I think I will strike a good average without raising the absolute daily minimum. If I find I start to just scrape by, we can re-negotiate! For now this feels good: slow but very steady.”
So there you have it: in 278 words!
Please drop me a line and let me know how it's going for you.
Now, some quick biz:
My next Bang the Keys writing workshop starts on April 11.
It runs Wed. nights in Brooklyn
April 11, 18, 25, May 2, 9 & 16. $275.
Small group. Big love.
Contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
www.bangthekeys.com
This six-week workshop is meant for you if you’re a writer who has …
•A hard time balancing your own writing time with your fabulous New York life
•Too many clients, bosses and loved ones demanding a piece of you
•Too many negative voices in your head (you know, the ones who scream: It's too late, you'll fail miserably and why bother)?
•Have written yourself into a corner and need some innovative and practical help with the craft of writing and the art of editing
And if your goals are to …
•create a writing routine/schedule that allows you to "show up" for your own ideas
•develop methods for writing regularly and productively rather than just when the muse strikes.
•develop strategies to create and meet your own self-imposed deadlines.
•complete one short work in six weeks or come up with an ironclad outline for a longer project.
• connect with supportive and dedicated fellow writers
Each week we will also focus on an aspect of revision, as well as other aspects of the craft of writing. All genres welcome.
THE BOOK
If you don’t live in the vicinity, I hope you will check out the book
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bang-the-keys-jill-dearman/1100310722
THE APP
And my APP, chock full of writing exercises
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
FREE WRITING EXERCISE AS FEATURED IN THE WRITER
http://www.writermag.com/en/Writing%20Resources/Prompts/2012/01/Writing%20prompt%20No,-d-,%2029.aspx
And if your work needs editing …
SPRING EDITING SPECIAL:
Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing
I also analyze/edit dissertations for those who are all but disgusted with their theses!
Contact info: JillDearman@gmail.com
For everything else: www.bangthekeys.com
Thanks and happy writing!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Writers: Choose Art Over Idiocy!! Get Help Meeting 2012 Deadlines
Hello Friends,
Hope you are enjoying the holiday season. A few announcements and updates, and then back to overeating in the spirit of Festivus.
1. NEW EDITING SERVICE: Ph.D. Dissertations and MFA Theses
(in addition to regular fiction, nonfiction, script and poetry editing).
Ph.D. Students:
Are you “All But Disgusted” with writing ABD after your name and credentials? Are you struggling to complete your dissertation and fear you will overlook problems your advisor will pounce upon like a puma on its prey (especially if said advisor detests ubiquitous alliteration)?
MFA Students:
Are you panicking now that you are finished workshopping small sections of your book to your fellow MFA in Creative Writing classmates? You actually have to write, edit and finish your thesis on your own and are feeling the sudden urge to overeat and watch an endless stream of YouTube videos?
I will provide an in depth analysis––with an eye towards publication––and line editing, as well as prevent you from having a garden variety nervous breakdown that sadly won’t lead to a bestselling memoir.
Contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
2. HOLIDAY DISCOUNT ON EDITING SERVICES
And for the rest of you non-Schoolies:
I will be offering a HOLIDAY DISCOUNT on my regular editing services. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, poetry collection, or experimental legal thriller based on the secret memoirs of a Pomeranian princess…
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing.
Contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
3. NEW YEARS WRITING WORKSHOP – Dates and Deets
2 hours per week. Wed. nights at 6:15 in Brooklyn / Jan 11, 18, 25, Feb 1, 8 & 15.
$275 Please contact:JillDearman@gmail.com. Individual writing coach sessions also available by phone or in person. Watch the Bang the Keys video and check out the vibe before you imbibe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqjCbm2wN8Q
4. NEED WRITING EXERCISES NOW? Download the BANG THE KEYS APP as featured in The Writer Magazine:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
The Bang the Keys APP will be available for Androids soon!
And look for free writing exercises in early 2012 in The Writer Magazine.
To order my book, “Bang the Keys” (Penguin):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bang-the-keys-jill-dearman/1100310722?ean=9781592579143&itm=1&usri=bang+the+keys
5. HOLIDAY CHART READINGS
Wearing my other hat (the one with the funky symbols on it) … I will also be offering very limited astrological chart / and tarot readings at a 10% discount for the holidays. For more: http://www.jilldearman.com/services.html
Contact me at JillDearman@gmail.com.
For more on everything: www.bangthekeys.com
Hope you are enjoying the holiday season. A few announcements and updates, and then back to overeating in the spirit of Festivus.
1. NEW EDITING SERVICE: Ph.D. Dissertations and MFA Theses
(in addition to regular fiction, nonfiction, script and poetry editing).
Ph.D. Students:
Are you “All But Disgusted” with writing ABD after your name and credentials? Are you struggling to complete your dissertation and fear you will overlook problems your advisor will pounce upon like a puma on its prey (especially if said advisor detests ubiquitous alliteration)?
MFA Students:
Are you panicking now that you are finished workshopping small sections of your book to your fellow MFA in Creative Writing classmates? You actually have to write, edit and finish your thesis on your own and are feeling the sudden urge to overeat and watch an endless stream of YouTube videos?
I will provide an in depth analysis––with an eye towards publication––and line editing, as well as prevent you from having a garden variety nervous breakdown that sadly won’t lead to a bestselling memoir.
Contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
2. HOLIDAY DISCOUNT ON EDITING SERVICES
And for the rest of you non-Schoolies:
I will be offering a HOLIDAY DISCOUNT on my regular editing services. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, poetry collection, or experimental legal thriller based on the secret memoirs of a Pomeranian princess…
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing.
Contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
3. NEW YEARS WRITING WORKSHOP – Dates and Deets
2 hours per week. Wed. nights at 6:15 in Brooklyn / Jan 11, 18, 25, Feb 1, 8 & 15.
$275 Please contact:JillDearman@gmail.com. Individual writing coach sessions also available by phone or in person. Watch the Bang the Keys video and check out the vibe before you imbibe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqjCbm2wN8Q
4. NEED WRITING EXERCISES NOW? Download the BANG THE KEYS APP as featured in The Writer Magazine:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
The Bang the Keys APP will be available for Androids soon!
And look for free writing exercises in early 2012 in The Writer Magazine.
To order my book, “Bang the Keys” (Penguin):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bang-the-keys-jill-dearman/1100310722?ean=9781592579143&itm=1&usri=bang+the+keys
5. HOLIDAY CHART READINGS
Wearing my other hat (the one with the funky symbols on it) … I will also be offering very limited astrological chart / and tarot readings at a 10% discount for the holidays. For more: http://www.jilldearman.com/services.html
Contact me at JillDearman@gmail.com.
For more on everything: www.bangthekeys.com
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Top Five Inner Monologues of Paranoid Writers (Plus Fall Wkshp, Editing Special, APP & More)
Greetings and Happy Fall!
Recent studies (CNN via Twitter via some random blogger from Duluth) show that writers are more prone to paranoia than politicians, plumbers or petty thieves. In that spirit, I recently wrote up this piece on writerly paranoia for my weekly Barnes and Noble.com column. (Read when no one is looking.)
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unabashedly-Bookish-The-BN/Writerly-Paranoia-The-Top-5-Inner-Monologues/ba-p/1141060?nobounce
NEXT WORKSHOP – Dates and Deets
Bang the Keys six-week writing workshop dates and deets:
Park Slope, Brooklyn. Two hours per week. Wed. nights at 6:15 October 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2 & 9. $275. Please contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
Check out the vibe before you imbibe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
NEED WRITING EXERCISES NOW? DOWNLOAD THE BANG THE KEYS APP as featured in The Writer Magazine:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
AUTUMN EDITING SPECIAL:
In honor of the ongoing recession, I will be offering a discount on my editing services this fall. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing
Contact info: JillDearman@gmail.com
Bio: Jill Dearman is an editor, writing coach and author of Bang the Keys: Four Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice (Penguin 2009). Her editing clients include authors published by Harper Collins, Norton, Penguin, and numerous other houses; New York Times journalists and award-winning scriptwriters. For more on her editing philosophy, and blurbs from her clients go to: http://www.jilldearman.com/services.html and click on “Editor”. She is also a part-time Professor of Journalism at New York University and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. An award-winning fiction writer, her prose has been published in numerous publications including North Atlantic Review, The Portland Review, Lilith, New York Stories, and Mr. Beller's Neighborhood. As a journalist, she has written for The Writer, New York Daily News, Time Out New York, and other publications. She writes a weekly interview column for Barnes & Noble.com called “Writer to Writer.”
For more: www.bangthekeys.com
Recent studies (CNN via Twitter via some random blogger from Duluth) show that writers are more prone to paranoia than politicians, plumbers or petty thieves. In that spirit, I recently wrote up this piece on writerly paranoia for my weekly Barnes and Noble.com column. (Read when no one is looking.)
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Unabashedly-Bookish-The-BN/Writerly-Paranoia-The-Top-5-Inner-Monologues/ba-p/1141060?nobounce
NEXT WORKSHOP – Dates and Deets
Bang the Keys six-week writing workshop dates and deets:
Park Slope, Brooklyn. Two hours per week. Wed. nights at 6:15 October 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2 & 9. $275. Please contact: JillDearman@gmail.com
Check out the vibe before you imbibe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
NEED WRITING EXERCISES NOW? DOWNLOAD THE BANG THE KEYS APP as featured in The Writer Magazine:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
AUTUMN EDITING SPECIAL:
In honor of the ongoing recession, I will be offering a discount on my editing services this fall. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing
Contact info: JillDearman@gmail.com
Bio: Jill Dearman is an editor, writing coach and author of Bang the Keys: Four Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice (Penguin 2009). Her editing clients include authors published by Harper Collins, Norton, Penguin, and numerous other houses; New York Times journalists and award-winning scriptwriters. For more on her editing philosophy, and blurbs from her clients go to: http://www.jilldearman.com/services.html and click on “Editor”. She is also a part-time Professor of Journalism at New York University and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. An award-winning fiction writer, her prose has been published in numerous publications including North Atlantic Review, The Portland Review, Lilith, New York Stories, and Mr. Beller's Neighborhood. As a journalist, she has written for The Writer, New York Daily News, Time Out New York, and other publications. She writes a weekly interview column for Barnes & Noble.com called “Writer to Writer.”
For more: www.bangthekeys.com
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Free Writing Exercises! Plus Next Workshop Starts Next Week ...
Greetings and Happy Spring!
For writers and those who love them … need a couple of writing exercises to get your mojo percolating? If you are a victim of 21st Century infomania, these should help you to stop surfing and start focusing on your prose or script instead of on superficial tripe. (No disrespect to vegetarians or gourmet chefs.) When in doubt, try each of these for 15 minutes. But don’t stop there if you’re on a roll.
Exercise #1
“The Lie”
One character tells a fib that leads to another character telling a bigger lie. Then another character tells a lie in reaction to that lie. Write the scene in dialogue in the form of a playscript. Serve it up two ways:
A) “The Lie – comedy”
B) “The Lie – tragedy”
Exercise #2
“Art Changes Life”
What book or film changed the way your character views the world? How? When? Where? Why? Write a cinematic scene that captures what the experience was like for this character. Use that piece of art to inform the tone of your prose.
For more, download my Bang the Keys writing exercise APP. $2.99 on iTunes, for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. And coming soon for Android phones!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
And now, for you scribey Brooklynites…or other New Yorkers who don’t mind a subway ride:
Next Bang the Keys Writing Workshop starts this Monday, March 28.
Park Slope, Bklyn. 6:15 pm. Mon. Mar. 28, Apr. 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2.
For info: JillDearman@gmail.com / www.bangthekeys.com
For a taste of the vibe check out my book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
Finally, if you are seeking any editing help with your project, give me a holla! Good luck, mateys.
Truly, madly, deeply,
Jill
For writers and those who love them … need a couple of writing exercises to get your mojo percolating? If you are a victim of 21st Century infomania, these should help you to stop surfing and start focusing on your prose or script instead of on superficial tripe. (No disrespect to vegetarians or gourmet chefs.) When in doubt, try each of these for 15 minutes. But don’t stop there if you’re on a roll.
Exercise #1
“The Lie”
One character tells a fib that leads to another character telling a bigger lie. Then another character tells a lie in reaction to that lie. Write the scene in dialogue in the form of a playscript. Serve it up two ways:
A) “The Lie – comedy”
B) “The Lie – tragedy”
Exercise #2
“Art Changes Life”
What book or film changed the way your character views the world? How? When? Where? Why? Write a cinematic scene that captures what the experience was like for this character. Use that piece of art to inform the tone of your prose.
For more, download my Bang the Keys writing exercise APP. $2.99 on iTunes, for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. And coming soon for Android phones!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bang-the-keys/id412669850?mt=8
And now, for you scribey Brooklynites…or other New Yorkers who don’t mind a subway ride:
Next Bang the Keys Writing Workshop starts this Monday, March 28.
Park Slope, Bklyn. 6:15 pm. Mon. Mar. 28, Apr. 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2.
For info: JillDearman@gmail.com / www.bangthekeys.com
For a taste of the vibe check out my book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
Finally, if you are seeking any editing help with your project, give me a holla! Good luck, mateys.
Truly, madly, deeply,
Jill
Friday, January 28, 2011
1 DAY WRITING WORKSHOPS IN FEB/New Writing Exercise APP
In honor of my favorite holiday, Ground Hog’s Day, I’ll be doing two writing workshops, for writers who don’t want their disappointing writing histories to repeat themselves.
Sat. Feb. 5 from 10-4 in Chelsea, NYC. $180
“Break New Ground”
Ready to break bad writing habits and become a more disciplined scribe and a better craftsman? Turn that high-powered perception on yourself, Dr. Lecter, and face the monsters within. You know – the ones who say, “Do a status update now and write your story later” or “Your script is tight and camera-ready,” when you know it’s still missing some magic. The emphasis will be on mastering your own writerly character flaws, and capturing fresh, thrilling energy on the page. Break the cycle and write with maximum verve and efficiency. If you feel like a hamster on a habitrail, please contact me at JillDearman@gmail.com for more info. Squeak!
Thur. Feb. 10 from 6:30 pm to 9:30pm in Chelsea, NYC /$95
“Meditation for Writers”
It was hard enough in the old millennium just to find time to write,
what with family, work, and other demands. But now with the temptation
of Twitter, Facebook, crackberries and blogs, what's a multi-tasking
scribe to do? This workshop will provide modern as well as classic
meditation techniques to keep your mind on your writing, not on your
text messages! In addition to uncovering new ways to focus and tap into your creativity, this workshop will also provide soulful and practical techniques and support for writers who are prone to depressive or anxious mindsets. (Okay, who isn’t raising their hand?)
Sign up for both by Ground Hog’s Day (Feb. 2) and pay $250 (save 25 clams).
And if you are an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch user, please download my new Bang the Keys Writing Exercise APP on itunes: http://www.jilldearman.com/app.html
For a vibe on Bang the Keys check out the book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
For everything else:
Email: JillDearman@gmail.com
www.bangthekeys.com
Cheers!
--Jill
Sat. Feb. 5 from 10-4 in Chelsea, NYC. $180
“Break New Ground”
Ready to break bad writing habits and become a more disciplined scribe and a better craftsman? Turn that high-powered perception on yourself, Dr. Lecter, and face the monsters within. You know – the ones who say, “Do a status update now and write your story later” or “Your script is tight and camera-ready,” when you know it’s still missing some magic. The emphasis will be on mastering your own writerly character flaws, and capturing fresh, thrilling energy on the page. Break the cycle and write with maximum verve and efficiency. If you feel like a hamster on a habitrail, please contact me at JillDearman@gmail.com for more info. Squeak!
Thur. Feb. 10 from 6:30 pm to 9:30pm in Chelsea, NYC /$95
“Meditation for Writers”
It was hard enough in the old millennium just to find time to write,
what with family, work, and other demands. But now with the temptation
of Twitter, Facebook, crackberries and blogs, what's a multi-tasking
scribe to do? This workshop will provide modern as well as classic
meditation techniques to keep your mind on your writing, not on your
text messages! In addition to uncovering new ways to focus and tap into your creativity, this workshop will also provide soulful and practical techniques and support for writers who are prone to depressive or anxious mindsets. (Okay, who isn’t raising their hand?)
Sign up for both by Ground Hog’s Day (Feb. 2) and pay $250 (save 25 clams).
And if you are an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch user, please download my new Bang the Keys Writing Exercise APP on itunes: http://www.jilldearman.com/app.html
For a vibe on Bang the Keys check out the book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
For everything else:
Email: JillDearman@gmail.com
www.bangthekeys.com
Cheers!
--Jill
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
It's a Happy, APPY New Year for Writers Looking for Exercises On the Go
Greetings and Happy New Year! Some updates for writers and those who love them:
A) NEXT WORKSHOP STARTS JAN. 24
Winter 2011 Bang the Keys Writing Workshop will take place in Park Slope Brooklyn. Six Monday nights at 6:15.
Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 7, 14, 28 and Mar. 7. $275
CONTACT: JILLDEARMAN@GMAIL.COM
To feel the vibe, of the workshop, the book, and the whole she-bang, watch this short vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
B) THE BANG THE KEYS WRITING EXERCISE APP IS HERE:
If you are a writer, you have surely said these words before: “I wish I had more time to write.” In fact, you probably said them while simultaneously emailing a pal, Googling to find the complete cast list of “Nashville”, and texting your family about dinner while sitting in the café you escaped to in order to get some “time alone to write.” If this 21st Century portrait fits you, then please, check out my new APP available NOW on itunes:
(No, it’s not a play on ceviche or carpaccio. It’s dozens of writing exercises you can do on your iPhone, iPad or iTouch.) $2.99.
http://www.jilldearman.com/app.html
It’s the perfect complement to my book, Bang the Keys: Four Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice.
C) UPCOMING 1 DAY WORKSHOPS:
In honor of my favorite holiday, Ground Hog’s Day, I’ll be doing two writing workshops, for writers who don’t want their disappointing writing histories to repeat themselves.
Sat. Feb. 5 from 10-4 in Chelsea, NYC. $180
“Break New Ground”
Ready to break bad writing habits and become a more disciplined scribe and a better craftsman? Turn that high-powered perception on yourself, Dr. Lecter, and face the monsters within. You know – the ones who say, “Do a status update now and write your story later” or “Your script is tight and camera-ready,” when you know it’s still missing some magic. The emphasis will be on mastering your own writerly character flaws, and capturing fresh, thrilling energy on the page. Break the cycle and write with maximum verve and efficiency. If you feel like a hamster on a habitrail, please contact me at JillDearman@gmail.com for more info. Squeak!
Thur. Feb. 10 from 6:30 pm to 9:30pm in Chelsea, NYC /$95
“Meditation for Writers”
It was hard enough in the old millennium just to find time to write,
what with family, work, and other demands. But now with the temptation
of Twitter, Facebook, crackberries and blogs, what's a multi-tasking
scribe to do? This workshop will provide modern as well as classic
meditation techniques to keep your mind on your writing, not on your
text messages! In addition to uncovering new ways to focus and tap into your creativity, this workshop will also provide soulful and practical techniques and support for writers who are prone to depressive or anxious mindsets. (Okay, who isn’t raising their hand?)
Sign up for both by Jan. 29 and pay $250 (save 25 clams).
D) EDITING
See my latest Barnes and Noble.com column on self-editing tips for writers.
And consider this:
Winter Editing Special:
In honor of the ongoing recession, I will be offering a discount on my editing services this fall. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
E) New Service: Creativity Coaching. As always, I offer writing coach services to individuals. But now I am beginning to work as a Creativity Coach. Are you struggling to find the time and space to express your artistic inclinations? Are you a dabbler – interested in many forms – but unsure which one you wish to focus on? Have you gone through a recent life change and are now experiencing a renewed desire to explore your creative side and see where it leads? Or are you just curious and ready to create more and talk about it less?!
For everything else: www.bangthekeys.com
Thank you!
Jill
A) NEXT WORKSHOP STARTS JAN. 24
Winter 2011 Bang the Keys Writing Workshop will take place in Park Slope Brooklyn. Six Monday nights at 6:15.
Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 7, 14, 28 and Mar. 7. $275
CONTACT: JILLDEARMAN@GMAIL.COM
To feel the vibe, of the workshop, the book, and the whole she-bang, watch this short vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQjCbm2wN8Q
B) THE BANG THE KEYS WRITING EXERCISE APP IS HERE:
If you are a writer, you have surely said these words before: “I wish I had more time to write.” In fact, you probably said them while simultaneously emailing a pal, Googling to find the complete cast list of “Nashville”, and texting your family about dinner while sitting in the café you escaped to in order to get some “time alone to write.” If this 21st Century portrait fits you, then please, check out my new APP available NOW on itunes:
(No, it’s not a play on ceviche or carpaccio. It’s dozens of writing exercises you can do on your iPhone, iPad or iTouch.) $2.99.
http://www.jilldearman.com/app.html
It’s the perfect complement to my book, Bang the Keys: Four Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice.
C) UPCOMING 1 DAY WORKSHOPS:
In honor of my favorite holiday, Ground Hog’s Day, I’ll be doing two writing workshops, for writers who don’t want their disappointing writing histories to repeat themselves.
Sat. Feb. 5 from 10-4 in Chelsea, NYC. $180
“Break New Ground”
Ready to break bad writing habits and become a more disciplined scribe and a better craftsman? Turn that high-powered perception on yourself, Dr. Lecter, and face the monsters within. You know – the ones who say, “Do a status update now and write your story later” or “Your script is tight and camera-ready,” when you know it’s still missing some magic. The emphasis will be on mastering your own writerly character flaws, and capturing fresh, thrilling energy on the page. Break the cycle and write with maximum verve and efficiency. If you feel like a hamster on a habitrail, please contact me at JillDearman@gmail.com for more info. Squeak!
Thur. Feb. 10 from 6:30 pm to 9:30pm in Chelsea, NYC /$95
“Meditation for Writers”
It was hard enough in the old millennium just to find time to write,
what with family, work, and other demands. But now with the temptation
of Twitter, Facebook, crackberries and blogs, what's a multi-tasking
scribe to do? This workshop will provide modern as well as classic
meditation techniques to keep your mind on your writing, not on your
text messages! In addition to uncovering new ways to focus and tap into your creativity, this workshop will also provide soulful and practical techniques and support for writers who are prone to depressive or anxious mindsets. (Okay, who isn’t raising their hand?)
Sign up for both by Jan. 29 and pay $250 (save 25 clams).
D) EDITING
See my latest Barnes and Noble.com column on self-editing tips for writers.
And consider this:
Winter Editing Special:
In honor of the ongoing recession, I will be offering a discount on my editing services this fall. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
E) New Service: Creativity Coaching. As always, I offer writing coach services to individuals. But now I am beginning to work as a Creativity Coach. Are you struggling to find the time and space to express your artistic inclinations? Are you a dabbler – interested in many forms – but unsure which one you wish to focus on? Have you gone through a recent life change and are now experiencing a renewed desire to explore your creative side and see where it leads? Or are you just curious and ready to create more and talk about it less?!
For everything else: www.bangthekeys.com
Thank you!
Jill
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Revolted By Revision? Read on ...
Greetings:
Before a true chill sets in (real or existential), let’s bask in these final days of summer. Okay, that’s enough. It’s September and time to get back to work. If you are a writer and have a manuscript that is complete, you may be wondering what to do with it next. The impulse to destroy your creation out of Frankensteinian horror is natural, as is the impulse to send it out into the world, as a murderer might send a clue to the newspapers just to tempt fate. But not every natural impulse is a constructive one. After all, the impulse to do the electric slide at a wedding is natural too; but is it RIGHT?
If you are seeking a measured, middle path for your manuscript, one that will lead you to success not self-annihilation, consider this:
Autumn Editing Special:
In honor of the ongoing recession, I will be offering a discount on my editing services this fall. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing
If you or someone you know is interested in either option just drop me a line at
JillDearman@gmail.com
Please include a page count (double spaced/12 pt. font/normal margins for prose manuscripts), a brief informal synopsis of the work and the first few pages (cut and pasted into body of an email), I will reply swiftly with a concrete proposal.
Bio: Jill Dearman is an editor, writing coach and author of Bang the Keys: Four Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice (Penguin 2009). Her editing clients include authors published by Harper Collins, Norton, Penguin, and numerous other houses; New York Times journalists and award-winning scriptwriters. For more on her editing philosophy, and blurbs from her clients go to http://www.jilldearman.com/services.html and click on “Editor”. She is also a part-time Professor of Journalism at New York University and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. An award-winning fiction writer, her prose has been published in numerous publications including North Atlantic Review, The Portland Review, Lilith, New York Stories, and Mr. Beller's Neighborhood. As a journalist, she has written for The Writer, New York Daily News, Time Out New York, and other publications. She writes a weekly interview column for Barnes&Noble.com called “Writer to Writer.”
For more: http://www.bangthekeys.com
(And please stay tuned / stay in touch...I'll be doing Bang the Keys workshops in Brooklyn in October/November as well as one day writing workshops later in the year. Email me for info.)
Before a true chill sets in (real or existential), let’s bask in these final days of summer. Okay, that’s enough. It’s September and time to get back to work. If you are a writer and have a manuscript that is complete, you may be wondering what to do with it next. The impulse to destroy your creation out of Frankensteinian horror is natural, as is the impulse to send it out into the world, as a murderer might send a clue to the newspapers just to tempt fate. But not every natural impulse is a constructive one. After all, the impulse to do the electric slide at a wedding is natural too; but is it RIGHT?
If you are seeking a measured, middle path for your manuscript, one that will lead you to success not self-annihilation, consider this:
Autumn Editing Special:
In honor of the ongoing recession, I will be offering a discount on my editing services this fall. Whether you are working on a short story, novel, nonfiction book, essay, book proposal, screenplay, memoir, play, book of poetry, or a genre bending cookbook/political thriller, please feel free to contact me to get precise info on a package for you.
I offer two options:
Option One) Analysis
Option Two) Analysis plus Line Editing
If you or someone you know is interested in either option just drop me a line at
JillDearman@gmail.com
Please include a page count (double spaced/12 pt. font/normal margins for prose manuscripts), a brief informal synopsis of the work and the first few pages (cut and pasted into body of an email), I will reply swiftly with a concrete proposal.
Bio: Jill Dearman is an editor, writing coach and author of Bang the Keys: Four Steps to a Lifelong Writing Practice (Penguin 2009). Her editing clients include authors published by Harper Collins, Norton, Penguin, and numerous other houses; New York Times journalists and award-winning scriptwriters. For more on her editing philosophy, and blurbs from her clients go to http://www.jilldearman.com/services.html and click on “Editor”. She is also a part-time Professor of Journalism at New York University and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. An award-winning fiction writer, her prose has been published in numerous publications including North Atlantic Review, The Portland Review, Lilith, New York Stories, and Mr. Beller's Neighborhood. As a journalist, she has written for The Writer, New York Daily News, Time Out New York, and other publications. She writes a weekly interview column for Barnes&Noble.com called “Writer to Writer.”
For more: http://www.bangthekeys.com
(And please stay tuned / stay in touch...I'll be doing Bang the Keys workshops in Brooklyn in October/November as well as one day writing workshops later in the year. Email me for info.)
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