Kevin Kaiser | Archive | November, 2009

Archive - November, 2009

Momentum

November 25, 2009 in Journal with 5 Comments

In physics, objects in motion are said to have a momentum. This momentum is a vector. It has size and a direction. It has velocity.

This is significant for me because the single greatest thing lesson I’ve internalized this year is the all-importance of momentum. Whether you’re a writer or something else, the same is probably true of you, too.

We exert tremendous amounts of energy overcoming inertia, simply getting started and headed in the right direction. Then after we’ve picked up some speed we let up, ease off the gas, coast. It’s a fatal mistake where dreams are concerned because gravity is relentless and, unlike us, doesn’t need sleep.

The challenge isn’t beginning. That’s simple. The trick is continually and consistently adding “push” to your situation so you can keep momentum. Knowing how to do that is a thing that’s unique to each of us. I have a friend who keeps a list of his goals in front of him everyday and reads it in the morning and evening. I know someone else who wrote a future article about herself talking about what it took to become the success she is (will be). Me, I keep a piece of paper in my office. All it says is “New York Times Bestselling Author Kevin Kaiser.”It’s enough to remind me to shove the pedal back down to the floor when I want to give up (which is most days).

Bottom line…find whatever it is that encourages you and adds “push” to your day. Keep your momentum, especially when it’s hard (which is most days), because it’s easier to keep a moving object in motion than it is to start a dead one rolling.

How do you keep momentum?

June’s Jams Spoke to Me

November 19, 2009 in Journal with 2 Comments

My friend, John Farkas, invited me to join a small book discussion group that’s going through The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the New World, by Lewis Hyde. The book is about the value of creativity among a culture built on consumption and commodities.

Hyde lays out a case that has got me thinking more about the tension artists feel every day, especially those who want to make a living through their craft. I’m a man who lives in the two economies, creative and commerce, that is publishing so I’m always asking questions like Which is it? Commodity or art? Is it both? Can it be both? Do any real artists do both well?

Someone stop my head from spinning, please.

Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of the answer and run across an artist who seems to have figured out how to live in the thin space between the two economies like some sort of creative squatter. And I find them in the most unlikely places. Places like June Taylor’s kitchen. What can a jam maker teach me about doing what I love and surviving without compromising? Apparently, a lot.

Guest Blog: The Platinum Rule by Tosca Lee

November 17, 2009 in Journal with 2 Comments

By Tosca Lee

I call it the platinum rule: do to others as they would want done. It’s crucial in relationships. It’s smart practice in business.

In writing it looks like this:

Approach agents the way they ask you to approach them. There’s no excuse not to; their guidelines are posted right on their sites. This includes sending respectful letters that get to the point of what you write (having made sure it’s a match with what they represent) and who you are without being kitschy, coy or—worse—arrogant. Before they discover how gifted you are, agents want to know they can work with and trust your professionalism.

The same is true for approaching writers—for endorsements, advice, or critique.

Now, let me say that the difference between published and non-published authors may only be only a matter of luck, opportunity, timing. Most published authors I know pinch themselves regularly, amazed they get to do this. I know I do.

The thing you need to know, though, is that since publishing that first novel, they have launched the business of marketing books on top of writing the next one(s)—often on top of a job and family. They’re fielding more mail than ever—and travel and speaking and other requests—under deadlines with livelihoods attached to them. So be kind and do not send manuscripts or other chunks of writing until you’ve obtained permission. Saying “no” never feels good (especially because they’ve been the one asking other writers for advice/endorsement/referrals before). But it’s also annoying being treated as a personal critique group or editor. Many writers also work as teachers or editors, in which case you may even be asking them to provide a paid service for free.

So ask! The outcome may turn out better than you hoped. But ask first—and respond to “no” gracefully. Others will appreciate it—and remember.

Tosca Lee is the author of the critically acclaimed Demon: A Memoir–a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver Award winner, ACFW Book of the Year second-place winner, and Christy award finalist and ChristianFictionReviews.com top pick of 2007. Her eagerly-awaited second novel, Havah: The Story of Eve, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, 4.5 stars from Romantic Times, won a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Bronze Award and was named ChristianFictionReviews.com’s top pick of 2008.

Are You the Next Ted Dekker? Let’s Find out.

November 14, 2009 in Journal with 5 Comments

At 12:01 a.m. CT tonight, I’m opening up my inbox so you can submit your novel proposals for consideration. My hope is that, somewhere among the many submissions that I’m expecting, I’ll find a talented novelist ready to go the next step. There’s no guarantee, of course, that that will happen. Being ready is really in your hands, not mine.

So, let’s get started on how this will work.
I will only consider, submissions that meet the following criteria:

Full length, adult works of Fiction. That means novels with a word count of 80,000+ No short stories, short story collections, anthologies, young adult novels, screenplays, or blog entries stapled together and delivered in a Trapper Keeper will be considered. I am not interested in non-fiction works at this time, so please no business, self-help, 7 Steps to (fill in the blank), spirituality books, etc.. They will not be considered. Your novel does not have to be currently finished, but you must commit to completing it within 90 days if you are chosen.

Works that can be published as Suspense or Thriller. I am not interested in children’s books, romance tales, or Amish stories (especially Amish romance). Other than those limitations, you may mix genre as long as your story has strong suspense elements. Remember, I’m looking for the next Thriller writer.

Works that have not been previously published. Goes without saying, but I’m just saying.

If you were able to check all three boxes then continue reading. If you were NOT able to check all three, you stand at a fork in the road. You can either change your plan or wait until next time to see if you’re what I’m looking for, but please do not try to slip through with something that I don’t want. It’ll only make me grumpy.

For those who are on to the next step, here’s the “what I want and how I want it” part. Please read this next section very carefully. Continue Reading…

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