Time Management for Writers

 

Time Management for Writers by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Time Management is a frequent topic among writers. We juggle meetings and deadlines, step-out goal plans, and handle a myriad of correspondence tasks each day. How do we keep track of all of this? We need a flexible system, because most systems require modification to work well, and it takes testing until we find the system that fits.

Though we might want to create a most aggressive plan that causes our production to soar, “life happens”. Be flexible with yourself and relax your plan for a time if needed.

A writing friend mentioned her scheduling strategy—The Bullet Journal. She showed me how she was successful in using the Bullet Journal over several months. So, I tried it. I set up my Index, Future Log for 6 months, Monthly Log and Daily logs. I liked how it flowed for a month and continued. It worked, but I found it tedious, taking too much time noting here and there constantly. I needed to keep track of goals and schedule, BUT I needed to get to work first!
Check out the Bullet Journal: http://bulletjournal.com/.

Then, I set up a color highlighted Goal Plan Schedule on Excel to list:
•    Year End Completion Goals
•    Monthly Deadlines
•    Meeting Commitments
•    Weekly Progress
•    Notes
It worked well as a bird's-eye view for the year by week and month. I keep it open on my desk. Did it help guide my work day by day? No. I needed something more.

Finally, I have settled on a day/month/year planner. Daily I make entries that review the activities/accomplishments of the day briefly, similar to a diary. I use a journal for resolving issues and planning. Plus a digital calendar to schedule meetings & appointments with pop-up reminders.

Why does managing our time well matter to us?
It’s all about productivity, meeting deadlines & goals, and gaining a footing for our writing endeavors.

So, what does it take? It takes a careful review of what is working for us and what is taking us off track. Some questions to ask ourselves:
    *Do I need to limit email tasks? Would scheduling an hour each day avoid these interruptions?
    *What distracts me? Phone calls? Meetings? Schedule in blocks of time?
    *How can I reduce daily stress?
    *How can I improve my work flow and meet deadlines more effectively?
    *What is my goal and my destination?
    *Do I have milestones in place?
Katie Forrest, a guest for The Creative Penn, posted a helpful article here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/02/13/9-time-management-tips-for-writers/

Since time management is a constant concern, and writers would appreciate some useful tips, the post was designed as a step-by-step guide through the journey. I appreciate Katie starts at where we are right now, analyzing what’s working and what’s not.


Are you looking for a writer’s community, with more tools and help?
Check out Good Story Company by Mary Kole
https://www.goodstorycompany.com/  
Mastermind / blog / community


Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/

Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love is available:
https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/
& https://books2read.com/b/valuestories


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Writers: Awards are Worth Pursuing


By Linda Wilson  @LinWilsonauthor

Recently, as a self-published author I set two goals for myself: publish multiple books, and become an award-winning author. Gladly, I have reached both goals. After publishing my first chapter book, Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery, for 7-10-year-olds, the writing was on the wall. And I was right—it’s taken over two years to write the second in the series—Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery—and it’s still not finished! The answer? Write a bunch of picture books!

Goal #1: Write multiple books

Luckily, picture books are faster to self-publish than they are to go the the traditional publishing route. Three stories emerged from my files and blossomed into the picture books I have now published on Amazon: A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift, Tall Boots, and Waddles the Duck: Hey, Wait for Me! My fourth picture book, Cradle in the Wild, will be available soon. All done while plugging away at the second Abi Wunder mystery.

Goal #2: Become an Award-Winning Author

I have become a multi-award-winning author. But this didn’t come about by magic. I applied for each and every award my books have won. There is a cost to apply, and often it takes months for the award to be announced. But the effort is well worth it. Here’s why:

As in the case of the National Federation of Press Women’s Communication Contest, first place winners are invited to attend the organization’s award ceremony, held this year in Fargo, North Dakota.

Stickers announcing each award can be placed on book covers. Other goodies include ribbons and plaques to show off at book fairs.

You earn the distinction of being an award winner among your readers and peers.

Your office wall fills up with certificates for you to admire and gaze at while writing your next book.

Awards my books have won, and yours can, too!

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ -- Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery, illustrated by Tiffany Tutti, is a Kirkus Review Recommended Book.

https://newmexicopresswomen.org/ -- A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift, illustrated by Nancy Batra won first place in the 2022 New Mexico Press women’s Communications Contest. First place winners are automatically included in the national contest. Thistletoe won first place in the 2022 National Federal of Press Women’s Communication Contest as well!

https://www.momschoiceawards.com/ --Tall Boots, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, is a Silver Award Recipient for the Mom’s Choice Awards Honoring Excellence. Mom’s Choice offers a deep discount to authors.

https://www.storymonsters.com/  -- Story Monsters is such a fun organization. The cost to apply for an award is low, and SM offers several types of awards. Tall Boots won two SM awards: 2021 Certificate of Excellence in Literature, Picture Book: Fiction (3-8), and Honorable Mention for the 2022 Purple Dragonfly Book Award, Animals/Pets.

Other Contests to Shoot For—Check Them Out!

https://www.instituteforwriters.com/

https://www.narrativemagazine.com 

https://www.writermag.com 

https://www.ippyawards.com 

https://cipabooks.com 

https://www.searchlightawards.com.uk 

https://www.pnwa.org

https://moonbeamawards.com 

https://winningwriters.com 

Cradle in the Wild will be available soon!

Linda Wilson writes stories for young children. Visit Linda at https://bit.ly/3AOM98L. Click the links for free coloring pages and a puppet show starring Thistletoe Q. Packrat. While you’re there, get all the latest news by signing up for Linda’s newsletter. 

Find Linda’s books at  Amazon Author Page.

Connect with Linda: FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagram  







Featured Productivity Tool: Go Out on an Adventure




As writers, we are always on the lookout for new material for our non-fiction projects and fictional stories. One of the best things we can do to stay productive is to go out on adventures. That way, we always have material to share with our readers and fans.

To kick off August, I talked about Adventure with Christopher Cherian, Founder & CEO, Gatherly; Rob DeCou, CEO, Lux Virtual; and Kate Paine, Standing Out Online. All three are adventurous, driven, entrepreneurs, which made for a fun and engaging conversation.

 

What Adventure Means to Them

Adventure is:
  • Rob: Getting outside of your comfort zone
  • Chris: About the unknown
  • Kate: Energy; purpose, joy, and playfulness

Goals for Adventure

  • Rob: Set and achieve a goal per month; also make a goal to do something for others
  • Chris: Look back, meditate, and reflect on a recent adventure; write down the takeaways
  • Kate: Take a risk. Try something new this month, personal of professional, that’s fun, and see it through a different lens
  • Bonus goal from me: Keep a win list
Whether your business is actually a business or consultancy and/or the business of writing, having adventures keeps you creatively fueled and on alert for your next great article or story idea! 

Read the complete recap.


* * * 

For more inspiration and motivation, follow @TheDEBMethod on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin! 

* * *

What adventures do you have planned for the summer? Please share in the comments. 

* * *

Debra Eckerling is the award-winning author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals and founder of the D*E*B METHOD, which is her system for goal-setting simplified. A goal-strategist, corporate consultant, and project catalyst, Debra offers personal and professional planning, event strategy, and team building for individuals, businesses, and teams. She is also the author of Write On Blogging and Purple Pencil Adventures; founder of Write On Online; Vice President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women's National Book Association; host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat, #GoalChatLive on Facebook and LinkedIn, and The DEB Show podcast. She speaks on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.


How to Jumpstart Book Sales with Reviews and Excerpts

August 5, 2022, #2 in Carolyn's Guestpost Series for #WritersontheMove Blog

How to Use Your Reviews and Excerpts

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

This is the second in Carolyn’s guest post series with excerpts from her 
Feel free to retrieve the first entry for this series from this blog’s July 5, 2022 entry, 
and follow the four-part series through to October 5, 2022.

“Very simply put, reviews are the gift that keeps giving.” ~ CHJ

This is the second in my guest post series on getting and using credible reviews and on making them into forever reviews to launch a book or to jumpstart the sales of a book that has been around for a while. It is always my pleasure to share excerpts from my multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers when I can reach (and help!) more authors with that information. Do go back to the first in this series of posts published on this blog on July 5, 2022, or read the entire book, How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically: The ins and outs of using free reviews to build and sustain a writing career, to get a more complete story on the magic of reviews and blurbs. You’ll benefit from all 300 pages of it, including how to get and use mail order catalogs and why you should.

Using Your Reviews and Excerpts Now and Forever

The beauty of reviews and the praise extracted from them is that you can continue to use them as long as you want, and some can be used for more than just the book that is being reviewed. An example of that is a review or excerpt from a review that praises your writing style as opposed to the specific title. With that in mind, you are ready to go to work making your new reviews (and your old ones) into marketing workhorses for your entire writing career.

§   Post full reviews on your blog. The post works best if you introduce it with a little information about the reviewer, the journal, or your personal response to having received it. You can use excerpts in the sidebar of your blog, too.

To extend the exposure of your review, submit it to my The New Book Review blog (thenewbookreview.blogspot.com). I started it to help authors when I realized it would be a physical impossibility to say yes to review requests from my many readers and students. If you use it, please follow the submission guidelines in the tabs on the home page of the blog exactly. Because I am frugal with time, I try to make this process a copy-and-paste operation.

Use both full reviews and excerpts on your web site.

o   Put your favorite review on your book’s page within your web site. You should have one complete review for every book you publish (and a separate page on your web site for each book you publish).

o   Use short excerpts from reviews on almost every page of your web site: In the footer of each page, in a sidebar, and in a table or cell to help break up copy. You may find other places to install an excerpt/blurb/endorsement as your web site grows.

o   Should you get a review in a prestigious journal, use a phrase like “As seen in Publisher’s Weekly” on your homepage, on other appropriate spots on your site, and in your general marketing campaign.

Announce any new reviews you get on your social networks. When you do this, use a light voice to avoid appearing braggadocio like a Donald-Trump-Running-for-President. He may be able to get away with it, but you probably won’t. Instead, frame it as a thank you to the person who gave you the review, the medium where it appeared, or both. Link to the review (that’s doing the reviewer a favor) and tag her using the little @ sign so she is aware that you cared enough to promote her web site or journal. By doing so, you are paving the way to assure she more easily accepts your next book for review.

Send out media releases (also called—less accurately—press releases) to the local press when you get a review in a prestigious review journal. Use the filter on your contact list to pull out media that might be interested. If you live in a metropolitan area with a major newspaper, they may view this kind of release as clutter, but your local throw-away paper or subsidiary news or feature editor may love it.

Use an excerpt from your review in any one or all of these places where an endorsement will make people more aware of your book:

o   Use quotations excerpted from reviews as part of your signature.

o   Put the crème de la crème excerpts from your reviews on the Praise Page in your media kit. For media kits, use short blurbs rather than long ones. Bullets help each excerpt (blurb) stand out and indicates to gatekeepers who read it that you cared enough to make it easy for them. Get step-by-step instructions for writing and assembling a professional media kit in the third edition of my The Frugal Book Promoter (bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII) now published by Modern History Press.

o   Use an excerpt on your preprinted mailing labels as part of your branding.

o   Use them the same way on your checks.

o   Feature them on your return-address labels. Your return labels can be much larger than the ones charity organizations send you. I use Vistaprint.com for these. I try to find room for my book cover image and sometimes an excerpt from a review as well.

o   Use them on the back cover of your book, of course.

o   In How To Get Great Book Reviews I talk about how you can use excerpts on a page of praise just inside the front cover of you next book or future editions of the book you are working on.

o   Send the excerpt from your review to event planners at bookstores in your hometown or cities you’ll be visiting. Encourage them to post it near the display of your book when you read or do a workshop for them.

o   Make a short excerpt praising your book part of your query letter for a book signing or workshop.

o   Use praise in the header or footer of your stationery.

o   When appropriate, use or adapt something someone has said about your book as a motto.

o   Use excerpts from your reviews (credited, of course!) in handouts you distribute when you speak or present at conferences or tradeshows. Use them like this:

Examples you share in the body of your handout.

o   In the header or footer of your handout.

o   Near your contact information.

o   Use excerpts on your business cards or bookmarks.

o   The U.S. postal service now offers specially printed postage stamps. Did you ever dream your picture might someday land on a postage stamp? Now you can do it (for a fee). Include your book’s cover and a brief excerpt from a review. Sometimes you can take a cue from the movie industry and excerpt just one word like this:

“ . . .  Scandalous!” ~ Publishers Weekly

o  Don’t forget to use excerpts (blurbs) as endorsements in your newsletter.

o   A thank-you feature in the #SharingwithWriters Newsletter I am about to reinstate served (and will serve) several purposes. Yes, gratitude. But it also extends the exposure of my reviews or other promotions. It’s about networking. It acts as a resource for my subscribers with links they will find valuable for getting reviews for their own books or to find books for their own reading pleasure. Subscribers who choose to submit their successes also get a little extra publicity.

o   Use excerpts from reviews judiciously in the footers, backmatter, or frontmatter of other books you publish, or new editions of the book that was originally reviewed.


Note: “Books you publish” might include whitepapers, e-books, or booklets you give away as promotions. Read the case study of my most successful cross-promotional booklets of this e-cookbook in The Frugal Book Promoter (bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII). The idea can be adapted to most genres.

Use one of your pithiest excerpts on the signs you take to book fairs, book signings, conferences, and tradeshows.

Tip: Kinko’s/FedEx is a good place to get a poster made and laminated. Floor- and table-standing retractable canvas banners (as seen in photo) are expensive but worth it if you frequently choose these kinds of events because they are sturdy enough to use over and over and easy to roll and fold for travel.



Circle September 5, 2022, on your calendar for the next post in this series of four excerpted from How To Get Great Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Earlier posts in this series start on July 5, 2022, and cover topics that help you make your reviews into marketing magic that pretty much lasts forever.


More on Guest Blogger and Regular WritersOnTheMove Contributor 


Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and founder and owner of a retail chain to the advice she gives in her multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. All her books for writers are multi award winners including both the first and second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter,now in its third edition from Modern History Press, and her winningest book, The Frugal Editor, won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. The third full book in the HowToDoItFrugally series for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.

The author loves to travel. She has visited ninety one countries before her travels were so rudely interrupted by Covid and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal wherever she goes. Her Web site is www.howtodoitfrugally.com.


Benefits of Using a Content Planner for Your Novel


 

 Contributed by Christina Queen

Raise your hand if your writing is unorganized!

Sometimes unorganized writing happens, and that is ok. The good news is you can learn from it, don’t worry, I have a plan.
 
I began my novel, please don’t judge, a few years ago, and I’m still working on it. The sad part is that I have it finished in my head, but I can’t submit my thoughts.
 
A couple of months ago, I realized I needed to do something. I needed to create a plan.
During my day job, I am a freelance writer, and of course, like any writer, I contribute to my blog.
 
I have a content calendar and planning guide to keep me organized and on top of what I need to do.
 
Which got me thinking.
 
Why do I not have a content planning calendar for my novel?
 
After mentally slapping myself, I immediately went to the interwebs and tried to research this. After all, my job is to research, but I found nothing: Nit, rein, zero. I found template after template that I could download for nine different things, such as character profiles, story planners, etc.
 
This inspired me, the self-proclaimed queen of researching and spreadsheets, to create a spreadsheet for my novel.
 
And guess what?
 
I am now two weeks away from finishing my novel.
 
What the heck did I include in that novel content planner?
 
1.     Goals
My very first page was to outline my goals. I needed my goals in a place where I could see them daily and hold myself accountable.
There are no unique formulas for this page, so don’t flip out! I only created two columns, one for the title and topic and the other for a short description of my goals.
 
2.     Weekly Planner
Now what kind of newly founded organized writer would I be if I didn’t have a weekly planner. While this may seem much, the weekly planner holds me accountable for my tasks. For instance, I plan out time for my Mind Mapping, planning ideas for each scene or chapter. I block out specific times for this to feel relaxed and not stressed about finding the time or completing other things.
 
3.     Story Structure
This tab is a little more detailed. But this is the fun, creative part! Here are the questions I include that help me to put the plot together.
 
•      A plot point is the worst thing to happen to the story and characters. Your characters’ desires, loves, and fears should drive and dictate your plot.
•      What does your character want the most, and why can’t they have it? What is the external goal of the character?
•      Who/what do they love most? What do they have to lose?
•      What is their fatal character flaw?
•      Ally?
•      What are they afraid of?
•      What is the best thing that could happen to them?
•      Relative to the answers above, what is the worst thing that could happen?
•      Ending
 
When I mapped out my story like this, I organically discovered the antagonist and enemy. The book practically built itself-ok that may be stretching the truth a little.
 
4.     Character cheat sheets and backstories.
I love love this part of writing. I love creating backstories and building a character. Having all this in a spreadsheet makes it convenient and helps me see what I need to call upon instantly and not dig through my memory.
 
The best part of having this spreadsheet “workbook” is the ease of having everything in one place, ready for me to reference.
 
But the other best reason I feel these spreadsheets are helpful is they give me the organization and efficient time management I desperately needed to get this monster of a novel out.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 


Christina is the Friends-obsessed creative behind Christina Q Writes. As a full-time freelance writer, she helps clients in need of fantastic content. Christina Q Writes is where she shares tips and advice on freelance writing, blogging, and creative entrepreneurship to help people just like you pursue your dreams of working from home!
 
Instagram:@Christina_Write
LinkedIn: Christina-Queen-Writes
Website: https://www.christinaqwrites.com


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A Picture Book - The Business Side

 


 By Karen Cioffi

In a children’s picture book workshop, the editor (from Scholastic) delved into why editors are so choosy when finding their next project.

It’s pretty simple.

Children’s books is a business. And like any other business, publishing houses think profit and loss. The editors are very aware of this and their reputation depends on them finding stories that will sell.

The editor conducting the workshop, Natalia Remis, was very upfront about what goes on behind the scenes and what takes place once she likes a manuscript.

Editors can’t afford to step out on a limb. And even if an editor wants to, there are hoops to jump through to actually get a story acquired.

The first thing editors need to look at is the story’s appeal to the mass market.

Picture books need to sell to a wide market, to the mass market. This means they need to sell to the majority of people.

Publishing houses are thinking of schools, Target, and other large outlets.

A small niche story won’t cut it with the big companies. They want broad appeal.

Next, editors actually have to fight to get their books acquired.

Editors want their books to be acquired and to get the attention.

The more profitable books an editor takes on, the more respected she will be as an editor. It’s a boost to her reputation.

If an editor likes a picture book, she has to go over a list of considerations:

1. Is the book right for the publishing house: Does it have enough commercial appeal and kid appeal? Does it have the right hook for Barnes and Noble and the mass market?

2. Does it have enough institutional appeal for awards? It’s always a plus if a book wins awards.

3. Is the book from a known author, possibly one from another publishing house?

4. Does the editor want to spend the next two years working on this particular book? Publishing a picture book is a LONG process. The editor needs to stay motivated and engaged throughout the process.

If at this point, the editor decides it’s worth moving forward with a book, it needs to be approved by the Acquisitions Committee.

This committee has all the top marketing people in it and the editor has to:

- PROVE that they’ll make their investment back in the FIRST YEAR.
- Prove that there is a market for this particular book.
- Show that it will be a valuable product for the publishing house.

Choosing a book, seeing that ‘something’ in it is a very personal thing. The editor needs to see and feel ‘it’ in order to be willing to do battle for the book.

Editors fight hard to get a book acquired and published.

So, if you’re asked to make non-contractual revisions, jump at the opportunity.

This means the editor sees potential in the story, but it needs to be in its best shape possible to appeal to the acquisitions committee and get approval.

An editor can’t take a chance on a new author unless they see something special. And, it’s that ‘something’ that the editor needs to convince the acquisitions committee of. The editor’s reputation is on the line.

It was an enlightening workshop.

I had no idea how difficult it is for an editor in a large publishing house. It’s now easier to understand why the submissions process is like it is. And, why it’s so difficult to get a contract with the large houses if you’re a new author.

A BIG thank you to Natalia Remis for an information packed workshop.

I hope this information on editors and picture books has been helpful. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach with clients worldwide. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move and an author online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

Karen’s children’s books include “Walking Through Walls” and “The Case of the Stranded Bear.” She also has a DIY book, “How to Write Children’s Fiction Books.” You can check them out at: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/karens-books/. If you need help with your children’s story, visit: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com.  

 

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Tips on Writing Humor, Part II

"You're mad, bonkers, completely out of your head.
But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."
                                                                        ~Lewis Carroll
By Linda Wilson   @LinWilsonauthor

This month, Part Two of "Tips on Writing Humor" takes a peek at how farce and sarcasm are used in fiction.

Farce

In my search for humorous reads, I picked up the perfect book: The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs,  from the hilarious trilogy about Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria Von Igelfeld, author of that great triumph of Germanic scholarship, Portuguese Irregular Verbs. The book is by Alexander McCall Smith, the prolific and illustrious author of many other series, including the popular No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I enjoy all of McCall-Smith's books, though I found the Von Igelfeld trilogy the most delightful. Anyone can take these books at face value and enjoy them. But I had to keep my wits about me, for I was on an important comedic quest. So, hang on. Some of what I found may not seem to pertain to writing, but as I quickly learned how LARGE the subject of humor is, I realized I wanted to learn as much as I could in order to use humor effectively.

Von Igelfeld goes to America

In his article, "An Anatomy of Farce," Michael Arditti helped me make sense of the premise behind Von Igelfeld's shenanigans. "The action of a farce is propelled by panic, with characters lying to save face, which compounds their troubles since they now have to deal not only with the original problem but also they lie and hence they behave even more bizarrely."

Not to be outdone by his colleague, Printzel, who had been invited to America, Von Igelfeld connived to obtain an invitation to visit America himself, and leave before Printzel had a chance to go. He believed he better represented German philology, his area of expertise, far better than the inferior Printzel. Off Von Igelfeld went, not to prestigious-sounding New York or California, but to the University of Arkansas in the Ozark mountains. Upon arrival, Von Igelfeld is flummoxed by his host's insistence on visiting his hog operation before anything else. The professor  " . . . sniffed the air; it was distinctly malodorous." Arditti writes, "In farce, after the first ten minutes there’s no time to make jokes because they’re so busy running around;  the laughs come from character and situation. The biggest laughs in farce are on lines like “what?”

Von Igelfeld is equally confused by the farmer's questions on doses of vitamin C, B, potassium. We soon realize Von Igelfeld's dilemma when he finds he has been mistaken for Professor Martin Igelfold, author of Further Studies of Canine Pulmonary Efficiency, and the world authority on sausage dogs, from the University of Münster. While Von Igelfeld has come to America to discuss verbs, he finds that he is expected to lecture to an audience of scientists, veterinarians, and dog breeders on a subject he knows nothing about: sausage dogs. (He didn't know that sausage dogs were first brought to America by German settlers in the 1890s and bred  here ever since). And so the lies begin. And grow to monstrous proportions in the professor's attempts to save face. Even later he maintains his cool when confronted by a guest who pulls him aside to tell him how sorry he was to read about his death. But no worries, professor. The guest assured him his obituary had been a glowing account.

Satire 101

Satire can be directed toward an individual, a country, or even the world. It can be serious, as when used as a protest or for exposure. In humor it is used to make fun of something or someone. At its best, satire is used as a vehicle for improvement. Here is as example of how Mark Twain used satire:

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written shortly after the Civil War, in which slavery was one of the key issues. While Mark Twain's father had enslaved people throughout his childhood, Twain did not believe that this practice was right in any way. Through the character of Jim, and the major moral dilemma that followed Huck throughout the novel, Twain mocks enslavement and makes a strong statement about the way people treated enslaved people."

Verbal and Dramatic Irony: In irony, words are used to show the opposite of the actual meaning. An example of verbal irony is when a friend shows up for dinner and the host says, "Look who the cat dragged in." Described in several ways in the article "Types of Irony," dramatic irony is:

Considered by many writers as a potent tool for exciting and sustaining readers' interest

A plot device used to create situations where the reader knows much more about the episodes and resolutions before the characters

Involves the reader, raises expectations, intensifies episodes, and propels stories forward.

Examples of dramatic irony include Shakespeare's plays, such as Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet; Animal Farm by George Orwell, where the reader is aware of many more facts than the animals. O. Henry's short story, "The Gift of the Magi" is an excellent example:

  • A poor couple, very much in love, want to give a Christmas gift to one another. "She is very proud of her long, beautiful hair and he is equally proud of his pocket watch. The irony comes in to play when she cuts and sells her hair to buy him a chain for his watch, and he sells the watch to buy her combs for her hair." 

Parody: Directly mimics a subject for a humorous effect. A well-known example is how Saturday Night Live often parodies movies, commercials and television shows. As described at http://literarydevices.net/parody/, in literature Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, parodied, " . . . in the style of Spanish romances of the 16th century to mock the idealism of knights in the contemporary romances." When combined with satire, parody can make satire more effective. It adds flavor and helps keep the reader's interest. In order to be successful, the original subject must be thoroughly known. 

Sarcasm: Sharp or cutting remarks get their meaning across with sarcasm, but need to be made with a light touch in order to be humorous and not hurtful. Some of the most famous funny sarcastic remarks were made by Groucho Marx: "I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception," and ""Marriage is the chief cause of divorce."

For Kicks and Giggles

Screwball Comedy: Now I learned something here. At first, movies like Dumb and Dumber immediately came to mind as examples of screwball comedy. But according to the Wiki definition, Dumb and Dumber is an example of slapstick comedy, the type of comedy portrayed by absurd situations and physical antics. Screwball comedy originated in Hollywood, and lasted from 1934 to 1942. Like Some Like it Hot and The Philadelphia Story, this type of movie offered up romantic comedies with farcical situations; such films provided escape and offered hope during the Great Depression. The romantic comedy Date Night, starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey, is noted as containing some screwball comedy elements. Goodreads provides a short list of current screwball comedy books at http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/screwball-comedy

Dark Comedy: Takes an otherwise serious subject and makes it humorous, such as in HBO's True Blood series about vampires living among the residents of Bon Temps, Mississippi. Examples in literature include, Kurt Vonnegut's books, Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions, and A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess.

More Ways to Exercise your Funny Bone

Amuse yourself and take honest pleasure in your amusement. Dinty Moore, from How to Be Funny, edited by John B. Kachuka

Be honest. Characters need to make choices that feel real in the context of the world that you've created. Dinty Moore, from How to Be Funny, edited by John B. Kachuka

Your humor must move the story forward or illuminate your theme. Justin Halpern

Surprise Yourself: Take the world as it is and show it to us upside-down. You must surprise yourself first. You must be . . . a bit of an anarchist, someone who doesn't mind shouting a bit, or telling ani-knock knock jokes. Robin Hemley, "Relaxing the rules of Reason," from How to Be Funny, Kachuka.

Keep a Humor Log: Collect funny names and incidences. When you find yourself laughing at something, or something funny occurs to you, write it down. If writing for children, note what age group the humor might appeal to. "Writing Humor--But, Seriously, Folks," by Esther Blumenfeld and Lynne Alpern, Writer's Digest, January 1982.

Listen to humor in TV shows: Go into another room and listen to television comedies; listen for the plot development, the setup, placement and rhythm of funny lines and the building to a climax. "Writing Humor--But, Seriously, Folks," by Esther Blumenfeld and Lynne Alpern, Writer's Digest, January 1982.

Read humor analyses by such comics as Jack Benny and Johnny Carson. I've begun by buying, How to Write Funny, edited by John B. Kachuba, which is a compilation of essays by humorists and is chock full of good advice.

Sources:

http://typesofirony.com/dramatic-irony/  

http://examples.yourdictionary.com/satire-examples.html

https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/the-gift-of-the-magi 

A Packrat's Holiday won first
place for fiction, ages 3-8, in the
New Mexico Press Women's
2022 Communications Contest, and
went on to win first place
in the National Press Women's Contest



Linda Wilson writes stories for young children. Visit Linda at https://bit.ly/3AOM98L.Click the links for free coloring pages and a puppet show starring Thistletoe Q. Packrat. While you’re there, get all the latest news by signing up for Linda’s newsletter. 

Find Linda’s books at  Amazon Author Page.

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