writing

Why Writers MUST Write

/ Tina Bausinger

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“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
― Anaïs Nin

Here’s what a lot of people don’t understand when it comes to being a writer.

The cadence of words, they way they are communicated from keyboard to screen–to us, it’s lovely. It’s a kind of delicate dance with many missteps.

Many people write for fame and glory. Many people fail.

But those of us who write to remember will always have a reason to rejoice.

The recording of life’s seemingly insignificant moments takes them from ordinary to extraordinary. We are the historians.

If I take a moment to write about the surprise snow day when my son was ten, it ties this moment to both our hearts. If I describe his joy as he ran around in the front yard before 7:30 in the morning, glorying in the ease of the wet snow’s ability to form dozens of snow balls, it won’t be forever forgotten. If I mention how I put a coat on over my scrubs and followed him into the yard for a snowball fight under the treehouse, it matters. And, years later, when my boy is no longer small (he’s 6’5″ now) and the treehouse has been long gone, it won’t seem sad, but precious.

If I don’t note the exact day my  baby girl lost her first tooth, who will? Who will give this moment the importance it deserves? And, years from now, when my daughter has gone gray and visits me at the nursing home, how else will I be able to remember? How else might I carve these memories in my heart, press them to my soul?

Memories fail, but the pen does not.

 

 

5 Mistakes College Freshmen Make

/ Tina Bausinger / 1 Comment

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Hello there! It’s your favorite professor! I noticed you signed up for my composition class and that you are a freshman. Welcome! I want you to be successful! I want you to like school! I want you to thirst for that fresh water from the Fountain of Learning!

But–I have my worries. I’ve seen it before. Sadly, many of you (as many as a third of beginning students) will not make it past this semester.Why do some students thrive in the freedom college presents and others simply sink? I have a few theories I want to share with you. Here are 5 students who will probably not survive their first semester of college.

  1. Students who don’t understand financial aid. This is a huge problem, especially among first generation college students. The FAFSA (the federal financial aid form) is long and complicated, and it’s difficult the first couple of times. The solution: ask for assistance from your financial aid office, or better yet, from someone who has filled out this hellish thing. It’s really important to get it right the first time. Best case scenario if you make a mistake: you have to submit a correction and then wait approximately 100 years for the government to correct it. When you’re waiting to pay for classes, every day counts. Don’t fill it out half-heartedly.
  2. Students who are unprepared for the amount of study time needed. Many students simply do not set aside enough time to complete assignments and to study. College is NOT high school–most students can’t simply absorb the information in one sitting. Good students know that each class needs prep time, study time, and homework time. It’s a lot of time. This is just how it is.
  3. Students who are late or miss too much class and get behind. For the first time, Mama isn’t there to wake you up–it’s all up to you.Sometimes, that bed is so comfortable, so inviting–and before you know it, class time is over. Missing even one hour of valuable instruction can be enough to cause you to be behind for weeks–even the whole semester. I tell my students to think of college as a JOB. Not just any job, but a job they care about. You wouldn’t be late or miss work because in the real world, you would be fired and out the door.
  4. Students who don’t understand social graces. Many students who wouldn’t dream of being rude to their pastor or auntie don’t think twice about sending a rude email or texting through class. Manners matter, and impressing your professor with being polite and respectful might mean a letter of recommendation later on when you’re competing for a job, internship or scholarship. People matter.
  5. Students who don’t talk to peers or the professor. As social media explodes, our world is becoming increasingly isolated. Many students don’t want to leave their comfort zone and talk to their fellow students. They don’t want to open up to their professor when they are struggling with the material. Instead, they suffer in silence and quietly give up. They stop attending and fail or drop. It’s sad! I force my students to talk the first day of class. I make them introduce one fellow student, and I have them  exhange contact information with their neighbor. I pair them up frequently so they get used to one another. Studies show that successful students network. They work together. They form study groups.

I’m really glad you’re in my class. Put your phone away and look me in the eye. Let me help you get used to academic writing, surviving in college, and how to interact with others. Welcome to college! Let’s do this!

 

Article in Southern Writers Magazine

/ Tina Bausinger

Please enjoy my article in Southern Writers Magazine:

How to Write About the South (Especially When It’s Not Cool to Write About the South)conference3

How to Throw a Successful Book Signing

/ Tina Bausinger / 1 Comment

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You published a book, yay! Now what? Of course, the next step should be to put together a book signing. Book signings are different from book release parties, which are usually less formal. A book signing is imperative to getting your name out there into the public eye.

Read more on Freelancewriting.com:

http://goo.gl/y31dFW

#Nanowrimo Yes, Writers, You Need A Mind

/ Tina Bausinger

Bob Mayer probably doesn’t remember that he gave me advice that got me published. It happened, ok?

Jerkwads and 1st World Problems

/ Tina Bausinger / 3 Comments

 

This guy.

I’m a reasonable person most of the time. I don’t have a record. I pay my taxes. I buy 2% milk and take vitamins and never litter. I follow the rules.

But when I see stuff like this…well, I feel a little like a vegan trapped at a Texas barbecue. That’s CRAZY.

Why do people think it’s ok to do stuff like this? And what’s more, when I put it on Facebook, a friend of mine responded with “Yeah! I saw that guy there LAST WEEK DOING THE SAME THING.” So this guy is a repeat offender! GRRRR!

I guess I just don’t understand this kind of entitled mentality…someone who says to himself, “You know what? Even though parking spots are rarer than a Longhorn fan in Razorback country, I DESERVE two spaces for my brand new, untagged vehicle. I JUST DO.”

I would NEVER double park my giant truck in front of a popular sushi restaurant! That is unacceptable; only the biggest jerkwads would do that! (My dad, who never cursed, would call people jerkwads.) I might have used another harsher term under my breath.

But wait. Am I REALLY complaining about having to search for a parking spot? Is this the worst thing I’ve had to endure today in my cushy world? Wahhhhhhhh!

Whenever it dawns on me that I’m just as bad as Rude Truck Guy… I’m ashamed.

I often hear people joking about “First World Problems.” That’s really a catch phrase for entitlement. I’m guilty of this, without even realizing it. If the lady at the drive-thru at Starbucks doesn’t immediately come on to take my order, I get miffed. Every second that ticks by I get more annoyed. What’s taking so long? I’m BUSY. I have classes to teach and minds to ignite with knowledge! I can’t be expected to work my magic without my triple capp frapp! THE HORROR. There are people going through serious health issues, mamas grieving their children taken too soon, children going hungry. These are the real tragedies.

How spoiled I am! Here I am, on my way to have dinner with one of my sweetest friends (you all know her as Leigh Ann), at my favorite restaurant that is NOT cheap. Minutes before, I was watching Oklahoma with my Mancub, cuddling with my chihuahua, listening to the rain fall softly on the window of my cozy house. Hours before that, I finished up my first week of my dream job teaching students the joy of writing. I have so many things to be thankful for, but what do I post on Facebook? My outrage at this guy.

Forgive me Jesus.

Thank you for my cozy house that I have the privilege of taking care of. Thank you for my sweet hubby who puts up with my crazy ideas and my obsession with writing and literature. Thank you for my beautiful girls laughing in the kitchen, giving each other a hard time. Thank you for Mancub, who is transforming into a Godly man right before my eyes.

Thank you, Jesus, for these and many more blessings. Soften my heart and show me the ones in need you would have me help.

But listen, while I have you here, could you maybe send a little smiting Jerkwad’s way? Just the smallest smidge of smiting–like a giant bird doo on his precious window. If it’s not too much trouble. Amen!

 

Do you have a First World Pet Peeve you’d like to vent about? Go ahead! I’m with you, Sister!

Like this blog entry? Want to see more? Subscribe to my blog by clicking the button at the top of this page. Please and thank you!

 

 

5 Steps to A Great Essay: Teacher Tips

/ Tina Bausinger

Maybe it’s been a while since your last writing class, or it might have just been last semester. Whatever your situation, it’s never too soon or too late to gain some knowledge about writing.
1. Know your professor’s expectations regarding the assignment. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many times this step is skipped. Writing a long essay when a short one is assigned is not going to get you extra points. Many students only skim the directions, rushing into the assignment half-heartedly. Make sure you put it in the proper formatting.
2. Know your topic. Do some research so you present a valid argument.
3. Know your audience. In most cases, your professor is your audience, so writing an essay entitled “Why College Writing is a Waste of Time” may not be the best choice.
3. Try a fresh take on an old topic. For example, instead of writing about your favorite football player, why not write about the coach?
4. Take the time to do at least one draft. Don’t put it all together in one night and hope for the best. Trust me, your teacher will be table to tell, and your grade will reflect it.
5. Turn in your best copy. Don’t submit a paper that the dog stepped on (even though the paw print might be cute). Make sure it’s a clean copy, and not something that printed crookedly. Presentation matters.
6. Go to the Writing Center. Don’t know where it is? Ask. It should go without saying that your content and writing should be your best and a tutor is a professional reader.
Take a deep breath, dear student. You’ve got this!

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5 Reasons Why I Teach Stephen King’s “1408” To College Students

/ Tina Bausinger

Have you ever thought of teaching Stephen King to college students? During my graduate work, I took an amazing class taught by Dr. Karen Sloan called American Gothic. It was one of my favorite classes of all time because it’s just right up my alley. I took it concurrently with Dr. Ross’s British Gothic and I learned so much about the roots of horror. Here’s 5 reasons why I teach “1408” in my English composition class.

1. It’s a great example of a short, well-written horror story that perfectly fits the Contemporary Gothic genre. King is the master of horror, and as much as I would like to teach an entire novel (The Shining, Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile would be great to dissect!), I just don’t have enough time in a composition class to cover it.

2. It’s a perfect King bite. A bit scary, but not too scary for the faint of heart and those who hate horror. “1408” is a delicious sample, like the ones they give away at Sam’s Club on Saturdays. I might not really WANT to buy a whole lasagna, but a bite or two is perfect!

3. I love surprising students with King’s literary depth. Many people underestimate King’s writing–even he does–as simple, popular mass market paperback books. Not so. They are chock full of well-crafted characters, action-packed plots and quotable lines. His works are so much more.

4. If there’s a literary device I want to teach (symbolism, foreshadowing, point of view, unreliable/reliable narrators), I have a full arsenal in “1408.” It’s densely packed with everything I need in less than 30 pages, and students who balk at traditionally taught literature seem to be more open to the Kingster. Yes, I just called him that.

5. Reading “1408” automatically gives me an excuse to watch John Cusack at his best. Enough said.

 

9 Dos and Don’ts on How to Craft the Perfect Query Letter

/ Tina Bausinger

If you’ve finished your book, the next step is representation or a small press. You’ve done your research and found the perfect agent who is simply gonna LOVE your work. But you have to make it from your email “Sent” box to her email “Read box” and this is not always easy.This means, of course, the dreaded query letter. Don’t know how to get started? Here are some quick tips.
1. Do find out who to send it to, specifically. Go on the agent’s website and find the name of the agent who is simply ON FIRE about your genre.
2. Don’t begin your letter with: “Dear Editor.” Nothing says “I’m a lazy writer who can’t be bothered with details” like a lack of research here.
3. Do follow the guidelines set forth on the website for submissions. If you go to all the trouble to write a query letter without checking the website first, you may miss the part where they decided to be “closed to unsolicited submissions.” Which, in this case, is yours.
4. Do pay attention to details. If the website says, “Send the first three chapters” or “wait for our response” follow their directions. Even if your query letter is awesome, if they don’t tell you to send it and you attach your manuscript, guess whose email is probably going to be ignored? Yours.
5.Don’t send out a spammish query directed towards many agents at once. You really have to make the agent believe that he or she is the perfect fit for your book–and this is the opposite of that.
6. Do be brief and value the agent’s time. Get to the point. Many agents quit reading after the first few sentences if it’s laborious to do so.
7. Don’t brag as if you’ve written the next Harry Potter or Hunger Games. It’s ok to mention that your book is targeted at the readers of a specific book, though.
8. Do mention previous publications, if it’s relevant. If you’ve won a writing contest or published a short story somewhere, mention it briefly. This automatically gives you a tiny bit of an edge over someone who hasn’t.
9. After hitting the “send” button, DO relax. Most agent’s websites give you a turn-around estimate of time you will probably have to wait to hear back from them. Don’t annoy them beforehand. This, dear writer, is the hardest part. Waiting.

4 Paths To Publishing for Newbies

/ Tina Bausinger / 3 Comments

So you’ve finished your novel, and think it’s ready to go. Of course you know that self-publishing is an option, but for your particular work you’d like to get it into the hands of an agent or a smaller press. How do you go about finding someone to publish it?
1. Get a copy of the 2017 Writer’s Market. This will help you locate people or presses interested in your particular genre. If you write Young Adult fiction and approach a publisher or agent who only handles horror, you’re wasting your time. It’s like offering a steak to a vegan. No dice.
2. You can also get a copy of the 2014 Guide to Literary Agents if you don’t want to consider a smaller press. A large press is harder to pitch an unpublished writer to, so you must have an agent for representation. This book is an expansive guide to exactly which agents are looking for what. The same rule applies in that you must spend time looking for only those agents who represent your kind of work.
3. Go to a writer’s conference. There are great conferences all over the country that offer a short meeting with an agent as part of the conference fee. Even if you don’t gain representation, writer’s conferences are gold mines of information for writers in all stages of their work. The best writer’s conference I’ve been to is the DFW Writer’s Conference in Dallas, Texas. I have never walked away from that conference empty handed–I always learn valuable tips for writing and publishing. http://dfwcon.org/

4.Think about who you know. If you are an unpublished writer, the key is to get published somewhere, even if you don’t get paid at first. The longer your resume is, the more impressed a jaded agent will be. Some places to consider are local magazines and newspapers and contests. One of the very first places I published was an editorial for my local paper in Arkansas. That gave me the courage to submit a short story to my college’s literary arts journal. A while later, I revamped the story and submitted it to Chicken Soup for the Soul where they accepted it for publication. Having a story published in a nationally known brand like Chicken Soup really helped increase my credibility as a writer, and it helped when I approached big agents to at least look at my work. That’s what we are hoping for at first right? Just to get that “Ok, send it to me,” from the agent or editor of our choice. Getting your work in the hands of an agent is the very first step to approaching a book deal.