Photo conversation

“This is the photo that launched a thousand ships, the photo that inspired VoiceThread. It might be the greatest photo ever taken.” (An unidentified founder of VoiceThread)

You might agree! You can see this striking photo here: http://voicethread.com/#q.b409.i3129. I find it hilarious, and it becomes even more so as its subjects attempt to explain their interesting facial expressions. VoiceThread might inspire you to create similar conversations. And maybe you’ll find your own writing inspiration in a photo.

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Text © Gwyn Nichols 2012. All rights reserved. WritersResort.com

Do You Look like a Writer?

Naturally, I teach my students to write, but what gets more attention is inspiring them to look employable. Before job fairs and interviews, I’ve taught men to choose, tie, and wear a tie, and women to update their hair styles and choose modest, professional, flattering clothing. Want a real job? Then learn to look like a grown-up. If you’ve been an adult for a while, it could be time to update your hair style and the cut of your jackets.

This advice for male students reminded me to pass this idea along: http://artofmanliness.com/2011/09/22/style-tips-for-college-men/

So let’s encourage writers to the same career success. Most of us were nerds in high school. Many hang onto that image, even priding themselves on not caring for their looks. For some, it’s a defense, either fearing rejection, not realizing how good they’d really look if they gave the picture the right frame, or not knowing they could ask for help with this. Some even hide under a mop of hair and shapeless clothes to avoid a social life. Some would do something more for their looks but assume it would take too much time.

Actually, a great hair cut and a planned wardrobe can be great timesavers. And sure, you can be sloppy and get away with it. People will only think you’re eccentric. Aren’t all writers a little nuts? But writers are artists, and many of us consider beauty a cardinal virtue. Why not wear that on our sleeves? Why not look our best and even learn public speaking skills?

So if you haven’t changed your appearance since high school, try an experiment. Get a makeover artist to design a real hairstyle and see how you like it. Learn to use makeup effectively. Find out how it feels to let your beauty shine on the outside. (I had help myself: editing for image consultants has been one of the perks of my job.) I think you’ll find it raises your confidence and encourages your creativity. It can become a career breakthrough to be noticed in a crowd and discovered to be brainy as well. Go ahead–have it all!

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Text © Gwyn Nichols 2011. All rights reserved. WritersResort.com

Writer Beware

You don’t have to write in science fiction or fantasy to love Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. This organization serves all writers by warning us of disreputable editors, publishers, agents, contests, and other scams in their Writer Beware. And naturally, they also blog about other topics you might be interested in.

Here’s their current list of so-called literary agencies whose habits range from unprofessional to fraudulent. And here’s the list of publishers to avoid. (Most are vanity presses, the dark side of self-publishing.) No list is complete, of course, but you can easily rule out any who show up here. And if you’re new and don’t even know which practices are considered unprofessional or fraudulent, you’ve just received an even greater gift.

Thank you, SFWA!

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Text © Gwyn Nichols 2011. All Rights Reserved.