Possibilities Abound--If You Persevere

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As we approach the end of another year (and the end of this decade), I've been thinking about some of the great things which happened this past year--and some of the things which I attempted and fell flat. Yes, each of us have things on each side of that situation. Can you major on the possibilities and look for new opportunities? They are certainly out there yet only if you keep your eyes open for the possibilities and persevere. Many people along the way seem to drop off, give up and quit. Are you one of those people? You can make a choice not to be one of their number.

One of the continual discussions in the publishing community is whether a particular piece of writing is publishable or not. With the variety of possibilities from Internet to print-on-demand to traditional publishing to magazine work, there is always a way to get something to the audience--provided you reach the right audience. Publishability is a question the publisher will always ask--because they are investing a large amount of money into your project--just to produce it and also to market and sell the book.

I see many projects which don't have the depth or substance to be a book--and instead they are a longer magazine article or a substantial magazine article.

Who will you reach with this particular book AND does this publisher have the ability to reach that audience? Some publishers are better equipped to reach into an audience than others. Some times a publisher will consider your potential audience and reject the project because they are ill equipped to reach that audience and know it would be a mistake and misguided use of their resources. The answer about your audience returns to the age old question of researching the market and knowing how you will reach that market.

For example, if you are a children's author and tell me your book is going to be for any child from 3 to 12, your project gets immediately slated for rejection. You have no understanding of the divisions of children's literature and how that is handled in the bookstores and libraries of the nation. Your project is way too broad in scope from the beginning. Keep reading if you are a children’s author because I have some resources for you in a minute.

The same concern is true in the adult market when you say in your book proposal or query letter that your target market is women from 25 to 80 (as one which came across my screen recently.). You have not done your preparation as a writer to see the true possibilities. So do not be surprised when that idea doesn't hit too broad of a target.

Who are you targeting for the sales of your product? If it is the brick and mortar bookstores, then you need to work toward a traditional publisher for your product because no one reaches these stores better than the traditional publishers. I love traditional bookstores and try to spend as much time as I can in them--browsing the books and purchasing them in the store.

If you can show a publisher a large market (even if outside of the bookstore) and you have the ability to reach AND energize that market to purchase your new book, then you have moved out of the rejection pile and into a publishable category worthy of a publisher's consideration.

Finally no matter where you are in the publishing process, I want to encourage you to listen to this Mp3 called The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightengale. It is the only gold record ever achieved for the spoken word. If you are wondering about success and how to become successful, this recording is loaded with sound tested wisdom. I've heard it a couple of times. It will encourage you that the possibilities abound if you persevere.

As a writer, how are you handling the holidays and the end of the year? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

The possibilities are endless for writers if you persevere. Get insights and encouragement here. (ClickToTweet)

 ------
W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His work contact information is on the bottom of the second page (follow this link).  His newest book for writers is 10 Publishing Myths, Insights for Every Author to Succeed. One of Terry's most popular free ebooks is Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to a Rejection-Proof Submission. He lives in Colorado and has over 205,000 twitter followers.  

Writing - Are You an Outliner?

Are you an outliner or a pantser? I don’t know if there has been a study of how many writers prefer each, but I know there are many in both camps. You know the saying, “different strokes for different folks.”

But, before I go on, the definition of an outliner is a writer who creates a written (or typed) outline of the plot of their story. A pantser is a writer who creates the story as she goes along – no outline. The story unfolds as she is writing it.

If I had to take a guess though, I’d say the majority of writers/authors are outliners (plotters).

The reason?

Creating an outline of a story before delving into it provides a foundation. It’s something to build upon. It’s like a map. You mark out your driving route. You know you’re going from Point A to Point B. You see the highways, roads, and so on between those two points. And, they’re all written out in your outline.

It’s interesting to know that there are different kinds of outliners. Some create full detailed accounts of getting from Point A to Point B. Some simply have a rough outline of what the story will be about – possibly that John is at A and has to get to B.

Jeff Ayers (a top crime writer), in his article “Doing What He Loves,” in the May 2009 issue of the Writer, says:

“Outlining allows me time to think. Does this ever happen to you--you're in line at the market, some pushy person cuts in front of you, you mumble something ineffectual or stupid, then when you're 10 blocks away the light bulb goes off, and you think "That's what I shouda said!" Well, outlining gives me the 10 blocks to think of something better.”

I think this is an excellent explanation of why writers use the outline method of writing.

In the article, Ayers explains that he spends lots of time outlining. In addition to coming up with ideas, it allows him to get better acquainted with his characters. This more intimate knowledge allows him to bring them to life.

As I mentioned earlier, outlining is like using a map. But depending on how detailed you make your outline, it can be more like a GPS. It can lead you street by street from your starting point to your ending point.

Even if you run into a detour that was unexpected, as in writing can happen, you have a guided system in place to get you back on track. And, if it’s very, very detailed, you even know where the rest stops are, where to eat, where the scenic sites are, and so on. It doesn’t leave much to chance.

Knowing every step, every detour, all the characters . . . there is a comfort in this method.

I’m much more of a pantser, but I have used outlines now and then. And, it certainly does offer a sense of security. But, with that said, I love to watch my story unravel before me. I love to watch characters develop and move forward. This comes with the pantser method.

It seems though that no matter which style you use, it’s not a guarantee of success or failure. Gail Carson Levine has some good advice in regard to this, “Quality comes from word choice, plot, characters – all the elements [of a good story].”

Which writing method do you use?

Reference:
Outlining vs. Pantsing


This article was originally published at:
The Outline Method of Writing (Are You an Outliner?)

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author, successful children’s ghostwriter who welcomes working with new clients, and an author/writer online platform marketing instructor.

For more on children’s writing tips and writing help, stop by Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.
Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and check out the DIY Page.

She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move.




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It's probably happened to everyone at one time or another. You're writing and decide to use a word you're not familiar with - you don't know how to spell it. Well, the folks at Hubspot came up with some useful tips on how to figure out the spelling and they put those tips in an infograph.

Since this site is for writers and authors, I thought it'd be helpful.




Was this helpful? We'd sure appreciate knowing.

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Finding a Critique Group

It is the first month of the New Year and for writers that usually means new projects, new goals, new and better ideas floating around in your head. It also means evaluating what worked last year and what needs to be changed. A renewal of your commitment to becoming more successful as a writer may include finding a critique group for that second eye at your work.

If you don't currently have a critique group you may be wondering if you need one and if you do decide it might be a benefit, how do you find the right one? Here are some tips for helping you figure out if a critique group is right for you and finding the perfect members to make it work.

A critique group should be a benefit to you and in turn you must be a benefit to the others.

1. keep it simple
2. keep the group small
3. develop a trust within the group so that criticisms are not taken personally 
4. don't let it distract you from your real goal of writing

That being said, how do you find your group or as some writers call it, your tribe?

Start with deciding what kind of group you want, online or in person. If you want to be part of an online group you can find your members from writing sites, online classes you have taken, through your current social media writing friends you already know or by asking and being recommended by other writers you are familiar with. Joining writer associations or other membership sites related to your genre can open up many opportunities to find a critique group in your area of interest online.

If an in person group would benefit you more, check with your local library for any local writers that might also be interested. Local papers might also offer articles on other local authors or even list support/critique groups for writers in your community asking for members. 

Keep in mind that a critique group should offer you critical points that advance your story but should not demean you in a personal way. That's where the trust factor comes in. You must always trust that members are not tearing you down to make their writing feel better but are giving points to improve and lead you to more success. You in return must be the same type of critique partner.

What other tips do you have for those seeking a critique group, and any thoughts on how and why a critique group has helped you  can be shared in the comments. Here is to a successful 2017.

Every Writer Must Be Passionate About Their Writing

By W. Terry Whalin

As writers, we hear the words “no, thank you.”  How rapidly you hear “no, thank you” (or some version of rejection), will depend on how often you are pitching your work to magazines, literary agents or book editors.
  
Some writers insulate themselves from rejection.They love to write for their blog but never get around to sending off their material to print publications or agents or book editors. Why? Because they don't want the rejection letters.

One of the most published works in the English language (outside of the Bible) is Chicken Soup for the Soul. What many people have forgotten about these books is Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen were rejected over 140 times. Finally they found a small publisher in Florida to get their book into the bookstores. That is a ton of rejection. How did they handle these rejections? 

Jack and Mark learned to look at each other and say,”Next.” That single word (Next) is futuristic and looks ahead. You can use “next” when you get rejected to propel you ahead to the next submission. Mark Victor Hansen wrote the foreword of Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams (follow the link to read the sample).

Writers have to be passionate about their work to find the right place to be published. It is not an easy process and if publishing were easy, then everyone would do it. As an acquisitions editor at a New York publisher, I tell every author that it is going to be 80% up to them to sell books. Why 80%? Because as a publisher, we can sell the books into the brick and mortar bookstore but if the author does not promote their book, then these books are returned to the publisher.

Even if you get a large advance from your publisher for your book (rare but still happening), that publisher will run out of steam about your book. It doesn't matter if you've written a novel or a nonfiction book or a children's book. Every author has to use the passion about their subject to continue to market and tell others about their book.

One of my passions as a writer is to help authors produce excellent book proposals. As a frustrated acquisitions editor, I've read many proposals which were missing key elements. I wrote Book Proposals That Sell to guide authors and the book has over 130 Five Star Amazon reviews. I discounted the book and have the remaining copies so buy it here.  Yet my passion for proposals is more than this book. I have a free teleseminar about book proposals. Anyone can get my free book proposal checklist (no optin). Every other month, I write a column called Book Proposal Boot Camp for The Southern Writer magazine. I also have a step-by-step membership course on how to write a book proposal. 

Also I created Secrets About Proposals. In addition, I often guest blog about proposal creation different places and write print magazine articles about proposal creation. I hope these examples show you my passion and how it has continued way past one book. You should be doing likewise for your own topic or subject area. It's more than writing. Use the passion that drove you to complete your book to continue to market it.  Why do I continue to display my passion and keep working at it? Because I want others to use this book proposal material for their own success—and I want each of us to be producing better submissions.

There is not one path to success in the book publishing business. Yet every author must channel their passion into the ongoing promotion of their book. It takes many forms such as magazine articles, guest blog posts, tweets and much more.

Tweetable:

Every Writer Must Be Passionate About Their Writing. Learn details here. (ClickToTweet)

W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing.  He has written for more than 50 magazines and several of his 60 books have sold over 100,000 copies. Terry lives in Colorado and has over 183,000 followers on Twitter.

Five Tips to Create Physical Writing Boundaries for Optimal Health

Contributed by Irene Roth

    Physical Boundaries are probably the easiest to define although they can be very hard to bring about. The best way to describe physical boundaries is that they are property lines. For instance, my desk, office, my locked car, my computer with password protection, money in my bank account, and my body are all physical boundaries.

    One of the reasons that physical writing boundaries are the easiest to define is because they are external. It is easier to set up physical boundaries, and it’s easier to observe when someone has created a chasm in a physical boundary. 

    It is crucially important for writers to ensure that their physical boundaries are met and that they create some solid space for themselves and their writing.

    There are several types of physical boundaries. They are as follows:

1.    Computer Boundaries
Do you have to share your computer with another family member? This could cause a lot of difficulties for you. Also as a writer you have privacy issues that you will want to uphold too. This is all a part of your physical boundaries. You may feel infringed upon and unhappy to be giving your personal computer to anyone else, even if it is only on a borrow basis. So, keep your computer to yourself and don’t share it with anyone.

2.    Noise Boundaries
Can you tolerate noise outside of your office as you write? Do you have to have the drapes drawn so that the sun and people passing by your house won’t be a distraction? How easily distracted are you by noise?  Many writers are very easily distracted by noise and commotion. If you are one of them, develop the proper environment in which to write so that you are most successful. Take steps to ensure that you have the proper kinds of sounds as you write. You may want to have a CD of soothing nature sounds or music as you write. If you don’t know what makes you most productive, experiment a bit.

3.    Exercise Boundaries

All writers need to exercise every day given their sedentary work at their desks. So, you must ensure that you get a bit of exercise every day.  Exercising and writing will go hand in hand because the more you exercise the more productive you will feel. We all need a different amount of exercise to be at our best. So, experiment with what you need and then follow through for optimal health and productivity.

4.    Furniture Boundaries

To be at your best and to do your best writing you need to have ergonomic furniture that is suited to your body and any physical requirements that you may have. If you have special needs because of arthritis or other stiffness, take time to buy exactly what you need to write at your best. It will give you GREAT dividends later on. And you will have gained a lot of self-knowledge about yourself as well.

5.    Healthy Eating Boundary
One of the most important things that writers can do is to eat healthy foods. This will ensure that they are more productive and healthy too. Try not to eat a lot of carbohydrates or refined sugars. Also, make sure that what you eat is healthy and good for you and that keep your mind active and productive.  If food affects how you think, take heart. Just learn to do all that you can to accommodate your needs so that you could be most productive at the desk.

    Healthy writers must create these physical boundaries for themselves. In fact, you will be most successful if you take the time and patience to create these boundaries.  So, take out some time today to reflect on whether you have these physical boundaries in place so that you can be healthy to write and be creative.

    Writer can have a difficult time taking care of their health. It is therefore important for writers to guard their physical boundaries. Every time you do, you will not only be healthier but also much more productive and self-confident. Now this is a winning combination for all writers.

To learn more about create physical boundaries, double click on this link: Amazon.

Irene S. Roth, MA, (freelance writer and author) writes for teens, tweens, and kids about self-empowerment. She is the author of over thirty-five books and over five hundred online articles. She also writes articles for kids, tweens and teens and her articles have appeared in Encounter, Pockets, Guardian Angel Kids Ezine, and Stories for Children Magazine and Online. She also has four hundred and sixty published book reviews both online and in print.

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Writers - Don’t Let Your Fears Define You

Guest post by Irene S. Roth

Most writers are fearful of something. And for most of us we are afraid of any public acknowledgement and presentation of our work. So, for many of us, this can be a really difficult thing to overcome.  But it can have a negative impact on our health and well-being as writers.

    One of the most important ways to deal with your fears is to ensure that they don’t define you. Most of us take our fears personally. The important thing to remember is that our fears are out there just as your face and body image is. Also, our fears are merely negative stories that our mind keeps telling us over and over again. The real difficulty is that we usually end up believing these stories over time. And this is where our real problem lies.

Embracing Your Fears

    So many writers are plagued by fears when they write, regardless of whether they are beginning writers or more mature ones. They have so many negative thoughts and feelings about their writing career and their ability to complete these projects.  This negative mindset can wreak havoc with a writer’s self-confidence and overall productivity levels.

So, it is important to deal with these fears and embrace them as much as possible because if you don’t your fears will define you and possibly many of your writing projects. So, you have to deal proactively with your fears and come to terms with them before they start running your writing life.

    Here are a few ways to take steps to embrace your fears.

•    Sit down with your writing journal and write down all of your fears. Take your time coming up with your list. Be as honest as possible. The more honest you are the better it will be.

You may want to spend a week or so compiling your list. One way for you to generate this list is to carry your notebook with you at all times, especially when you sit down to write. As soon as you have a negative thought, write it down right away.

•    Once you have your list of fears and negative thoughts, examine them. Write down the recurring negative thoughts on a separate sheet of paper. Then, choose one of the most common negative statements and work at stamping it out over the next few weeks. Choose one that isn’t very emotional but yet consistently on your mind. Then beside it, write a positive statement to replace the negative one. Practice saying the positive statement for a few weeks.

For instance, if one of your negative statements is that I will never finish this project, change this statement to I plan to finish this project this time. And keep repeating this positive statement.

By taking these steps, you will be gaining self-confidence as a writer, and you will be embracing your fears. This is not a recipe for success and happiness but for overall health.

    So, you don’t have to be defined by your fears. Instead, you could problem-solve around your fears and resolve to be the best writer that you can be one step at a time. Just determine your worse fear and then work from there. In other words, work through your fears to eradicate them. By dealing with your fears directly, you will be taking steps to lessen their negative impact on you and in the process you will be taking control of these negative mindsets.

For a lot more tips on how to be a healthy writer, double click on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Writer-Irene-S-Roth-ebook/dp/B0176Y6NWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446101541&sr=1-1

Irene S. Roth, freelance writer and author, writes for teens, tweens, and kids about self-empowerment. She is the author of over thirty books and over five hundred online articles. She also writes articles for kids, tweens and teens and her articles have appeared in Encounter, Pockets, Guardian Angel Kids Ezine, and Stories for Children Magazine and Online. She also has five hundred published book reviews both online and in print. For more writing tips, please visit my website at: http://irenesroth.wordpress.com/

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Writers: Do you wake up smiling? Feeling no pain?

Contributed by Marlene Hibbard

If you can’t say yes to the title questions, I have some reminders of ways to help eliminate aches and pains that can be associated with sitting at your computer for long periods of time.

Ergonomics vs. Pain 

2 Major Mistakes and Solutions for Musculoskeletal Disorder

MSD stands for many things but for our purposes it’s musculoskeletal disorder. And it’s all too common, especially for writers. We sit at the computer for hours. I’m as guilty as you when it comes to disciplining myself to sit properly. Do you carry the laptop to the TV table where there isn’t even knee space causing serious muscle strain?

Even my beautiful new desk chair tempts me to lean to one side with its tempting arm rests. I can’t reach both of them with my arms so I lean on one. Next morning, I feel the strain in the opposite side of my back.

Mistake #1

Positioning and Posture Carelessness

Habitually leaning to one side or bending over the computer places the lower back at risk of injury. Ask yourself if you practice good posture? Or is it head knowledge only? To know the right thing and not practice it brings suffering.  

What to Do Instead

An adjustable chair is essential for good health. Raised or lower it for positioning arms and feet properly. Notice the arms in this picture are not exactly horizontal. Arm rests can usually be removed.

Sit up straight with your back against the back of the chair and a lumbar support if necessary. Feet should be flat on the floor. 

Practice makes perfect. Your back will thank you and you’ll save money for therapists and chiropractors. You’ll wake up smiley without pain.

Mistake #2 

Begging for Eye Strain or Disrupted Sleep?

The manuscript seemed perfect until you left it for a day, took another look before sending it to the publisher, and decided to revamp. You’ll be up until dawn. Deadline. Tomorrow. Your eyes are already strained just thinking about it.

Two of the mistakes regarding eye strain that bring this about are mentioned here.

You’ve read studies spelling out that late night screen viewing disrupts sleep. It could be the blue lights from your computer screen.

What to Do Instead

You can change the light/darkness of your screen. Also, do a search on YouTube.com for eye strain. Some users have claimed that a program called F.lux can help eye strain by dimming your monitor depending on the time of day. Your screen will display an orange-ish color in the evening mimicking nature. I haven’t tried it but I think I might. You decide and let me know in the comments.

Another issue with this is eye strain from not having the screen at proper distance. If you are using the laptop keyboard you probably have your arms too high, causing upper limb strain.

What to Do Instead

Most of these things cause you to wake up in pain but simply paying attention to your posture will solve your problems.

With the extra keyboard and mouse lower than your laptop, you may want to raise the screen. You could place a book or cardboard box under it. Whatever it takes to make you wake up smiling, right?

Please leave a comment to let us know any strategies you use to help alleviate strained muscles or eyes from writing.

I’m Marlene Hibbard, coming to you from the mountains of Virginia and the author of Hideous Health Habits. Visit www.hideoushealthhabits.com for more health tips.

~~~~~


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Bloopers Can Be Fun ~ International English #4

This is post #4 on the subject, International English.

• In October, we looked at Making Friends Across the Globe. 
• In November we saw some of the the varieties of English interpretations, especially between British and American English.
• In December we looked at some of the cultures and greetings of Christmas in  a variety of countries.
• This month we're going to enjoy some fun, looking at some of the mistakes that can happen when we are working with an unfamiliar language. 

It can be fun hearing the bloopers made by people learning a new language or using phrases unknown to them. But as writers, if we want to include a snippet of local language in our writing, we need to be sure we get it right.

I read recently on a website of a student in Northern India who was asked, "What do you do?"

"Main chata hoon," he replied carefully in Hindi, meaning to say, "I'm a student." He later discovered he had actually said, "I'm an umbrella." Chatra is a student; chata is an umbrella.

When my daughter was new to Venezuela, she was making her way through a crowd of people. She kept saying what she thought meant, "Excuse me," as she tried to pass people. In South Africa this would mean, "Please make way—I need to get through." She later learned she had been moving through the throng saying, "What's the matter?"

If a South African or British writer sends their heroine for a leisurely stroll along the pavement, this is good for her health. The pavement in South Africa and England is the paved area alongside the road, reserved for pedestrians. However sending her for a stroll along the pavement in America could have dire consequences as that's where the cars drive in the States.

So if we're writing about another culture, we need to make sure we not only have the correct word but that we use it in the right way.

I asked around for some more examples of easy mistakes that can be made when using English. Here are four examples.

Ruth Ann Dell in South Africa said:" When we visited friends in England, they were astonished when we talked about turning right at the robot. They couldn't see any robots on the road. We had a good laugh as we explained that back home in South Africa we called traffic lights robots"

Barbara Strohmenger in Germany shared this: "A funny thing is the wrong use of become by Germans; the German bekommen means to receive, but some think it means to become because it sounds similar; so they say I become a gift instead of I receive a gift.

Karen Shaw Fanner, formally of Zimbabwe and now living in England says: "In Africa just now means in a while, at some point. In the UK just now means immediately, right this minute. How to really annoy people in England is to tell them you'll do it just now and leave it an hour!

And one from myself, an English-speaking South African: "I nursed for many years in a paediatric ward in Krugersdorp, South Africa. Although as a Christian I don't believe in "luck", and I often prayed with parents when their little ones headed for surgery, I nevertheless fell into the practice of saying, Good luck! I'll be praying. If the patients were Afrikaans, I would translate this and say, Geluk! Ek sal bid, which I thought was Good luck! I'll be praying. One day a colleague overheard me, and with a broad grin asked me why I was congratulating the parents. Turns out that although Geluk sounds like Good luck it actually means, Congratulations! So I was sending my small patients off for surgery with the words, Congratulations! I'll be praying."

So, writers, be careful of the words you use, especially if you're trying to use a snippet of foreign language to add flavour to your work. You might just be adding the wrong flavour which could leave your readers with a bad taste. Make use of your Internet friends, and find someone who lives in the country you are writing about, or who fluently speaks the language you wish to quote.

How about you? Do you have an amusing story to share of the wrong word being used as a result of a different language or culture? If so, please comment below. Perhaps I can include them in another post for us all to enjoy.

FURTHER READING:  
What in the World Do You Mean? 
The Cultures and Greetings of Christmas Around the World

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer has created a multitude of friends and contacts across the world.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com where she encourages writers, or at RiseAndSoar.com where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or Facebook.

Sign up to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

You Don’t Have to Be a Great Writer to Have a Great Blog

Guest post by Michele Netten

3 Mindsets Bloggers Should Have and Not Have To Be Successful

I’ve been thinking lately about what can help – or hurt – writers who wish to write a blog. When considering my own writing goals, I feel mixed. I have a strong desire to write about things of importance, yet also trepidation that I won’t say what’s on my heart in a way that resonates with readers. If I let myself dwell on the fear of failure, I’ve found I can effectively talk myself out of writing anything.
And that’s the real ogre standing in the way, right? Fear of failure.

Each of us writers has a calling that is different from any other writer. If we don’t write our message, no one else ever can. Yet, most writers (artists) wrestle with a fear of failure. I’ve come to believe fear may even simply be a companion that accompanies us on the journey whether we like it or not. Still, though, other writers have conquered and we can get past writing fear too, one little step at a time.

Hence, my tips for getting around the fear blockade!

3 Mindsets Bloggers Should Have and Not Have To Be Successful

DON’T…

1. Don’t think you have to be the world’s greatest writer. A good subject, some reasonable preparedness and research if needed, and a good spell checker is enough to get started.

2. Don’t give up. If you start something, commit and keep going. Don’t post an article or two and then stop. You ‘ll look like a flake for all the world to see.

3. Don’t be discouraged by the initial technicalities of the setup process. Websites, WordPress, SEO plugins, etc.. The entry into this arena is challenging at first but there is a lot of quality and generous help out there to get past this.

DO:

1. Write from your heart. Express things that are important to you that will inform, help, or entertain an audience appropriate for you. If something is important enough to you to write about, there are people out there who agree and will be interested in what you have to say. (If you’re starting from scratch as I am, finding that particular audience takes effort and patience, and is the subject of more articles). Be consistent in offering value and be generous with your thoughts and giveaways -- your audience will grow in time and with effort.

2. Choose a subject you can write with passion about. This may go without saying, but if you’re deeply interested by your topic, it will show (and the flipside is if you’re not, that will show too and no one else will be interested either).

3. Read. Read. And read some more. The more you read, the more you’ll want to write and the better a writer you will become from doing both. Going back to the beginning of this blog, if you have ever been inspired by the way an author has chosen to tell a story or shown a character’s heart and courage, simply reading more and more brings tremendous benefit with no downside! It’s one of life’s major gifts. Reading is our best teacher and the beauty of it is learning comes as a byproduct!.

In closing, ponder what you’re passionate about. Commit to the journey, perhaps with a friend who feels as you do. Then, fill up your tank on the words of others and emulate the process in your own writing. When you do, it will be the start of your own beautiful story.

About the Author

Michelle Netten is a lifelong fan of books and storytelling and reads and writes stories every chance she gets. She earns a living as a hi-tech writer (content-on-demand) and her true heart is always in books, literature and stories. Her children's books and blog can be found at her Cheer-ebooks website: http://www.cheer-ebooks.com

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MORE ON WRITING AND MARKETING

Revisions Part 1 – An Early Fiction Checklist
Gracious Acceptance – 8 Ways to Deal with Critiques
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When is Too Much Social Media... Too Much?

In this era of technology and social media, marketing, and getting an author platform built have you ever wondered when too much is too much? A quote above my desk by famous author William Faulkner reads: Don't be a "writer"... Be writing. Note he doesn't say marketing, selling, promoting, or any of the other social media activity that an author must do to get noticed but the simple quote does cause me to ponder.


And this is what I ponder.

• What do I promote if I haven't written a word?
• How do I market myself as a writer if I haven't written?
• Can I develop a platform if all the words are in my head and not on the page?

And most important, do the writers from years ago have more to offer authors of today in the way of mentoring and teaching us how to be writers then we take the time to learn? Can it be that we must sit and truly write?


I believe that marketing, selling, and self promotion are all absolutely necessary to being a successful author. Without a doubt social media has taken an important role in getting an author platform built around the talent of any author. But I also believe there must be words on the page before the hype or the author will be seen as less than substantial and their platform will be weak. To be an author with integrity and one that your target audience will love and follow you must write and continue to write.


Many authors write a blog, small filler pages, and short articles at first. These small steps are what you start with to build a strong platform and to keep your target audience interested in what you write next. These small efforts many times lead to building a strong book project or instructional products for your target audience. In the fiction arena, short -short stories may lead to longer stories that draw your audience in. All of these efforts are action steps necessary for the social build up you seek.


 Regardless of the type of writing you do, social media will be a part of the process but keep in mind it can also be too much. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when deciding if social media is taking too much of your time.

• If your time online socializing keeps you from writing, then think about what it is you are trying to accomplish. Social media sites can  be very distracting and be a huge time waster.
• If you check your emails for half a day, eat lunch, and check Facebook until dinner and find yourself still in your pj's,  you may be spending too much time socializing and not enough time writing. Make your time on social media directly relate to your current writing project or promoting a published work.
• Use an egg timer or alarm to limit your time on social media. Another way to keep your time on social media in check is to schedule one or two days a week for marketing and social media tasks and reserve the other days for only writing.

The best way to keep  your writing first and social media second is to practice discipline. Success is sure to follow. Treat your writing like a business. Don't cheat yourself out of valuable writing time by letting social media take over your time.


How do you rate your writing effort? If William Faulkner would show up at your door would he recognize you as a writer because you are actually writing or would he mistake you for a wanna be?


Terri Forehand is the author of The ABC's of Cancer According to Lilly Isabella Lane and The Cancer Prayer Book for adults. She writes from her home in the hills of Brown County, Indiana. Visit her website at www.terriforehand.webnode.com or http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com

The Critics

Critics are everywhere. 

They will stop us dead in our tracks or make us more determined with our dreams.

Writers bare their soul with words. Our work is an expression of who we are. First drafts of angst or sheer joy flows across the page with unhindered rhythm.  

tefocoto / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

But, unfinished symphonies of literary beauty have been lost because of the critic - unless the writer has learned to work through the struggle. 

The critic has a place. But you don't want the opinion of someone to crush your creativity.

Be inspired with this video clip, Why Your Critics Aren't The Ones Who Count, by Brené Brown.

Brené is a research professor and nationally renowned speaker on topics such as vulnerability and courage.  I met Brené through Christina Katz, author and writing coach, who shared this video with her readers.

I sincerely hope you are inspired as I was.

Let me know what you think!

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After raising and homeschooling her 8 children, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

On the writerly resolution

I'm not really a resolution type girl. I prefer goals. SMART goals - that is, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Goals can be worked towards - they aren't necessarily met or not met. Instead we use them as roadmaps and progress towards their achievement. If you have a goal to write 12 chapters and only write 6, you haven't failed, you've written 6 chapters. So, as we are now in January 2014, I thought it might be right to define a few writerly goals rather than resolutions that we can all work towards in our writing practice.  There is no non-achievement here.  Every step along the way is to be congratulated.  Here are my five goals for 2014. Maybe they'll resonate with you too.

• Write every day - no matter where; no matter what.  I don't like to confine myself to word counts - sometimes I have to stop and research. Sometimes I have to minister to the many people in my life that I love and who need me.  But if I touch base with my writing each day it moves forward and stays present in my head. I can then also do a lot of the work in my subconcious, through attention, and application in ways that don't happen if you let a day, or several days, go by without writing. 
• Write without restraint. Allow yourself to delve deep - sometimes to dark places where there is pain and desire. No one will read what you've written until you let them, so forget about your readers for a bit and go where you must to find your own truth (bet you don't hear that often...).
• Turn off the lizardy, self-critical voice in your head (she can come back later) when you write. The goal is not to write a masterpiece. That's too daunting and probably not SMART. The goal is just to front up and do the writing. The polishing comes later. So don't criticise yourself. Now is not the time.
• Look, listen, pay attention. The world is full of characters and material. The more you write, the more you'll notice and find stuff to write about.  Everything (and everyone) is interesting if you pay close enough attention, listen, look, use your five senses, and really take it in.
• Aim for completion. It doesn't have to be the whole project. Chunking a project into, for example, chapters, or poems, or pieces of finished work is not only more satisfying than endlessly working on something, but it gives you something you can submit somewhere, which really helps keep the writing juices flowing (a few accolades/publications/or positive critiques don't hurt either).

How about you?  Will you be setting secific goals for 2014?  Whatever you'll be spending 2014 doing, have a very happy new year!  

Magdalena Ball is the author of the novels Black Cow and Sleep Before Evening, the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Sublime Planet, Deeper Into the Pond, Blooming Red, Cherished Pulse, She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at www.magdalenaball.com.

Show Me!

            Experienced writers have learned this less well, but less experienced writers are still learning it or have it yet to learn. Even for experienced writers it is good to review it every so often. What am I talking about? The “show, don’t tell” rule of writing. It sounds so simple, and yet it is one of the hardest to learn for some of us.

            Telling is what you see with narratives, and it is okay in the proper prospective. But you do not want to fill your book with telling your story. Your readers like action, dialog, descriptions, emotions, all the things that your readers can take and create a picture in their minds.

            Show your story. Give it characters your reader can fall in love with and want more of them. Give them a setting or location that their mind can grab hold of and feel they are right there with the characters. Make the characters speak to them and create action that keeps the story moving. Give descriptions of the setting and characters through narrative and some through dialog, but do not insult your readers by giving them every little detail. Readers like to be a bit creative themselves so give just enough to stimulate their own imaginations, and let them run with it.

            When you have fast-paced scenes, it is good to slow things down and give your reader a chance to breathe. Your story should run in waves of fast pace and slow pace. That is where the narrative comes in. You can use it to slow down the pace of the story.

            Someone once told me to read through my story; and if there are areas where I am telling, ask myself if there is a way I can show it rather than tell it. If there are, then I need to change it.

            Narratives do serve a purpose, so remember not to change all of them. Also remember, it is the author’s responsibility to create a world in which his/her readers can get lost and want more of it.

            Following are some points to remember when self-editing your work:  1) How often do you use narrative summary?  2) Which sections do you want to convert into scenes (action)?

3) Do you have any narrative summary? (You do need some.)  4) Are you describing your characters’ feelings or are you showing them?

Faye M. Tollison

Author of:  To Tell the Truth

Upcoming books:  The Bible Murders

                                Sarah’s Secret

Member of:  Sisters In Crime

                      Writers on the Move

www.fayemtollison.com

www.fayetollison.blogspot.com

www.fmtoll.wordpress.com

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.

William Wordsworth 

 

Sometimes we dream of a writing retreat to find fresh creativity or end writers' block. Cozying up to a roaring fire at a ski lodge with your laptop or digging your toes in warm tropical sand with pad and pen, conjures up the perfect setting. Productivity will ooze from you! Perhaps. But perhaps not. 

Writers must find the breathings of their heart no matter what their situation, circumstances or environment.  

Bloom where you are planted.

I have found some of my best writing occurred when the circumstances were undesirable. It drew something deep within me that found its way on paper. Who hasn't stopped to notice a flower sprouting from a crack in a city sidewalk? Just like that flower, your writing can have a profound affect when you're going through something. Use those emotions to stir something deep within you.

Do you have a story to tell of how you bloomed where you were planted?

Photo Credit:

 Theophilos / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

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Kathleen Moulton is a freelance writer.  You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com/