Many people claim that they want to write. Most wont because of a giant monster called FEAR. It looms over individuals and paralyzes them. What if Im no good? What if Im wasting my time? What if What if What if Fear creates these never-ending questions, but fortunately the beast can be conquered. Its conquered every day. Here are ten ways to get over fear and start writing:
On The Planet Corporate: Survival Through Fiction
I found myself sitting in the HR department of one of the most famous companies in America. My ice queen soon to be boss wanted me and I knew it. After all, I had graduated from a pseudo impressive university and I looked really good in my Ann Klein suit. Problem was, I’d never worked a day in Corporate America and I had just turned fifty. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks but the bills were piling up and the only place my freedom loving artistic spirit had gotten me was do…
Querying: One Authors Feedback On Tactical Issues
When I was functioning as that lowest of all life forms, the unpublished author, I benefited from established novelists willing to share their experiences. This article is intended to give something back, especially since my experience had some unexpected turns.
Seven Levels Of Rejection: And How To Make Them Work For You
Most people in the writing world talk about the three levels of rejection–form, personal, rewrite–but I’ve discovered seven types (after over 200 rejections before being published and about hundred after, I should know). Learning how to analyze rejection is a helpful skill for any writer because you’ll learn what to ignore, what to consider, and what will put you on the right track or, as the case may be, off of it.
Surviving The Day Job: Six Easy Lessons
Before I became a full-time writer, I had a job counting envelopes. Not colored envelopes or large manila envelopes, mind you, but white #10 envelopes. I had to count them in series of a hundred. Even now I can see them flashing in my eyes as I flipped through them, blinding myself as though I were looking out at a blanket of snow polished by the sun with dilated pupils. At the end of the day Id leave the office with spots in my eyes.
Eight Surefire Ways To Stay Motivated
Do you have trouble finishing your writing projects? Do you sometimes wonder whats the point? Do rejections make you want to give up all together? Youre not alone. Writing isnt always fun, especially when your efforts dont seem to make a difference. But if you want to succeed, you cant stop. You must keep going even when you dont feel like it. Here are eight great ways to stay motivated:
I Quit And Other Sensible Ideas – Or, Five Reasons To Stay A Writer
It comes along more frequently than not: The thought that youre insane and should pursue a career that doesnt stomp on your pride or demolish your ego. You have the hopes of fame and fortune to comfort you at times, but not often enough to keep doubt from gnawing at your mind.
A Secret To Getting Published
When Warner Books, one of the world’s largest publishing companies, published my first book, The Angry Clam, back in 1998, the most common question I was asked was, “What were you smoking when you wrote this book?” This was quickly followed by the second most common question, “How in the world did a 40-page, hand-written book with bad drawings of a clam get published?”
Dealing With The Doubt Demon
The only good teachers for you are those friends who love you, who think you are interesting, or very important, or wonderfully funny. ~Brenda Ueland
Publicity From Thirty Thousand Feet
Sketching out your marketing campaign will also give you a chance to see whats been leveraging you results and what hasnt. Keep in mind that some things like bulk sales and national media might take longer than other items so youll want to keep putting forth effort toward those long-term goals.
Seven Secrets of Writing a Book That Sells
Ensuring the success of a book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee. Mitigating circumstances, flash trends, and world events will all affect buyer preferences. That said, there are still ways to leverage the sales-factor in your favor and here’s how you do it.
The Business of Publishing
The truth about publishing is really stranger than fiction and the truth is: getting published is only half the battle. The other half is to keep your reality check in balance so it doesn’t bounce.