Big thanks to Jenny for sharing this from her inspiration board: Ann Patchett on writing as a job.
October 17, 2011 — 1 Comment
Cognitive Connection, July 16: A Heaping Helping of Encouragement and Writing Tips
July 16, 2010 — 1 Comment
Some weeks can feel like churn: me, my laptop, email and copy. I consider myself very fortunate to spend my time working with words and getting paid for it, but like any job it can have it’s duller moments. But this week was exceptional. I left the house and engaged in interesting, thought-provoking conversations (with other people) about books and writing. I’ve met many talented writers the last four months and I love learning from them all.
- Ask Allison When One Opinion is Just That: One Opinion A reader asks author Allison Winn Scotch for advice after an agent tells this reader there’s no place in the market for her book. In answering, Allison reminds us all that we should not “get caught up in singular feedback.”
- Janet Fitch’s Blog 10 Writing Tips That Can Help Almost Anyone As soon as I discovered Janet’s blog this week, I immediately added it to my Google reader. Her writing is beautiful and Paint It Black is one of my favorite recent novels. She offers helpful, actionable advice in this post. And, it’s applicable across many genres.
- Lisa Romeo Writes Summer Writing Prompt Project From Lisa: “If you are having a tough time churning out words, if you occasionally feel (in addition to overheated) that you really should be writing more, or just enjoy a creative kick, a daily writing prompt may be the ticket.” She’s offering a free daily writing prompt until August 31.
- There Are No Rules – Guest post by Justin Kramon 2 Concrete Ways To Keep Your Writing Career Moving Forward Justin’s book Finny was released July 13. In this guest post, he offers specific tips (including resources and links) to help writers fend off despair in a field of rejection. If you like Justin’s post on There Are No Rules, check out his blog—it’s all about his process of writing and getting his novel published.
- Work in Progress This is a monthly e-mail newsletter presented by Farrar, Straus and Giroux The description from the website had me hooked: “Welcome to Work in Progress, our monthly missive from the front lines of literature. […] Think of this as a shifting space—an exhibition, a meet-and-greet, a freak show—curated by our editors and writers, delivered here and to your inbox.”
Your turn. Any opinions, blog posts or articles on writing you’d like to share? Post away in the comments below. Thanks!
Dear Young Writers, Thanks for the Inspiration
July 14, 2010
One of my favorite discoveries at Aspen Summer Words (ASW) was the workshop offered to young writers ages 14-18. I had the privilege of meeting one of the participants (I’ll call her Ms. M) at breakfast the first morning and she—along with several of my fellow workshop attendees as well as a smattering of poets and novelists—became a regular part of my mornings.
Ms. M is 15 and had just completed a novel she started when she was around 12, maybe 13. She claimed to have no social life and so she wrote all the time. Intelligent and motivated, she spoke about how much her writing has grown and, yes, improved over the years. She loved the program and clearly took it very seriously. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see her the last morning, but I had wanted to ask her what she learned, what she was working on next.
Rumor had it that one of Ms. M’s fellow young writers sold a novel during a consultation with an agent at ASW. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Ms. M sells hers.
When I was Ms. M’s age, I didn’t have much of a social life and I wrote. But I kept my scribbles and handwritten scenes hidden. It would have never occurred to me that I could spend my summer learning about the craft of writing from published authors. (Of course, it was Texas, and anything outside of sports was hard to find.) My writing pursuits in journalism were supported and encouraged. It just never occurred to my family or me that writing could lead to rent-paying work.
Although I didn’t know my maternal grandfather very well, I knew he wrote and I even performed one of his prose pieces in a speech competition. Just recently, I re-read a letter he wrote me when I was 18, sharing his writing advice. He referred to himself as an “unsuccessful, frustrated writer” and then suggested, “If you stay away from creative writing you will probably live a much less complex life. Maybe not as interesting…but certainly less tormenting.”
Of course, creative writing is what I’ve grown to love most. I couldn’t have told you that at 15, or 18 or even 25. So, when I got a message from a young writer earlier this week, I was honored that she invited me to check out her new blog, her first blog, where’s she posting her creative work. You inspire me—and, yes, that means you, Lauren.
And to those posting their prose and poetry at The Young Writer Revolt, keep it up. It amazes me that you’re so determined, focused and active with your writing. It took me until I was 30. Don’t let school or graduation or the pressure of bills and rent keep you from writing. Every time I read your work, I’ll remind myself of that very advice.
50/50 Post: The Best Writing Advice You’ve Received
May 12, 2010 — 8 Comments
Since you had such memorable experiences to share regarding feedback you’ve received on your writing, I thought I’d turn the tables today. Let’s talk advice. It can be just what you need to hear. It can give you an idea to help you structure your writing or achieve a goal.
Of course, it can be completely off the mark and inappropriate. That’s not what I’m asking you to share today. What’s the writing advice that clicked for you? I’m asking you to share advice that’s helped you—and that you think your fellow writers will appreciate.
I’ll start with two items, one of which I heard recently.
- Put your butt in the chair and write. That essay, short story, novel, memoir is not going to get written unless you are writing. For a time, I tried carving out one day each week for writing. That was a bit unrealistic to maintain—and it was too easy to lose that day but not replace it. I’m now trying to write a certain number of words per day and email that total to a friend. This was working very well, until I overbooked myself with copywriting gigs. Still, that daily goal is there for me and I’ve already made good progress on a project because of it.
- Don’t let me see that chapter again. The point to this one is to keep writing. If you are hung up on perfecting one element, such as a chapter, you’ll never move on to the next. Sometimes you need to draft the whole so that you can identify the story you’re actually telling. I have a few shiny, polished chapters of a project…and a long gap where I wasn’t writing further because I was still tinkering with earlier chapters. Now I’m determined to get a full draft written so I can break out a box of red pencils and really revise.
Now it’s your turn! Like my other 50/50 posts, this is where you share your opinions and experiences. What’s the best writing advice you’ve received? Please share in the comments!
50/50 Post: The Best Freelance Advice You Ever Received
March 15, 2010 — 21 Comments
Whether you’re a seasoned freelancer, part-time freelancer or freelancer-to-be, I’m asking you to share here. You can be a writer, designer, photographer, consultant, or artiste. All that matters is that you participate!
Long before I took a last gasp and made the life altering, “I’m going out on my own” announcement, I’d been reading everything I could about life without cubicle walls. Ideally, I wanted to have a few clients on a part-time basis first, but that’s not how life worked out. With my move to Denver, I had to leap or get a new full-time job and hold off on the dreams of being my own boss at least another year.
With all the ups and downs, especially that cold first month, I’m so glad I did it. In fact, I’m so thrilled to be on my own, I’ve been helping other freelancers (or almost-freelancers) navigate their way. It’s inspired me to ponder about my own journey and the best advice I received. It was this:
Tell everyone you know about your freelancing business. Since I was leaving a job, this part was easy. In simply sharing my news, I received amazing support and (most valuable of all) referrals. I was floored at the number of people who provided email addresses and said, “Tell ’em I sent you.” It opened doors and boosted my confidence.
Now it’s your turn! Like my other 50/50 posts, this is where you share your experience. What’s the best freelancing advice you’ve ever received? Was it from a fellow freelancer? Or did a mentor share her wisdom? Or maybe it was a favorite book that’s since become your favorite go-to resource? And, if you didn’t receive advice for taking the leap, what’s the one thing you’d share with a budding freelancer today? Please share in the comments.
Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/g-hat/ / CC BY 2.0
