How Do You Know You’re Growing as a Writer? | noveldoctor. I’m not sure how to open this post. I thought about playing the simile card and saying something about how becoming a better writer is a lot like becoming a better other thing – a better architect, a better juggler, a better OPI color namer, a better human. That would have been entirely true. And entirely boring. I also considered manufacturing a conversation between a beginning writer and a seasoned writer that could foreshadow the post’s inevitable wisdom. I probably would have included an exchange like this: Seasoned Writer: I’m told you want to know how I got to be me. Beginning Writer: Yes. Seasoned Writer: Was that sarcasm? Beginning Writer: Sarcasm? Seasoned Writer: Never mind. Beginning Writer: Yes, master. Seasoned Writer: First of all, stop attributing wisdom to someone just because he’s older.
Beginning Writer: That’s it? Seasoned Writer: Yup. Beginning Writer: It’s that simple? Seasoned Writer: Who said anything about it being simple? Beginning Writer: One more thing?
WriteWords - Writing Community - jobs, directory, forums, articles for writers - StumbleUpon. 113 Things You Can Do to Grow Your Freelance Writing Income -- Now. 3inShare Aren’t you sick of the negativity out there in the freelance writing community? I know I am. You know the spiel. Comments like: The economy is still so awful, bla bla bla.All articles are now $5 or less.I can’t believe this Craigslist ad asks for three free samples. The fact is, some freelancers are still earning a great living, and you can, too. To help you take charge of your writing career, I put together a list of 100+ proactive things you can do right now to build your income: Tell your clients your rates are going up.Raise your rates for new clients.Raise your rates every year in the fall, to take effect the following year.Let your current clients and all your friends and former co-workers know that you’re looking for new clients and you’d appreciate their referrals.Grow your network.Write for more parts of your existing clients — does that publisher have other magazines?
(Yes, there are a few affiliate links in there, for products I have used and highly recommend.)
Internet Resources - Writers Resources - Writing Links & Writers. Unsorted [/writers] James Patrick Kelly - Murder Your Darlings - "When time comes to make that final revision, however, you must harden your heart, sharpen the ax and murder your darlings. " Greda Vaso - Determining the Readability of a Book - includes formulas for Gunning's Fog Index, Flesch Formula, Powers Sumner Kearl L. Kip Wheeler - Literary Terms and Definitions L.
Kip Wheeler - Comp - Lit - Poetry - Links - more Style - Grammar - Errors in English [/writers]American Heritage - Book of English Usage - free download Band-Aid AP StylebookPaul Brians - Common Errors in EnglishCJ Cherryh - Writerisms and other Sins The Chicago Manual of Style FAQ Gary N. Curtis - The Fallacy Files - Logical fallacies and bad arguments Prof. Charles Darling [RIP] - Guide to Grammar and Writing The Economist (UK) - Style Guide John Eshleman - Logical Fallacies H.W. 20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong. I’ve edited a monthly magazine for more than six years, and it’s a job that’s come with more frustration than reward.
If there’s one thing I am grateful for — and it sure isn’t the pay — it’s that my work has allowed endless time to hone my craft to Louis Skolnick levels of grammar geekery. As someone who slings red ink for a living, let me tell you: grammar is an ultra-micro component in the larger picture; it lies somewhere in the final steps of the editing trail; and as such it’s an overrated quasi-irrelevancy in the creative process, perpetuated into importance primarily by bitter nerds who accumulate tweed jackets and crippling inferiority complexes. But experience has also taught me that readers, for better or worse, will approach your work with a jaundiced eye and an itch to judge. While your grammar shouldn’t be a reflection of your creative powers or writing abilities, let’s face it — it usually is. Who and Whom This one opens a big can of worms. Which and That Lay and Lie Moot Nor.
80 Writing Prompts. 50 Writing Prompts. Questions for Meaning and Happiness. Post written by: Marc Chernoff Email At the cusp of a new day, week, month or year, most of us take a little time to reflect on our lives by looking back over the past and ahead into the future.
We ponder the successes, failures and standout events that are slowly scripting our life’s story. This process of self-reflection helps us maintain a conscious awareness of where we’ve been and where we intend to go. It is pertinent to the organization and preservation of our long-term goals and happiness. The questions below will help you with this process. In one sentence, who are you? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Photo by: Hartwig HKD If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)... Fiction Writing Exercises - Handouts - The Writing Center - The University of Iowa.
Creativity and the process of ideas. A guest post by Simon Townley of WriteMindset As a writer, having ideas is one of the most important parts of your craft. But often it seems like one of the most difficult and challenging parts of the whole process. How do you keep ideas flowing? How do you create a wealth of ideas to choose from? How do you make sure you get to the one killer idea that will make your advert, novel, article or blog post really stand out from the rest?
Some people like to wait for inspiration to strike. Luckily, there is a formula for producing ideas on a consistent basis. But if you need to produce strong and creative ideas regularly as part of your writing career, then it pays to know the formula, and how to use it. First of all, what is an idea? “An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old elements.” So how do you combine old elements into new? “The capacity to bring old elements into new combinations depends largely on the ability to see relationships.” How do you cultivate it? One Sentence - True stories, told in one sentence. 13 Weird Ways to Work Through Creative Blocks. How to kick-start the writing habit. Blogging can bring your business exposure, credibility, and whole lot more revenue – so it’s in your best interest to deliver a steady stream of powerful writing.
But for a lot of us, that’s a tall order. If you’re finding your creative juices running a little dry, this list of quick and easy tips is sure to get them flowing again. Write nothing but headlines. Sometimes the thought of writing an in-depth article is too much for your brain to deal with after a long day (or at the start of one). Spend 15 or 30 minutes just churning out headlines without worrying about how catchy they sound. Keep it rocking.