Monday, February 17, 2025

Are You a Last-Minute Writer?


 Today's poster made me laugh. I think there are two groups of people. Those who plan way ahead and get things done early and those who wait until the last minute. If a poll was taken, I wonder which group would be the largest. 

There are things that are best done at the last minute, well, maybe not the very last but close. When company is coming, you don't want to dust and clean floors a week ahead. You'd only need to do it all over again the day before your company is due. If you're going to serve a cake on Sunday, don't make it the preceding Sunday. Not gonna taste very fresh.

My son was a last-minute kind of student. He always got it done but seldom ahead of time. There are people who work best under pressure. They might have to stay up late the night before an assignment is due, but that's their choice.

What about writers? Yes, there are two groups of these people, as well. One group notes a deadline to submit a piece of writing and has it ready way ahead of that date. Others wait until the last minute and get their submission written and sent. Pros and cons to both.

The writers who work well ahead of deadlines have one real benefit. There is more time for editing and revision, so they are going to be sending a polished piece of writing. They also don't have the Worry Pixie riding on their shoulder. Some contests take only X number of entries, so the early bird can rest assured that theirs will be among that number. Those who work ahead have peace of mind.

What about those last-minute writers? They run just the opposite of the other group. That Worry Pixie has a permanent spot on their shoulder. They probably get the piece ready by the deadline, but there is little time left for editing and revision, so they are probably not sending their best work. They could be the 1012th entry for a contest that accepts only 1000 entries. There are writers who find they do their best writing when under pressure. 

Each writer probably learns which way works best for them. If working ahead is best, he/she should stay with that method. If doing a slam-bang job at the last-minute produces results, then go for it. We're all different. Some of us like the peace of mind that working ahead allows, while others thrive on doing a bang-up job at the last minute. 

It's your choice as to which way you choose to work, which way produces the best results for you, which way brings satisfaction and good results. 

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Writing About Love


 What better time to write about love than during Valentine celebration week. Look at all the choices you have. There's boy-girl romantic love, the love of family members, the love of certain foods, love of your country, and many others. 

There are even different kinds of love in each of those mentioned. The boy-girl/man-woman kind of love can produce sizzling, sexy stories, or the simple coming of age love stories. Or even the quiet love stories of those in a longtime marriage. 

Parents love their children and vice-versa. Siblings, even though bickering at times usually love one another. I didn't realize how much I loved my three younger brothers until two of them passed away. 

If you love specific foods, you can probably write a love story about whatever it happens to be. Or a poem--An Ode to ...! 

When we feel deeply about our country, we can surely write an essay about out patriotism. You might write an essay about the love and joy gardening gives you. Or quilting or writing or painting!

Your 'love stories' can be warm and fuzzy, or they might be funny, or deeply serious. As writers, we are in charge of what kind of story to write. On a Monday, you might feel like writing a serious love story, but on Wednesday, you might be in the mood for a funny tale. 

As I've said about so many things in our writing world, 'It's your choice.' Isn't that wonderful? You're not meant to heed rules and regulations about what you write. 

I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day. Give some thought about what you can write about this annual day of love, cupids, chocolates, and flowers. Or about some other kind of love as written above. Wear a big smile as you write about someone or something you love!

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Finishing What You Write


 

Starting a new writing project is fun, inspiring, and even exhilarating. We've taken a bit of an idea and began enlarging on it, bringing it to a fuller thought than when that snippet came to us. Writers who write by the seat of their pants, often referred to as 'pantser's, enjoy seeing where the original thoughts will lead them. 

But what about finishing what you started? Most writers have a number of unfinished stories, essays, and poems in their files. Why? Isn't the idea of writing to start and then finish so we can then jump into the submission process? 

There are a few reasons that writers abandon a writing project. One is fear that, once completed, you're going to have to do something with what you've written, and maybe you're a bit worried about finding a place that will publish your work, concerned about the whole submission process. Another fear is that maybe your idea didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped. 

Another problem can be that you get stuck in the middle of what you're writing and don't know where to go next. In fiction, maybe you've set up a problem for the hero, but you have no idea how to get him out of it. So, it's easier to quit, telling yourself you can work on it later. If it's a personal essay, you start with an experience that you've had, but you don't know how to bring it to the point where you've learned something along the way. 

There's always the problem that you didn't have time to finish. With the busy lives we lead, time sometimes becomes our biggest enemy. Maybe you started writing a story but had to set it aside because of family or work obligations that seem to go on and on for way too long. There sits your unfinished story, not completed only because you haven't had time to work on it. 

Sometimes, you don't finish a writing project because you don't like the way it's turning out. More than once, I've thought to myself--'This is pure drivel.' and I either throw the partially written piece away or put it in a file. We shouldn't throw our work away; put it in a file and go back to it someday. Time away can give you new perspectives when you do look at it later, sometimes much later. 

Yes, there are myriad reasons we don't finish some of the writing projects we start. It's not a crime. Maybe this wasn't the right time to finish the story idea you had that at first seemed so great. It's alright to have unfinished writing in your files. The important thing is to go back now and then and look at them. Six months later, you might have a better idea how to finish what you had started. Pull out that poem that you stashed before ever doing any editing or revising. 

Finish what you start is good advice, but you don't have to finish in one fell swoop. 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Writers--Learn to Cut Your Precious Words

 


Today's post is a repeat regarding cutting words. Such a necessary but difficult thing for writers to do. 

Two posters suggest cutting words. ...cut it to the bone Stephen King tells us. The anonymous author of the second quote tells us we are going to have to delete much of our first draft. He/she says that is when we know we are a writer, but it might take us a long time to accept that.



Or maybe you don't agree with what these two quotes tell us. Maybe you are averse to cutting words or deleting entire sections of something to which you gave time and effort. You love some of the phrases or you are extremely proud of the way a certain section turned out. Cut? No way! 

I think this is when our ego and our talent as a writer get tangled. Those words we write are precious. We wouldn't take one of our children and toss them out, would we? That's how some writers feel about cutting parts of the story or deleting unnecessary words. They end up with wordy, dreary writing.

The cutting process will leave you with a much stronger piece of writing. If you edit with an objective eye--keyword here being objective--you can find areas that may be lovely prose but add nothing to the story itself. Or the essay or poem--whatever you are writing. 

In my first online writers' group, our moderator was a fine writer and a tough taskmaster. She was hard on all the members over one bad practice or another but she broke many of us of bad habits. One of those was being too wordy. She would cut huge chunks of a submission. That often hurt the writer but she always added a valid reason for what she suggested. Some people only needed unnecessary words cut but with others, it was entire paragraphs or even sections. I always read the critiques that this woman gave to other writers because I learned a great deal by doing so. As time went by, I could see that her suggestions on cutting were very beneficial. 

Here's a little problem with slashing our words. We're writers. We're word people. We love words and phrases and sentences. We don't want to get rid of any of it. Still, one of today's quotes suggest we are not real writers if we cannot make peace within as we slash, dice and slice some of what we've written. I know that, when I do this, I end up with a stronger piece of writing. 

Some of us tend to be redundant. We repeat the same idea with different words within the same paragraph. Part of the reason we tend to do that is to make sure the reader 'gets it.' Give your reader a little more credit for being able to 'get it' with only one try. When you edit your work, look for those areas where you have repeated yourself in some way and cut until you have made the point with one sentence. 

A fine poet in my online group frequently suggests cutting a lot out of a poem that has been subbed. That old less is more comes into play here. When she tells me to cut something, I pay close attention because I know she is a gifted poet and sees more than the average person. 

Don't be concerned with those many words you end up cutting. Put them away in your mental file box to use again someday. Those precious words aren't gone forever. 


Thursday, January 30, 2025

Writers Can Find Story Ideas Everywhere


 Have you ever run out of story ideas, not just fiction but nonfiction, children's stories, articles, and poetry? You're not alone. This situation is not Writer's Block. It is something that happens to writers. They can write, but they need more ideas on what to write. Throughout this post, I will use 'story ideas' to mean all kinds of writing as stated earlier in this paragraph. 

Many things trigger story ideas, but it's up to the writer to act upon them. 

There were lots of family gatherings over the recent holidays. Lots of conversation, and many times people saying, "Do you remember when...?" Fuel for the writer's furnace!

Take a walk on a summer evening. You'll most likely pass others doing the same. Which ones intrigue you? Which yards have kids playing games? Who is walking a dog? Who is dressed in a weird get-up? These can all be triggers to help you find a topic for your next writing project.

Go to a concert and look around you. Or at church, a play, a board meeting, or a parade. These places are rife with story ideas. Airports or commuter trains or buses. Almost anywhere there are groups of people.

Are the stories going to jump up and holler "Here I am!" Of course not. Instead, work on training your writer's eye. Practice by asking yourself what that mother and child that are having an argument might mean for a story to write. How about the altercation between the bus driver and a homeless person who wants to ride for free? Or the group of dogs traveling together down the middle of the road. 

Work on thinking about story ideas wherever you are. In time, you'll do it automatically. Your writer's eye will be experienced and able to find story ideas wherever you go. 

Our poster today says: Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don't see any.

Those writers who see five or six story ideas are the ones who have worked at training their writer's eye. The stories are there, and it's up to you and me to find them. 



Sunday, January 26, 2025

Writers--Don't Give Up


 When we read books by prolific authors, or see the names of writers in anthologies numerous times, or recognize the name of an author when reading a book review, all we see is the result of their writing life, the part that makes them happy. 

What we don't take note of in the above is the many down times these writers and others have experienced. A fellow writer once cited a statistic that has stayed with me. He said, "The average acceptance rate is one out of every twelve submissions." That statement could make many a writer throw up their hands and swear they'll never write anything again.

I certainly hope very few will do that. As writers, we need to accept the fact that we will have more rejections than acceptances. At least, most of us will. I'm very proud of the number of stories I have had in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology books, but there were many more stories I submitted to them that never saw print. 

Is it terrible to become discouraged? Of course not! We're human and trying over and over to be published and not making it hurts. It hurts us, it angers us in some cases, and it helps us stop believing in ourselves at times. 

One trait a writer needs to develop is Determination. Maybe an attitude of 'I'll show them!' would help foster that trait. 

Our poster today says: 'Go over, under, around and through, but...never give up.' It's easy to say, but more difficult to put in practice. One thing that factors in here is how determined you are to become a published writer. 

Those rejections tend to knock you down for a bit, but the determined writer picks himself up and moves on. If one publication rejects you, move on to another. We've all heard stories about famous authors who received multiple rejections for a book that eventually became a best seller. Keep in mind that an editor is one person, or a reading committee is only a handful of people. If they say no, maybe somebody else will say yes. You'll never know that unless you keep submitting. 

Rejections come for a variety of reasons. Perhaps, the publication has already published something similar, or it doesn't fit their theme, or you send a horror story to a romance magazine, or the writing lacks something. This last is one you have control over. If you feel your writing is not up to standards editors expect, one of the best things to do is to join a writing critique group. But do it with an open mind. Expect that your work will be criticized but that those doing it are trying to help you become a published writer. The criticisms are to help you, not hurt you. A good attitude on your part is necessary if you are to gain something from a group like this.

The road writers move along can be a rocky one, but if the writer is determined and pledges to not give up, it can be rewarding. Keep today's poster advice in mind: 'Go over, under, around and through, but...never give up.'

Monday, January 20, 2025

5 Truths for Writers

 

It's time for us all to be true to ourselves as we pursue our writing journey. Do any of the following Truths fit you? Are there others that might be added to this list?

Truth #1:  Do you ever try to fool yourself into thinking you're a good enough writer without continuing to learn more about this business? When I started teaching, I was surprised when I had to attend in-service meetings on a regular basis to continue learning more about my chosen profession. A new college graduate often steps into the first job thinking they are well-trained after 4 years of college. I figured out pretty quickly that those college years gave me a base to build on, no more. It's no different with writers. Learn a little as a base and then keep adding knowledge as you move along. Are you ever finished? I don't think so. We can always learn something new.

Truth #2:  Do you have lots of valid excuses for not submitting your work for publication? Or are you not submitting because you're afraid of rejection? Afraid you might find out you aren't good enough to be a published writer? Or because you know you can do better if you put more effort into your writing? We often make up reasons to avoid doing something--like submitting--because it's easier than admitting to the truth.

Truth #3:  When you get a negative critique of your work, do you become defensive and ignore the suggestions given by the person who did the critique? If you want to succeed in your chosen field of writing, you will need to be open to suggestions from other writers. You don't have to agree with everything they tell you but give real consideration to what they point out. Especially if several people find the same trouble spot. Then you know you must work on that area.

Truth #4:  When there is a deadline to meet, do you procrastinate and then have to do a rush job? If you own up to this one, you are your own worst enemy. In many of my posts here, I urge writing more than one draft and I suggest that you let that first draft simmer a few days before you revise and edit to create another draft. Maybe even a third one. Guess what? That takes time, and if you wait too long, you write in a hurry and it's not going to be your best effort. As a beginning writer, I was always excited when I finished a story and wanted to send it out immediately. I hadn't learned the benefit of taking time and writing more than one draft. When I did, it proved to be beneficial.

Truth #5:  Do you avoid writing groups because they take up too much time? Or do you turn away from them for fear of being judged harshly? Or do you fear that your work might not measure up to others in the group? Maybe several in the group feel the same way you do. What everyone needs to do is to remember that the group purpose is to help one another. It's to continue learning this craft. No one likes to be judged unfairly but when it's done with the spirit of helping you become a better writer, how can you fault it? Take a deep breath and join a writing group. Someday, you'll be glad that you did.

I don't like to say that we lie to ourselves, but we do tend to avoid the truth sometimes. Be honest in evaluating your working habits. Make a list of places in your writing life where you could use some improvement. Keep it somewhere that is visible, so it serves as a regular reminder. It may be more comfortable to avoid the truth in your writing life but if you face it head-on, you'll reap the benefits as time goes on.



Are You a Last-Minute Writer?

  Today's poster made me laugh. I think there are two groups of people. Those who plan way ahead and get things done early and those who...