Simple Advice for Writers

In mid-November, I posted a review of an anthology for writers. The book cover is above.  The book consists of stories, essays, and poems by several writers. At the end of each offering is a prompt that might have inspired what they wrote and also a paragraph or two of advice for writers. 

Ahhh, advice. It can be given, but is it always accepted? Not by a longshot. Sometimes, we read the advice of other writers with a shield in front of us. The attitude can be Go ahead, teach me something I don't already know. At other times, we're wide open to any advice given. We want to soak it up like water in a sponge. 

I've been skimming through the book again looking at the advice the writers offered. I consider it a gift to us, the writer-readers. I'm not going to quote from the book but have chosen bits and pieces of the advice that was given to share with you. Many of the writers repeated similar advice. I find that, when multiple people advise the same thing, I'd better pay attention.

Advice from other writers:

• Don't be afraid to share your work
• Join a writing group
• Write!
• Try different mediums of writing
• Never stop growing as a writer
• Find a special place to write that is your own
• Learn from your failures

Nearly every one of those pieces of advice has appeared in a blog post here at some time, and often more than once. The reason being that whatever that bit of suggestions for writers to heed is important enough to bear repetition. 

One of the reasons I especially liked this anthology for writer-readers is that it offers more than the stories, poems, and essays. The prompts are excellent help for writing exercises, and the advice is worth a great deal. These writers put in a nutshell what some need an entire book to explain. An additional plus is the short bio of each writer. 

The pieces of advice in this book and on this blog are simple things. Nothing so technical or intricate that others scratch their heads when they read them. Do all those little things, and you'll be on top of your game. 

New Writers Need To Believe--Memoirs and Family Stories

Ever hear naysayers in the world of those who want to write a memoir or family stories who utter things like:

I'm not a professional writer.

I can't write like some people do.

I want to write the story but I wouldn't know where to start.

My grammar is not good enough to write.

My writing is boring.

All of the above can be overcome. But the first thing you must do is believe that you can write a memoir or a book of family stories. Sounds easy? Maybe. Possible? Yes.

It takes some courage to do something new. Look at the people who zipline. Looks like fun but maybe a bit scary, too. Those who try to zip from one end of a line to the other have to believe they can do it or they'd never take step 1. 

An athletic kid who tries out for a sport has to believe in him/herself enough to make that effort. They know success is not ensured but they believe they can make it so they try. They're brave enough to give it a whirl. 

If you have a little bit of courage and a small dose of bravery, you can do many things you never thought you could. 

Believing in yourself is only part of being able to overcome the problems listed above. Another part is having the courage to try. Still another is working hard to be a better writer. How?

• Read--If you want to write a memoir, read as many as you can find. You'll see the various methods used.
• Read books on the topic of general writing--not just memoir or family stories.
• Attend conferences to learn more about writing methods.
• Do writing exercises--I pound and pound about this and too many writers want to skip it. Don't! Many books on writing have exercises at the end of each chapter. They are to help you. Try them!
• Sign up for a writing class--either locally or online. Don't be embarrassed to tell the others you're new at this game and here to learn. They'll admire you for that.
• Don't start out attempting to write a full book. Try short snippets that can be put together later. Taking on too much at the onset is overwhelming and sometimes defeating. A quick way to stop believing in yourself.

Becoming a better writer doesn't happen overnight or in a week or two. Time and hard work and writing on a regular basis all help you achieve that goal. 

The Submission Process--Part I

Aim High When You Submit Your Work

There is one great truth in writing for publication. You will not be published if you don’t submit your work. Submitting is step one. Sounds easy, doesn’t it, but in reality a writer must have a few items in her internal tote bag to help in the process.

First and foremost, she’ll need the courage to send her work to an editor. And don’t kid yourself--it does take courage to send your baby out into the publishing sea. The waters are deep, and the sharks numerous. Other authors have sent their precious words to the same editor. Which one is going to survive? There’s no way to tell, but if you don’t submit, you’ll never know if your words will be the ones to swim right into the publication process. Take a chance and send your work along with whatever is required in the writers’ guidelines. The rejections may outweigh the acceptances, but that’s what this business is all about. Statistics tell us that writers receive more rejections than acceptances, so toughen your hide and send your work to an appropriate publication. If it comes back, send it to another publication.

The best way to match your story, essay, or article with the right magazine, newspaper or ezine is to study market guides. There are several guides published annually that offer complete information about hundreds of publications. They list address, phone numbers, editors’ names, requirements, payment and sometimes list current needs. Guides exist for novel writers, magazines, playwrights, poets, and song lyric writers. It is to the writer’s advantage to study the guide that pertains to her particular type of work. Most library reference sections have copies of the market guides. A writer can spend hours in the library taking notes but can also go online to find market guides or websites of specific publications, or visit a bookstore and purchase a copy. Keep in mind that they become outdated in a hurry. This is one reason why I've switched to doing almost all my searching online. 

It’s also possible to use an internet search engine for writers’ guidelines. Use keywords to narrow the search. If you have written an article about building a backyard pond, look for garden magazines or How-To publications. If there is a particular magazine that interests you, put the name in a search engine and look for the guidelines. Ask yourself if your article, story or essay would be a good fit. It’s a waste of time to submit to them if you feel your work is way off base for that publication.

Part II will be on tomorrow's blog.