Persistence Should Be A Writer's Keyword

The fairy in today's poster has some good advice for writers, most especially newbie writers. Even intermediate level writers and beyond should give this poster quote some serious thought.

The poster indicates that the sweet little fairy has had failures and doubts in her writing life, but she kept on writing despite those two big boulders on her writing path. What about us?

I've had plenty of failures and doubts during my writing journey, and I'm quite certain you all have, too. It's part of the writing world. If a writer never had either one, I'd be a bit suspicious. 

We generally have more rejections than acceptances. One statistic I heard long ago was that the average writer receives twelve rejections for every acceptance. Wouldn't that put you in a funk? It would if you let it get you down. Instead of sinking like a rowboat with a hole in the bottom, take a good look at those rejections. (after you've gotten over the first disappointment for a few days) Consider yourself fortunate if you received a note from the editor telling you why they were not accepting your submission. If he/she points out a problem, address it. Rework the piece and submit it to another publication. If you received no reason why your piece was not accepted, you'll have to do some soul searching on your own. Look for weak spots, or missing pieces, or confusing places. Then rework them.

What about the doubts writers have? Nearly every writer has to deal with doubt at one time or another. For some, it's a regular ritual. For others, it comes only occasionally. But it's a part of our writing world. A bit of advice that qualifies as a cliche is the children's story The Little Engine That Could. The little engine kept repeating "I think I can" over and over until he reached his goal. We can do that, too. 

Instead of tearing yourself down, do all you can to build yourself up. Have you ever placed in a contest? Been published in a coveted publication? Self-published a book? Remind yourself of your accomplishments in the writing world. 

One keyword we need as writers is 'persistence'. If you give up easily, your writing world will soon turn to dust. Once again, it's your choice.

 

Time Management for Writers

I haven't written a post on goals this year, nor one on cleaning your writing workspace. Today, I'll give you a few thoughts on one goal we should all strive to achieve. Time Management. 

Some writers are full-time professionals who write for a living. Most are pretty good at setting work-writing hours, as it's a necessity.                 

Many others are part-time writers or hobbyist writers. It seems more difficult for them to set times to write. Some are moms still raising their children. I don't need to list all the tasks they must do on a daily basis, or the interruptions they deal with. If you've been there, you understand. Others have full-time jobs and must fit writing time around that big responsibility. 

Sometimes, writers think about writing more than they actually sit down and pump out the words. The ideal situation might be the retired person who suddenly has lots of time to write. Or do they? Most retired people I know end up with a full schedule between exercise classes, daily runs or walk, an increased social life, medical appointment and more. Suddenly, they realize there is not as much time for writing as they'd hoped. 

One key to finding time to write is to make it a priority, rather than squeeze it in around all the other things in your life. If writing is important to you, don't look for the time to pursue this love of yours, create time to write, make it a habit. To do that, you'll need to decide just how important writing is to you.   

One way to find a time when you're not pressured is to get up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later. That would give you some quiet time. Yes, it would also cut your sleeping time, but an hour might not be really detrimental. 

Set aside a certain time of the day that is to be your writing time, a time when you are not otherwise always occupied with something important. 

Take a notebook with you on your daily commute. Sitting on a bus or train is empty time. Why not use it to write? Do a writing exercise or observe those around you and describe them. Or start a piece and continue working on it with every commuter time. 

One hard truth we might all need to own up to is that we waste a whole lot of time in our day. You do it. I do it. We all do it. Not purposely, but we might be filling the dishwasher and hear something on tv that interests us, so we go sit down and watch. Who knows for how long? This is only one example. No doubt, you can think of others. 

If you are a determined writer, you'll make time to pursue your writing. Rather than grab snatches of time here and there, try to create a set time. You might need to give up something to be able to find that time, but again, if you are passionate about writing, you can do it. 

 

Writer--Stop Doubting Yourself!

 The quote in today's poster is filled with very few, but very wise words. A simple bit of advice to writers, whether newbies or seasoned. Sylvia Plath was a complicated, but talented, poet and novelist who took her own life at an early age. Perhaps she struggled with self-doubt herself, which is why she spoke about what it brings to the writer. 

Self-doubt in a writer is like an open wound that grows worse without treatment. How in the world does one treat a problem like self-doubt? It can become a mental block that might grow to gigantic proportions. 

Become a positive thinker. You might have to force yourself to find and dwell on the positives in your writing life. Even so, it's something to work on. Make it a morning habit to list the positives in your life  as you begin your day, or last thing at night. Be fair to yourself rather than look for negatives first. There are definitely positive things in every writer's life. We all have days when it is hard to find one, but it can be done.

Admit to your self-doubt. Trying to avoid it will not be helpful at all. It's a problem some writers have, and the sooner it's faced, the quicker it can be either lessened or overcome. 

There is no need to compare yourself to others. We are all individuals. We work at different levels, at a different pace, and with different goals in mind. You're not Sylvia Plath or John Grisham or Stephen King. You are a company of one, and your writing is yours, no one else's.

Have a friend you can lean on occasionally. It's helpful to be able to talk about your cares and woes in your writing life to another writer. They are people who have a better understanding of your plight. Don't use this person as a crutch, however. Plus, they might not want to listen to what you have to say every day of the week. Now and then? Fine. 

Self-respect has a lot to do with how you feel about your writing world self. Remind yourself now and then about the many good things in your writing life. No writer has everything awful or all wonderful. Dwell more on the positives than the negatives. 

If you can handle any self-doubt you have, your creative side will have a chance to emerge and flourish.  

Building Self-Confidence As a Writer

 

Do you have confidence in yourself as a writer? It's a very important quality for writers to have on a regular basis. If you don't believe in yourself as a writer, can you expect your readers to believe in you? 

Writers in movies are often portrayed as people whose confidence level is quite low. They are poor souls who have not and cannot believe in themselves. Overcoming that problem is what creates the story line for the movie. In films, things usually turn out well in the end. But is real life like that?

If you don't believe in yourself as a writer, you'll probably do some shaky writing or none at all. The all-famous 'writer's block' is partly a lack of confidence in yourself as a writer. Since you don't believe that you're a capable writer, let's just stop writing--that's the thought process. You can say you're experiencing writer's block, and suddenly you have no guilt. You also have no writing accomplished. 

How do you learn to trust yourself as a writer? Once you've dug the hole of no self-confidence, it is not easy to climb out and be a person who believes in him/herself. It doesn't happen by snapping your fingers. It's a process that must be ongoing. 

Here are a few suggestions:

• Look in the mirror at least once a day and say out loud:  I am a writer. Say it with emphasis. Do it every day, and you might start believing what you are saying. When you don't believe in yourself as a writer, you are actually saying, I can't write.
• Make a list of the pieces you've written that satisfied you. You probably felt good about them because you felt you had accomplished some good writing.
• Make a second list of your publications. You would not have become a published writer if you were no good. An editor or publisher believed in you. It's time you believed in your own capabilities. 
• Dwell on the positives in each day. Ditch the negatives. They only serve to drag you down. 
• Make a list of the parts of writing in which you do well. Keep the list where you can see it and read it every day.
• Push yourself to do more than you have been. When you're successful, it is a natural confidence builder.
• Set realistic goals. If your goals are high in the sky and unreachable, it's a definite way to punch a hole in self-confidence. 
• Step out of your comfort zone now and then. It helps you grow and breeds self-confidence.
• Try journaling on a daily basis. Write about the positives in your writing life. At the end of each week, go back and read your Positives in Writing Journal. 

Don't ever use the fact that you don't believe in yourself as an excuse for poor writing or for not writing at all. Do that, and you'll dig a deeper hole. Today's poster gives the writer who has trouble believing in him/herself some good advice. A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because her trust is not on the branch but on its own wings. Always believe in yourself.

The final sentence, Always believe in yourself, is one you can use as a mantra.Or make a sign with those four words, and put it where you see it every time you sit down to write. Then believe it.

Writers Who Have Trouble Writing

One of the women in my online writing group subbed a new piece recently. She said she was having a problem because she had too much information to put in the article, and besides that, she thought the beginning was lame, the ending was lame, and maybe it all didn't make sense. She sent it to the group hoping others might see where she can improve. 

It's also possible that those who critique her article will not see the problems she has fixated on. Writers read their own work subjectively while those who critique can be objective. This alone is one very good reason to belong to a critiquing group. 

The writer in question is a very good, often published writer, She is obviously having trouble writing this article. This brings me to the quote for today by Joseph Heller--"Every writer I know has trouble writing." 

That doesn't mean every writer has trouble writing every single story, essay, article, or poem they put their hand to. We all have trouble with parts of what we write; sometimes it's big problems with an entire piece. It's part of the writing world. If it all ran as smooth as rich cream, we'd all be famous and wealthy! Instead, we run into potholes and roadblocks along the way. 

Why do we continue? Because we are people who live to write; we have a passion for writing. We are willing to work through the problem areas to reach the satisfaction of a well-written finished piece. 

I look at those trouble spots as a challenge. They give me an incentive to rework those areas to go along with what turned out well to begin with. Remember the kids on the playground who dared you to do some silly thing? Didn't we always rise to the occasion and take the dare? (Almost always) Dare yourself to rework and finish a writing project.

When you hit the problem areas, sit back and ponder a bit. Remind yourself that you are not alone in getting hit with a piece not working out so well. Give it some time. Take a break of hours or days, then go back and look at it again. Sometimes, that's all that is needed. Other times, that burgeoning problem is still there for you to fix.

Take heart in the fact that having trouble writing is a part of the writing journey. You and every other writer hits that wall now and then. If you're true to your writing passion, you'll work it out and move on. 
 

Trouble in Writing

 

Today's quote is: "Every writer I know has trouble writing." Maybe the writers of the world would be the people who nod their heads in agreement. They are the ones who have first-hand knowledge of the writing world.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could sit down, zip off a story, and call it ready to submit? Sadly, that's not the way it works. There's a process writers go through that looks something like : 

• get an idea
• write first draft
• let it sit for several days
• proofread
• edit and revise
• let it sit a bit longer
• check for further editing or revision
• possible total rewrite on some pieces

Doing all the above is not a seamless process. Writers often run into trouble along the way. They grumble and worry, walk away, grumble some more. Then, they come back and see what kind of fix they can make. 

There are times when characters who are so vivid in your mind land with a dull thud on the printed page. A problem that needs addressing. Writers present a problem in the story, then can't come up with a solution. That might call for some rethinking of the problem to see if it should be changed, or even eliminated. 

Writers know that the road to publication is a bumpy one. It's the love of writing that propels them forward time after time. Because they love to write, they'll put up with the troubles that pop up on a regular basis. Architects, engineers, and fashion designers meet obstacles in their projects, too. We writers are not the lone group that faces problems as they work. 

When you meet trouble in your writing face to face, don't give up. Remember that you are not alone. Far from it. We meet each hurdle as we come to it. 

Don't Use Cliches in Writing

 

Autumn Leaves

Do you depend on cliches when you write? Do you use them when having a conversation with family or friends? Most of us probably slip many cliches into our chatting with others. Writers, however, should avoid them like the plague. Ooops ...'like the plague' is a cliche. 

A cliche is a word or phrase that is commonly used and usually overused. Use them too often, and they lose their effectiveness. A story filled with cliches makes the writer look a bit lazy and also uncreative.

According to the Macmillan Dictionary Blog:  The word cliché comes from the French verb ‘clicher’ meaning ‘to stereotype’.

Here's a partial list of widely used cliches:

• shaking like a leaf
• dead as a doornail
• avoid it like the plague
• thick as thieves
• plenty of fish in the sea
• think outside the box
• like a kid in a candy store

The phrases above are only a very few of the many, many cliches we use on a daily basis. They do bring a clear image to us, but in writing, we should shun them. For a quick exercise, think of a better, less well-known way to phrase the seven listed above.

When I was a newbie writer, I was the Queen of Cliches. I didn't realize until other writers who critiqued my work marked them that I tended to speak in cliches. It stood to reason that I transferred those oral thoughts into my writing. Every story or essay I subbed to my writing group came back with one or more cliches marked. They began to feel like someone was pinching me, telling me to stop doing this. I worked at the problem and am much better today. I learned that coming up with a better phrase helped me be creative, and it also made me think about eliminating those easy cliches instead of blithely using them. Am I perfect now? Not by a longshot! Ooops, there's another one. 

Cliches stand out to an editor who reads your work. One might get a pass. Two or more in one piece will probably get a rejection. If you have the habit that I did, work on breaking it. I still slip up sometimes, and I am irritated when it happens because I know better.

Do a search using the keywords 'cliches in writing' to read more about this small but important part of our writing world.

Writers Who Fret, Worry and Stew

Fret, Worry, Stew...

It seems to be a part of the human psyche to fret, worry, or stew over things beyond our control. I found several good quotes about worrying that I'll share here today and then my own thoughts on writers who worry.

The Quotes:

1. “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere”
   – Erma Bombeck
2. “A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work.”
   – John Lubbock
3. “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
   – Henry Ward Beecher
4. “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”
   – Arthur Somers Roche
5. “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”
   – Swedish Proverb

Writers and Worry:

What do writers worry about? Plenty! 

1. They fret over the beginning of a story.
2. They stew over the ending of a story.
3. They worry over where to send a submission.
4. They worry that they'll never be published. (or published again)
5. They fret over reviews that are not glowing.
6. They worry about the critiques others give their work.
7. They stew over not hearing from an editor.
8. They worry that their writing is not as good as it should be.

There are other concerns that writers have but the list above covers some of the main ones. 

Worrying is a lesson in futility. It doesn't change a thing. Erma Bombeck's quote above illustrates that thought. We need to have the attitude that whatever is going to happen is what we'll deal with if need be. 

If you worry over the beginning or ending of a story, pick the one that makes you feel the best. That's probably going to be the right one. If you are fretting over an opening line, try another one or two or three until you find one you're comfortable with. Don't just sit there and worry about what you wrote.

If you worry that you'll never be published again, that may be what happens. Instead, you need to keep writing and keep submitting. It's the only way to be published.

If you get poor critiques or less than pleasing reviews, you have an opportunity to do correct your errors or to do better the next time. Worrying about it will only give you a headache.

If you stew over weeks going by without a response from an editor, push it aside and start a new writing project. You may hear from the editor later or might never get a response. Many only respond when accepting. 

If you worry about your writing not being as good as you hoped, then get to work learning more about the craft through reading reference books on writing. Take a class or two. Attend a conference with workshop speakers. And keep writing. The more you write, the better writer you will be. 

Pick a day. Maybe tomorrow. Make a vow to not spend one minute worrying about anything writing-related. Practice having a little faith in yourself.

When Writers Doubt Themselves

Most writers live on an emotional roller coaster. They're up! They're down! Which place you are depends on whether your email box brings you rejections or acceptances. We hit the highs and lows day after day in our writing life. 

Too few acceptances or hating what you've written and Mr. Doubt moves into your house. He's there when you write. He's sitting on your countertop when you are preparing dinner for yourself or your family. He follows along behind you at the grocery store or in the mall. That's him running beside you on your morning run. Oh, he doesn't always say something to you but he lets his presence be known. You might have your mind on a dozen things tomorrow morning but Mr. Doubt is still your companion. 

You're the only one who can show this nasty person the door. Had Lady Macbeth been a writer, she might have shouted Out, out, damned Doubt!" Ok, I know that's a bad example but it popped into my mind so thought I'd go with it. The thing is that it's up to you to get rid of the doubt in your writing life. 

How? Today's poster gives you four ways you can approach the problem.

• Remember how far you've come from the day you started writing
• Remember all that you have faced in your writing world
• Remember the battles you've won and how you did it
• Remember the fears you've overcome and the good feeling you then had

Four ways to solve the self-doubt problem. You might create a list under each heading and add to it as you think of more points. Keep your list somewhere visible. When we're filled with self-doubt, we need all the reminders we can get. 

Mr. Doubt is not going to vanish in one day. The more you believe in yourself, the less you'll hear from him. Once you conquer the problem, he'll be out the door. But be careful. He may wait right outside hoping you will slide back again. Stay strong and ignore him. 

When the rejections pile is higher than the acceptances, it's hard to stay positive and ignore Mr. Doubt. We have all been there. This is where passion for writing comes in. Renew your passion in every way you can. Writers have great possiblities, despite the roller coaster ride we live on. Keep your eye on the highs, not the lows. 

Putting Those Sentences Together

Most of you know that I belong to an online writers' group that requires both submissions and critiques to retain memberbship. Members are aksed to do two crits for each submission they make.

I love getting feedback on my submissions but I also enjoy doing the critiques and reading the critiques of others, as well. Reading and doing critiques on a regular basis has given me a good eye for sentence structure, phrasing and the kinds of words we use. Active verbs versus passive, dialogue, parts of speech and how they come across to a reader--all this and more.

Some of the problems I see are:

1.  too many passive verbs
2.  sentences that are overly long
3.  too many incomplete sentences
4.  awkward structure
5.  cliches
6.  Beginning multiple sentences with And or But
7.  Unnecessary words
8.  Overly formal language in dialogue

There are probably others but this is a long enough list for now. Becoming aware of these problems is step one in fixing them. If you're guilty of any of the items listed above, don't worry. You're in good company because every one of has done one or more of them when you write. Hopefully, we catch a good many in our editing.

Let's take a quick look at what we might do for each problem:

1.  passive verbs:  Go through your story or essay and mark all the passive verbs, then try to replace as many as you can with an active verb. It's a real boost to your writing and thus for your reader, as well. Active verbs provide more visuals for the reader.

2.  overly long sentences:  When you see a sentence that seems quite long, read it aloud. It might be difficult to get to the end without stopping to take a breath. If you must do so, your sentence is definitely too long. Have you put too many phrases into it? Can you easily make two sentences from the long one?

3.  incomplete sentences:  It's alright to have an incomplete sentence occasionally if it's meant to illustrate what was previsouly said. An addendum of sorts. Do it too often and it becomes a glitch. I couldn't think of examples to illustrate my point. Only two or three. The incomplete sentence in the example does relate to the previous one and the reader 'gets it.' But do that over and over and you're in trouble.

4.  awkward structure:  This often happens when you write one of those overly long sentences that has lots of clauses and phrases interjected. It can also happen when you place words in a place that makes the reader frown in wonder because the clarity of the sentence has suddenly dimmed. Clara threw her leg over the top rail of the fence and skinned it as she climbed across the fence made of rough wood so that it scraped her leg. Now, that's a bit contorted, isn't it? It might read better as Clara skinned her leg as she climbed across the rough, wooden fence.

5.  cliches:  Many of us use them because it's often the way we talk to family and friends. It's also a lazy writer's gimmick. It's much easier to pluck a cliche from the air than to think up something original. I know, because I'm very guilty of doing this myself.

6.  And or But:  It's alright to do this once in awhile but if you do it regularly, it begins to appear with a red flag waving. There is one school of thought that you should never, ever begin a sentence with these words. I say, do it but strictly limit the amount you use it.

7.  unnecessary words:  This is another very common error. When I started writing, I was chastised by the group regularly for committing this sin. Having this error pointed out on a regular basis upped my awareness level and I began to watch more carefully when I wrote and edited my work. Words like just, very, really are not needed. Ha! I almost wrote not really needed. See how easy it is to use a word that doesn't add to or make the sentence a better one?

8.  formal dialogue:  I wrote a post last week on this topic. Remember to have your characters use contractions as they would in the real world. Make the speech too formal and it doesn't feel real to the reader.

As important as plot is to your story, remember that the way you write your sentences and paragraphs is of importance in getting that story to your reader in the clearest, most interesting way.