InkyBlots

There are lots of clues that reveal how you write. I want you to play along with me and look at the last email you sent out as an indication of your writing. Go to your ‘sent’ box. And whatever you wrote, I am sure it can be improved upon—and that’s the secret sauce for writing—improving.

But back to your last email. First: What were you trying to say? How did you say it? Was it direct or vague? Did it have a captivating subject line? I know this isn’t a novel, but it is still writing and you are the writer. Not an aspiring writer, but an actual writer.

The best advice I can give is to step back from the page (monitor) and ask yourself: What am I trying to say? Does it add to the forward momentum or am I waffling?

Additionally, I want you to look at this email not only from your side, but also from the side of the recipient. Did you get the message across in a clear and compelling way?

The more you write, the better you’ll become. And once you respect the craft, even your emails and texts will have extra energy to them. So my first piece of advice is to start by getting your emails succinct, and then take that discipline into all areas of your writing.

As an added hint, I would say your readers just like customers at a restaurant – try and dazzle them the first time, and they will probably come back again and again, and they may even look past a few errors here and there. Dish up cold, boiled cabbage first time and they’re probably never coming back.

About R.G. Bullet

R. G. Bullet was born in Berkshire, UK. After living in nine different countries he has finally settled in Miami Beach, USA.

He is addicted to tea, reading, writing, motorbikes and shamefully Call of Duty.

His middle grade debut novel: The 58th Keeper has just been released.

To learn more go to www.rgbullet.com

Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RGBullet58
and join the fan page for the latest updates and fun competitions
www.facebook.com/rgbullet

Like the popular TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”, writing is the same: a strong desire to create; discipline to learn the craft; dedication to work at it almost daily; and the ability to take criticism. The difference is that dancers have sculpted body, while many of us writers, well…not so much. Chocolate, anyone?

If you are reading this, I assume you’ve been bitten by the writing bug. Meaning, ideas or characters are knocking at a door somewhere inside your brain begging to pirouette across a blank page. In our world, the computer screen. So start your motor and write. Remember, a finished story leads to a published story. As you do that, here is one tip that I believe has made the difference between my being published versus wishing upon a star.

Get Connected…I can’t stress this strong enough. Find a writing group or critique partner with the same passion as yours. Since I’m a writer of contemporary romantic comedy, I connected with a local chapter of Romance Writers of America here in Chicago and attend conferences to hear what’s going on in the business. RWA also offers an online writing group. Most every genre has an online writing group that’s a Google search away.

However, I want to issue a warning here if you’ve found a “live” group. Make sure it is a personal fit for your goals, both in liking the group of people who attend and embracing the groups’ dedication to teach or discuss writing craft and explore the world of publishing. You want to learn versus it be a coffee klatch. Your time is valuable so choose groups and critique partners with care. Feel free to walk away from a situation that isn’t working out.

The library is a free and wonderful place to start. Many have great writing groups that are filled with folks writing in all genres, both fiction and commercial.

My publisher, The Wild Rose Press, is what is called an e-publisher. That means my books are only available from The Wild Rose Press and Amazon (print and e-book) or Barnes & Noble (e-book only). Going this route has given me the opportunity to experience publishing and marketing of my debut novel, “Teed Up for Love”, a fast, easy breezy read filled with heart and sizzle. They are also releasing my second book, “Cutter Mountain Rendezvous” in February 2012.

Okay, this has been a bit serious for a writer who pens humor around serious life issues with a little suspense, but “Hear Ye” all you would be writers. Follow your heart and dance, dance…uh, I mean write, write, write.

Thank you, Inky Blots, for hosting me today. It’s my sincere hope something in this post resonates with your readers.

About Barbara Weitz

BARBARA WEITZ lives in a quiet suburb of Chicago with her husband and a mischievous German shepherd, Heiko, thankful her three grown sons are off making mayhem elsewhere. A career executive secretary most of her life, she’s also held a variety of mundane and unusual employment opportunities, during her sons growing years. This, coupled with a passion for animals, music and poetry, has helped shape the fictional characters she creates.

You can learn more about Teed Up for Love and Barbara Weitz at her website at: www.barbaraweitz.com

As far back as I can recall, I’ve written. My life long dream has always been to be a published novelist and that dream has finally come true now, in mid-life. I’ve often wondered why I didn’t write that elusive novel earlier. It wasn’t for lack of trying. I’ve lost count of how many novels I’d started and gave up on. But writing was hard work. It was solitary. It was boring. What was it that made the difference? The answer is simple. I found an online writing group.

Writing is a much easier process when you have like-minded individuals ready and willing to provide feedback. At first, when my writing wasn’t up to par, the criticism stung, but I never got angry with reviewers. In my heart I knew they were right and that the criticism was given out of a genuine attempt to help me become a better writer. I learned an awful lot from my writing group and credit those fine fellow authors with much of my success in not just completing my novels, but in making them the best they could be.

As well, knowing I had “fans” waiting for my next chapter made me to want to write. I had a purpose and reason to sit down and pen that next chapter. Someone out in cyberspace was waiting for it! Belonging to an online writing group has also provided me unexpected rewards. I’ve made friends with so many fabulous people. Friendships that will undoubtedly be lifelong.

Over the years I became a senior member of the group and was then in the position of doling out advice; becoming a teacher of sorts. I know I’ve helped others become better writers and that too was rewarding. Although these days with time at a premium, I’m not as active in my group as I’d like to be. However, I will continue to belong and participate when I can. They are my lifeline to advice, to friendship, to encouragement and to anything else I need to keep motivated.

If asked for writing advice, I would say the best thing for an aspiring novelist is to look around for a writing group. It doesn’t have to be an online group like mine. There are plenty of face to face groups out there, but the feedback and encouragement is invaluable…better than any workshop or course I’ve ever taken.

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As a special part of Jeanne’s tour, Invisible is available for $0.99 at Amazon.com and Smashwords from December 5th to 16th!

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About Jeanne Bannon

Jeanne Bannon has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years. She began her career as a freelance journalist, then worked as an in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada. Jeanne currently works as a freelance editor and writer.

Jeanne’s had several short stories published and won first place in the Writes of Caledon Short Story Contest. Her novels, The Barely Boy and Dark Angel were finalists in the 2010 and 2011 Strongest Start Contests. Another of her short stories “Thom’s Journey” is part of an Anthology entitled A Visitor to Sandahl and is available at Amazon.com.

Invisible, Jeanne’s debut novel, is about a teenage girl who isn’t happy with herself and wishes she could disappear. And one day she does. Invisible is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and the Solstice Publishing website.

When not reading or writing, Jeanne enjoy being with her daughters, Nina and Sara and her husband, David. She’s also the proud mother of two fur babies, a sweet Miniature Schnauzer named Emily and Spencer, a rambunctious tabby, who can be a very bad boy.

To learn more about Jeanne, visit her at her website www.jeannebannon.com

You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter

Most aspiring writers have probably heard the adage, “Write what you know.” Writing about something familiar can make the task of filling the blank page easier. But if writers limit themselves to only those topics they are knowledgeable about, they miss out on the learning that comes from researching and/or experiencing the unknown!

In my time travel adventure, The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell, the main characters, sibling rivals Puggie and Gigi Liddell, go back in time to the late-1800s and then find themselves in the Civil War era.  By day, I’m a psychology professor, not an historian! There was a lot I didn’t know about the late-1800s and I knew even less about the Civil War era. But I had a tremendous amount of passion for the project, so I didn’t let a little thing like lack of historical knowledge stop me.

I did a tremendous amount of research and learned everything I needed to make the history included in the book as accurate and believable as possible. Not only was the research process fun, it also gave me the confidence to no longer limit my writing to the box of “what I know.” Lack of knowledge should not be used as an excuse to avoid writing about any topic. Information is abundant and literally at a writer’s fingertips.

I believe we are here on Earth to learn and grow. One of the best ways a writer can accomplish these objectives is to write what he or she doesn’t know!   Stretch yourself as a writer. Write about what is unfamiliar, so you are able to grow as a person as you develop your skills as a writer.

About Karen Mueller Bryson

Dr. Karen Mueller Bryson is an optioned screenwriter, produced playwright and published novelist.

She is the author of several romantic comedy novels for adults and is the creator of Short on Time books, a series of fast-paced and fun novels readers can finish in one sitting.

The Incredibly Awesome Adventures of Puggie Liddell is Karen’s first novel for young people.

For additional information about Karen Mueller Bryson, visit her website: http://www.ahorsewithnoname.com

When I took a writing workshop at Columbia College in Chicago long ago, Larry Heinemann, the workshop leader told me, “Laura, you are a writer. All you have to do is do it.” I couldn’t believe it could be that simple, but decades later, I can assure you, it is.

If you want to be a writer, you must write. And you must keep writing because it is in the process of putting words on the page that you will learn everything you need to know about the craft.

I have other bits of advice, but the one irrefutable truth on the writing path is that you cannot dispense with facing the empty page or screen.

Writing workshops, workbooks, seminars and webinars; critique groups, support groups, writing partners, writing clubs; query letters, rejection letters, elevator pitches, contracts; book launches, press releases, book signings, book tours–all these things and more are part of the writing life and business.

But you must write. Write the truth. Write lies. Write in the kitchen, on the subway, in the bath, in the wee hours, at the crack of dawn, at lunchtime and bedtime. Write outside or inside, when you’re happy and when you’re sad, when you feel brilliant and when you feel like a dunce. To be a writer, you must write.

Do what you must to keep your job if you need it, to do well in school if you want the grades to meet a goal, to raise your children well if you’re a parent, and always to care for the people you love. Nourish yourself, too, and do things that tickle your funny bone.

But don’t let any of this keep you from writing, because it is in writing that you will find your voice, your rhythm, your message, your oeuvre. So go now. Pick up your pen, your iPad, your laptop, whatever tool you have at hand, and write what’s in your heart and on your mind. You will be a writer, and if you keep at it, readers will find you, too.

About Laura McHale Holland

Laura McHale Holland’s memoir, Reversible Skirt won a silver medal in the 2011 Readers Favorite book awards. Her stories and articles have appeared in such publications as Every Day Fiction Three, Wisdom Has a Voice, the Vintage Voices anthologies, NorthBay biz magazine, the Noe Valley Voice and the original San Francisco Examiner.

A member of both Redwood Writers and the Storytelling Association of California, Laura has been a featured teller at the Lake Tahoe Storytelling Festival.

To keep up with her, please visit http://lauramchaleholland.com.

They say that everyone has a book in them; a story just waiting to get out.

Ever since I was young I have had this overwhelming desire to create, and I pursued this desire with vigour through writing and art. While I may have been adept at creating, it wasn’t until I actually tried to become published that I learned the hard truths about what it takes to be a writer.

I don’t claim to have the secret to writing, but I can share some of the lessons I’ve learned over the past few years:

Ask yourself why – why do you want to be a writer? Do you just want to make millions – or do you want to tell stories. Of course every writer wants to be paid for their work, but don’t expect to be able to give up your day job without a lot of hard work.

Join the club – If you want to start taking writing seriously, see if there is a writer’s group where you live. If there is an official association for the genre you’re interested in, become a member. For horror, joining the Horror Writers Association is the smartest thing you could do.

Reject the rejections – If you submit a short story or novel and it’s rejected, don’t retreat into a state of misery. Use the rejection to spur you on to be a better writer. J A Konrath said it best: “There’s a word for a writer who never gives up – published.”

Read outside your genre – If you want to write horror, of course you should read within that genre if you want to capture its essence, but make sure you read other genres as well, such as crime, science fiction and fantasy. Each genre is different, but they still have much to offer in the way of setting, characterisation and story.

Write and write well – Write every day, even if it’s only 500 words, then when you’ve done that final draft, edit it, then when you’ve edited it, edit it again. Don’t be afraid to ask someone outside your family and friends to read your work – to ask them for their honest opinion. In the end it will only improve your story.

Write want you want to write, be true to yourself – it’s a good idea to see what’s on the shelf in the bookstore, but you don’t have to write a vampire paranormal romance just because it’s on the bestseller list. Write the story you want; you’re writing will be stronger, more honest.

Follow guidelines – when you submit a story, make sure you follow the publisher’s guidelines to the letter or you’ll end up on the slush pile without even being read.

These are just some of the fundamental lessons I’ve learned and I’m still learning new ones every day. Follow them and one day you too may be a published author.

Greg Chapman is an author of dark fiction from Australia. His latest horror novella The Noctuary was published by Damnation Books on December 1; his debut novella, Torment was published in March. He’s also had short stories published in The Absent Willow Review, Trembles Magazine, Morpheus Tales and Eclectism E-Zine. His home on the web is www.darkscrybe.blogspot.com. For more information on The Noctuary visit www.wix.com/darkscribe/thenoctuary

Is it bad when I admit until Jaime tagged me in a note on Facebook I had forgotten all about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)?  I’ve participated twice, but I don’t find it an enjoyable exercise. My family and friends say I become a nasty girl when I’m working on achieving that 50,000 mark.

Fall is my busiest time of the year. The kids go back to school, but my volunteer activities increase as a result. In addition, it’s usually the time I begin heavily promoting my book, Little Shepherd, on top of working with a variety of authors to promote their titles through Pump Up Your Book! Combine that with holiday preparations and you have a recipe for failure. While the realistic side of me says any word count I get out of participating is better than the zero words I had before, the driven, goal-minded side of me says, “You didn’t make it, ne-ner, ne-ner, ne-ner.”

Last year, as everyone geared up for NaNoWriMo, I wondered if I was a lazy writer. Everyone was talking about the projects they planned to work on, while I just sat there and said, “Sounds great. Good luck!” What was out there for a children’s writer who knew NaNoWriMo wasn’t her cup of tea?

A bit of research turned up Picture Book Idea Month. Picture Book Idea Month takes place in November, just like NaNoWriMo. It is run by children’s author Tara Lazar. Your goal is to come up with one new picture book idea for every day of November, so by the end of the month you have 30 new picture book ideas to work with. Picture Book Idea Month helped me set my goals for 2011. Out of the 30 ideas I came up with, I committed to working on at least 2 of them in 2011.

Then I heard about Picture Book Writing Week. Run by children’s author Paula Yoo, the first week of May you commit to writing one new picture book each day for seven days. You better believe I ran right over there and signed up.

The result?

I wrote six picture books. One is under consideration with an agent. One—which I might self-publish—is with an illustrator who is drawing up a storyboard. I pitched another one to an agent in October at a writers conference and she suggested ways to make the story better. I guess I’m not such a lazy writer after all.

My tiny piece of advice is to find what works best for you. Maybe it’s NaNoWriMo, maybe it’s not. The important thing is to set goals and work toward achieving them, so you can reap the rewards.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer, children’s author and editor. Her first children’s book, Little Shepherd, was released in August 2010 by Guardian Angel Publishing. She is also a member of the SCBWI.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She also has a son who is married.

Visit Cheryl at her newly redesigned website http://ccmalandrinos.com/ or visit the Little Shepherd book blog at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/.