Saturday July 05, 2008
Check out the site's
top 100 article listing
Articles To Hone Your Writing Skills To Perfection!
Tips for your writing journey
So, you'd like to be a writer? Congrats! Writing not only is a great way to express yourself, but can provide an income. Keep in mind not all writers make a fortune, some still cant quit their day job. Below are some tips to start your writing journey.
1.Start Writing
Okay, so this tip is obvious. For some, it's a question of what to write about, for others how to write. Write how and what you want. What kind of books do you like to read? Fiction, Mystery, science fiction, how to books? How about articles, reports, maybe you're interested in journalism. Whatever the case may be, to get your creative juices flowing, start writing! Don't worry about how it sounds, grammar or other mistakes, you can go back to fix these.
2.Join online and offline groups/message boards and chats
If you already know what you want to write about, consider joining writer groups at your local library, or online groups, along with message boards and chats. It's a great way to network with other writers and published authors. It's also a good place to share your work and receive feedback. Many places online are free to join, some require a membership which usually consist of a user name, e-mail address and password for your user name. Some request more information such as a name, address and sometimes phone number.
3.The Library
You've probably heard about some books that writers refer to, this could be writer markets, e-book publishing, self publishing and generally how to improve your writing. But what do you do when you can't afford to buy these books from your local bookstore or online? A trip to your library is the key. Many libraries carry writer resource books, which if you have a library card, are free. If you're living out of the area, the library may require a fee for membership. The book you're looking for may not always be at your local library, however libraries borrow from other libraries in and out of state. The method of receiving outside books is called Inter-Library Loan. Later on, if you find the book to be a great resource, you may be able to purchase a used copy online.
4.Researching
The Internet is also another good resource for information. Keep in mind that not every resource you find online is going to be an honest good resource. It will take time to sort out which websites are useful. Most information is free, so you can sit back and research in the comfort of your home. If you don't have a computer with Internet access, check your local library and see if you can use one of theirs.
5.Workshops
Workshops taught by experts is a great way to learn from the professionals, but only if you can afford it! Make sure the topic of the workshop is based around your interest. For instance, if you love fiction..it wouldn't be a good idea to go to a workshop based only on non-fiction. It's a good idea to register early to ensure a spot at the event. Bring a new legal pad, plus a few writing tools to take notes.
6.Contents
After writing a while, you may want to enter contents. Some require an entry fee. I suggest staying away from the entry fee contents until you've entered some other free ones. That way you can get a feel for how contests work. Spend some time writing and re-writing your entries. If you've written your entry in 5 or so minutes, th judges will notice it immediately. You wouldn't want a reputation for sloppy work.
There you are, 6 tips to get you started on your journey to writing. Good Luck!
About the Author- Laura Hickey is the author of the children's book Mysterious Chills and Thrills- 10 short stories to tickle the imagination. It may be purchased at http://www.laurahickey.com
Access Laura's press kit...interviews, book reviews, PR's and more.
Choose an editing service where professional editors will polish your writing, helping you to achieve clear presentation and maximum impact.
Refer new clients to Scribendi.com and earn a commission from all sales - up to 20%!
Freelance Writing: How Many Regular Clients Should You Have?
This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For me, the worst working scenario is when a few weeks go by and all my work comprises one-off jobs for small clients who never become repeat customers.
How I Became a Syndicated Columnist -- And You Can Too!
Real Estate has "Location, location, location," and writing has "Clips, clips, clips."
Use These 3 Editing Tips to Ensure Your Writing Hits the Bull's-Eye
The first step in the writing process is to put your ideas down on paper. Once you have text to work with, the second step is to revise what you have written to make it as clear, accurate and powerful as you can. The final step is to edit your work carefully.
Writing With Power: 5 Snappy Rules For Success
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From writing more crisp meta-tags - which search engine bots find quite sexy - to turbo-charging your blog readership by writing with punch, a skilled pen can propel any online effort in the right direction. But who has the time, money or know-how to tackle this daunting task, right? On the contrary, I have just the free and powerful writing clinic for you. We have named it "Writing With Power." And did I mention it's free?
Writers can Grow to be Comfortable with Criticism
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was well prepared to dish it out. I was less prepared to take it. Imagine my surprise when my witty, well-crafted critique drew a smattering of letters filled with name-calling and nasty words. It stung. Could the critic handle criticism? I discovered that with some emotional discipline and introspection, I could not only handle criticism, I could grow from it. Here's how.
7 Secrets For Beating Writers Block
Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block". It is a well-known phenomenon that just about everyone has faced at one point in their lives.