One of my favourite writers is Roald Dahl and I will never forget reading about a journey he made. He was out in the country driving along when suddenly an idea struck. As he didn't want to forget it, he stopped to write it down. However, as he did not have any paper or a pen in the car, he ended up writing the idea on the dust of the bonnet of his car!
The moral is - always take some paper and something to write with you when you go out. However, to this I would like to add the following suggestion.
Whenever you go for a walk or out somewhere, always aim to write something down before you return home. By priming youself like this, ideas will come.
Try it and you'll see how effective this can be.
Next week I have some interesting news to announce - until then, have a good weekend.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Building on Your Writing Contacts
Earlier this month I emailed an idea to a magazine editor. The next day my mail server went down (and is still down). This meant that I was not able to receive emails to my main address.
Wondering if the editor had responded to my idea and knowing they were not able to send me an email, I got back in contact and explained my email problem, saying that if she had replied I would not have received it.
The editor did reply, commented how annoying my email situation must be but said she did not want to take up this particular idea. I then replied thanking her for her response and tentatively wondered if another idea I had may be more suitable.
It was. And it has since resulted in a major commission.
The reason I am mentioning this is because it shows how important it is that when you have established communication and contact with an editor, it is possible to build on it. And also that problems (eg my email situation) can turn out to be blessings in disguise!
***
For other ways to help you to achieve more acceptances, do take a look at my special report, http://achievemoreacceptances.com.
Wondering if the editor had responded to my idea and knowing they were not able to send me an email, I got back in contact and explained my email problem, saying that if she had replied I would not have received it.
The editor did reply, commented how annoying my email situation must be but said she did not want to take up this particular idea. I then replied thanking her for her response and tentatively wondered if another idea I had may be more suitable.
It was. And it has since resulted in a major commission.
The reason I am mentioning this is because it shows how important it is that when you have established communication and contact with an editor, it is possible to build on it. And also that problems (eg my email situation) can turn out to be blessings in disguise!
***
For other ways to help you to achieve more acceptances, do take a look at my special report, http://achievemoreacceptances.com.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Joys of Writing
Having mentioned some of the negatives about writing, this week I will concentrate on some of the best things.
And there are many.
One of the joys of writing is the ability to share your ideas with a wider audience. With your words you can amuse, inform and entertain. Not only can writing be personally satisfying but hopefully of worth to your readers as well.
Writing is a wonderful form of expression and allows you to do and convey so much. However to write well takes practice and skill and you do need time to find the areas and genres that suit you and your style. As some who have enjoyed success have joked, ‘It took years to become an overnight success,’ and it can take years before your efforts pay off.
One of the most important traits for a writer to have is perseverance. Writing is something you have to work on and it does take commitment. But the rewards and satisfaction that can come from writing more than compensate for the time and effort involved.
As a writer it pays to persist.
Good luck – and if you want to discover how you can achieve more acceptances and be published more often, do have a look at my special report and which is currently available at a very favourable price. For more information and download details, visit http://achievemoreacceptances.com.
And there are many.
One of the joys of writing is the ability to share your ideas with a wider audience. With your words you can amuse, inform and entertain. Not only can writing be personally satisfying but hopefully of worth to your readers as well.
Writing is a wonderful form of expression and allows you to do and convey so much. However to write well takes practice and skill and you do need time to find the areas and genres that suit you and your style. As some who have enjoyed success have joked, ‘It took years to become an overnight success,’ and it can take years before your efforts pay off.
One of the most important traits for a writer to have is perseverance. Writing is something you have to work on and it does take commitment. But the rewards and satisfaction that can come from writing more than compensate for the time and effort involved.
As a writer it pays to persist.
Good luck – and if you want to discover how you can achieve more acceptances and be published more often, do have a look at my special report and which is currently available at a very favourable price. For more information and download details, visit http://achievemoreacceptances.com.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Some values of rejection
In my last posting I wrote about what I found the worst thing about writing. It did occur to me that some may also regard rejection as the worst thing – and rejection does hurt.
However do remember rejection need not be final. On receiving manuscripts back, I have sometimes had feedback which has allowed me to alter what I have written and resubmit it. In fact one article I am writing at the moment follows on from the comments of an editor who rejected it but said he would welcome treatment of the subject from another angle. I have already done the research so it is just a case of re-organising it.
Also pieces that have been rejected can always be taken by another editor. On one occasion an editor rejected one of my articles which I thought was very suitable for his magazine. I did nothing with the article until a year later when I decided to resubmit it. This time the same editor accepted it.
Another positive of rejection is that it can be a spur to try harder, including looking at how to make your work better and just what it is publishers or magazine editors may be wanting. Also,regard rejection as part of the learning process. Few writers achieve success straightaway and it could be worth viewing each rejection as taking you another step closer to the acceptance you are seeking.
Next time I’ll be considering some of the better things about writing but if you are interested in becoming published and making the most of your writing skills, do have a look at my special report, Achieve More Acceptances and be Published More Often. In it I describe ways to improve your chances of having your writing accepted as well as how to discover your own golden writing opportunities.
However do remember rejection need not be final. On receiving manuscripts back, I have sometimes had feedback which has allowed me to alter what I have written and resubmit it. In fact one article I am writing at the moment follows on from the comments of an editor who rejected it but said he would welcome treatment of the subject from another angle. I have already done the research so it is just a case of re-organising it.
Also pieces that have been rejected can always be taken by another editor. On one occasion an editor rejected one of my articles which I thought was very suitable for his magazine. I did nothing with the article until a year later when I decided to resubmit it. This time the same editor accepted it.
Another positive of rejection is that it can be a spur to try harder, including looking at how to make your work better and just what it is publishers or magazine editors may be wanting. Also,regard rejection as part of the learning process. Few writers achieve success straightaway and it could be worth viewing each rejection as taking you another step closer to the acceptance you are seeking.
Next time I’ll be considering some of the better things about writing but if you are interested in becoming published and making the most of your writing skills, do have a look at my special report, Achieve More Acceptances and be Published More Often. In it I describe ways to improve your chances of having your writing accepted as well as how to discover your own golden writing opportunities.
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Worst Thing about Writing
I was recently asked in an interview what was the worst thing about writing.
The answer I gave was revision and the correcting of written work. After reading through pieces 7, 8 or maybe more times, the words and sentences begin to blur and it can become difficult to concentrate. However, on reflection, it is the revision and constant reading through that can make writing become great.
By taking the care to read it through, all the time the work can be improved. Whether changing words, sentences or making deletions, the time you put in can make a difference to the quality - and readabilty - of your work.
I have spoken to aspiring writers who shy away from revision and prefer to move on to the next piece or idea. But it is revision and getting their work as good as they can that will best help them into print.
Paradoxically, what could be the worst thing about writing (in my view), could be the most important.
The answer I gave was revision and the correcting of written work. After reading through pieces 7, 8 or maybe more times, the words and sentences begin to blur and it can become difficult to concentrate. However, on reflection, it is the revision and constant reading through that can make writing become great.
By taking the care to read it through, all the time the work can be improved. Whether changing words, sentences or making deletions, the time you put in can make a difference to the quality - and readabilty - of your work.
I have spoken to aspiring writers who shy away from revision and prefer to move on to the next piece or idea. But it is revision and getting their work as good as they can that will best help them into print.
Paradoxically, what could be the worst thing about writing (in my view), could be the most important.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Achieve More Acceptances - New Edition!
I am delighted to announce that the new edition of Achieve More Acceptances and be Published More Often is now available.
This includes new links and, as a special offer, the price has been reduced to $7 (about £3.60). With the information and advice this special report contains it is truly remarkable value. As one reader wrote, 'It is packed with so much information ... I ended up underlining most of what you have written.'
For more information and download details, visit http://achievemoreacceptances.com.
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