Whenever aspiring writers send me their "fantastic, soon-to-be-bestseller" to compliment, I cringe. They've put a ton of effort into their manuscripts. They've neglected their family and social lives—and maybe even their paying jobs—to imbue their narratives with all the talent and skill they can … [Read more...] about Don’t Submit Your Writing Yet—Please!
Polish and Publish
It’s Never Too Late to Start Writing
Here's an article I wrote about senior citizens writing—successfully. I hope you'll enjoy it, especially those of you who thought it was too late! "Seniors Catch the Writing Bug" … [Read more...] about It’s Never Too Late to Start Writing
How Does a Mother of 5 Find Time to Write?
I met Darah Zeledon, the Warrior Mom, through one of the LinkedIn groups for writers that she and I both belong to. She'd posted an essay she'd written; I loved it, so I contacted her to tell her so. Since then, we've become fast online friends. We seem to share a similar high-energy enthusiasm and … [Read more...] about How Does a Mother of 5 Find Time to Write?
You Don’t Have to Write Every Day to be Successful
There. I've said it. You don't have to write every day! I should know. I published my first articles and essays, and drafted dozens of pages of my memoirs while being employed in one of those jobs in which "full time" meant 60 hours a week. How'd I do it? I certainly didn't write every day. But … [Read more...] about You Don’t Have to Write Every Day to be Successful
Tell Me a Better Story
As creative writers, we want to create stories—not reports. We know a story when we hear or read one, but sometimes it evades us when we're writing, especially when we're writing nonfiction, like memoir or autobiography. But even if the audience you envision for your memoir or autobiography is your … [Read more...] about Tell Me a Better Story
Tell Me a Story
In a previous post, I wrote that a "memoir is a story." Here's what I meant. When you're writing a memoir, or doing most types of creative writing for that matter, you're not just presenting a collection of facts or opinions. Not if you want anyone to read and relate to what you've written. Not if … [Read more...] about Tell Me a Story
Are You Cut Out to be a Writer?
I want to share another excerpt from my book, Polish and Publish. It's about whether or not you have the temperament—and interests—to be a writer. How many times have you heard someone say, “I’ve always wanted to write?” Maybe you’ve said it yourself. An estimated 80 million Americans want to write … [Read more...] about Are You Cut Out to be a Writer?
Reasons Writing Gets Rejected
Most writing fails to get published because of one main reason: The quality of the writing is weak. It’s flat, predictable, and uninteresting. It lacks depth and vitality. It doesn't grab the reader's attention quickly. Or it might be that the story, characters, language, or settings don't show … [Read more...] about Reasons Writing Gets Rejected