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Mar 11

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Ten ways writers can prepare for success, part I

In my last post, “Preparing for success as a writer: where preparedness and opportunity meet,” I wrote about being prepared when opportunity presents itself. Some people call this “luck” but, in reality, we create our own luck.

So, what are some ways writers can become more prepared and be ready when opportunity comes knocking? Below are ten ideas:

1.  Write every day. The act of writing everyday will make you a better writer. The writing doesn’t always have to be on your work-in-progress, but you need to write. Even if it’s only for 15 or 20 minutes. Write. Write poetry, short stories, scenes, blog posts, letters or emails, articles. Just write.

2.  Learn your craft. Always be willing to work hard and learn new things. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses and commit to overcoming your weaknesses. Read. Take classes. Write. Practice may not “make perfect” but it surely makes progress. When you get a new skill down, you’ll be proud of yourself, which will improve your self-esteem and your writing.

3.  Go fear-ward. I realized while starting my fantasy book that my strength was writing about characters and my weakness was understanding plot. The word “plot” frightened me. So I took the mystery and fear away by reading, studying, and taking classes on the subject of plot. I overcame my fear and when I did that, ideas started to pop up everywhere.

4.  Attend writers’ conferences. Attend conferences or workshops not only to learn but to make connections with agents, publishers, and other writers. Collect their businesses cards and immediately put them in a database so they won’t get lost (speaking from personal experience). You never know when one of these connections will come in handy. At one conference, I made a connection with a woman who told me if I ever wanted to do a book signing or promo in her area that I could stay at her home. I made a note on the back of her business card and entered it in my database for future reference.

5.  Research publishing options. In today’s market we have a variety of ways to publish. Do you want to pursue traditional publishing with an agent and publisher? Do you want to self-publish? Go with a small press? Think about how you want to publish and do your research. In fact, it’s a good idea to research all these options. Read blogs by experienced authors. Talk to them at writing conferences.

In my next post, I’ll list five more ideas.

Mar 8

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Take Will Smith’s advice and defy the writing enemy

Do you have a piece of writing that you’re afraid to share with the world? You must push beyond the fear, says actor Will Smith.

The ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment, James Lassiter and Will Smith of Overbrook Entertainment are looking for a few talented writers in the America’s Newest Scriptwriter Contest.

“The greatest enemy to doing the things you want to do in this world is fear,” says Will Smith, in a video on the contest website. “The only way to deal with fear is to smash your head against it. Write your work and submit it.”

Smith and film producer James Lassiter, co-founders of Overbrook Entertainment, will judge the contest.

They’ll select two winners — one for a 30-minute comedic script and one for a one-hour dramatic script. Winners will meet with Overbrook Entertainment to discuss opportunities to further develop their scripts. Each winner will receive $5,000. Read more

Mar 7

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Writing success: where preparedness and opportunity meet

Seneca, a first-century Roman philosopher, allegedly said, “Luck is where the crossroads of opportunity and preparation meet.

As writers, the only thing we can really control is preparation. Actor Matt Damon, in his interview with Success magazine, said he took to heart advice form his high school drama teacher, “Just do your work.” He knew that doing his best—even if no one else seemed to notice—was the only way to succeed.

I had a little run-in with preparedness and opportunity myself last week. As I sat in rush hour traffic south of Seattle for a weekend getaway, I suddenly remembered a poetry contest I had wanted to enter. I whipped out my laptop and connected to my hotspot (fortunately, I wasn’t driving) to discover the contest deadline was in ten minutes.  Yikes! Read more

Mar 6

The 10-Day Blitz: Try this tactic to energize your writing

If you read my previous blog post, you know that my blogging buddy Carol and I are on a mission we’re calling the 10-Day Blitz. We kicked off the Blitz to push forward with our writing and project goals.

We’re huge fans of timed writes. It’s a way we focus and push ourselves to throw words down on the page. (It also works for other projects we want to complete.) Sometimes, we’re able to sit in the same room and write together, and other times we communicate via instant messages or e-mail. One of us sets the timer and notifies the other when to “go in” and when the time is up. This structure helps us focus and complete our writing and other projects. Read more

Mar 5

Amanda Palmer and the art of being

Musician Amanda Palmer gave her first Ted.com talk recently on “The Art of Asking.” You can view the 13-minute video here:

Amanda describes her type of music as a mix of punk and cabaret and says that it may not be for everyone. When I went to my first Amanda Palmer concert in Seattle a few years ago, I didn’t know what to expect.

I’ve never pigeonholed myself as one type of music listener—I enjoy everything from classical to rock to country to blues to alternative—depending on my mood and what I want from my listening experience. And, I have to confess, I mainly went to her concert to hear her husband, author Neil Gaiman, read. Read more

Mar 4

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Find a writing buddy and do a 10-day Blitz



Years ago, I would meet a friend each morning before work to go for a walk and talk at a nearby high school track. We both wanted to exercise, but we had crazy, unpredictable work days. We figured out that we could exercise in the morning without interruptions. I rarely ever missed the walk because I knew she would be waiting for me and vice versa. We discovered that this bit of accountability was a powerful tool for success.

The support of a like-minded friend can go a long way towards meeting your goals, whether they’re fitness, business, or writing aspirations.

So I was intrigued when I read Suzanne Main’s blog post, A Whine, a Wine and Writer’s Nights, about her new writing buddy. All our competing projects, work, and family demands can easily eat through our day even with the best of intentions. So Main and her friend began meeting a couple times a week to write. They don’t critique, share work, or even talk much. Just write. Read more

Mar 1

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The awkward art of writing sex scenes

“It is not sex that gives the pleasure, but the lover.” Marge Piercy

In The New Republic’s recent article, “The Smitten Word: The Awkward Art of Writing About Sex,“ author Sam Lipsyte writes about one of the most difficult subjects for writers to tackle–sex scenes.

He says the conventional wisdom that less is more is usually best, but it can also be a cop-out. He writes:

“Sometimes, though, you have to face the multi-spined beast head on. Be brave, and trust in your love of language and your love of sex. (Or lack of it.) Trust in the modern gods who guide your hand: Sad and Funny. Like it or not, these are the twin poles for most of our tiny thoughts and doings. Sad and Funny are both the world and how we withstand it.”

Read the rest of Lipsyte’s article for more do’s and don’ts of writing sex scenes.

You can also read my previous post “How to Write a Good Sex Scene.“

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