Archive | 3:30 pm

A Writing Plan and Direction

21 Jun

003Welcome back on this lovely Friday, June 21, 2013.  Thanks for being here!

Today we are talking a bit about planning.  I posted an article on HubPages this morning about having a business plan as a writer.  If you are in this at least partially to make money, then you have, by definition, a writing business, and all businesses should have a business plan.

What is your plan? What are you trying to accomplish? Once you answer that question then all your efforts should be guided by that plan.

In other words, there is great value in having focus as a writer.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.
Paul J. Meyer

One of the reasons I like being a writer is because the onus to perform and get results is completely on me.  I have my future in my hands, and I firmly believe that if I plan properly, if I focus properly and if I commit properly, I will succeed.

TIP OF THE DAY

Instead of writing about an event after it happens, try writing about it before it happens. In other words, be proactive rather than reactive.

Get yourself a calendar of national or local events online, and see if there is something there that you can preview. Then send your article out for publication in related magazines or newspapers.

You might find there is an advantage to beating the crowd rather than being part of the crowd.

SITE OF THE DAY

Here is a list of national holidays in the United States for 2013.  There are similar lists online for all nations.  I also have a list of special observance days during the year, like National Hamburger Day.  You just might find something there worth writing about.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

street fair Aug 2012 001

Yes indeed, this is a picture of a local street fair that we have each year in Olympia.  Naturally I wrote an article about it since it was practically in my backyard.  Do you have a similar event in your area?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

You are the CEO of your business.  You are in control of your future.  I find that very reassuring.  You see, I trust in my abilities as a writer, and I am convinced that I will succeed if I do the work and plan ahead.

CONTEST OF THE DAY

Not one contest but an ongoing list of future writing contests can be found here at Freelancer.  Again, plan ahead.  Winning a writing contest looks mighty good on your list of achievements and can push your platform to infinity and beyond.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND

Yes, I’m done for the week and hopefully you are too.  Give yourself some time to rest, and during that rest period give some thought to where you want to go with your writing.  Find some focus and then come back Monday refreshed and ready to tackle the job.

Have a great weekend and as always, thank you for stopping by.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”