Happy Thursday to all of you! If it’s Thursday, and it is, then it must be time for Artistry With Words, so let’s get a move on and toss out a few ideas.
Today’s topic is…..drum roll please…..working at your craft.
Check out the quote below and then we’ll chat.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give you an understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary.”
J. K. Rowling
There are some lessons we could learn about perseverance from Rowling, but today let’s concentrate on her words in that quote. “Read as much as you can….”
I read a fascinating blog yesterday, recommended to me by my good friend Lizzy, and in that blog the writer talked about his success in blogging coming from the fact that he was smarter than most other bloggers. Now before you start screaming, hear him out. The point he was making was that good writers, and good bloggers, are inherently interesting people, and they are interesting because they know a great deal about many subjects, and that makes them informative and yes, fascinating, so that you can’t wait to read what they have to say.
He went on to say that he spends hours reading newspapers and online stories and watching documentaries and such, and his research into life in general far surpasses the amount of time he spends writing. You can find his blog here.
Anyway, the point is that the more we prepare and gain knowledge, the better writers we will become.
Another friend of mine, Sha, reads, I swear, every single “how to” article about writing, trying to pick up bits and pieces of information that will help her improve.
The bottom line is this: writing is work. Few of us are so damn gifted that we don’t have to work at it; most of us have to constantly try to improve our skills, and along with that we need to increase our knowledge.
TIP OF THE DAY
I’ll keep this short and sweet: read a minimum of one hour per day. When I was a teacher this was my number one piece of advice to parents who wanted their children to improve in writing….have them read.
CONTEST OF THE DAY
Cutthroat Poetry and Short Story Contests are taking submissions right now with a deadline of October 15th. Entry fee of $17 and first prize money of $1250. You can read the guidelines here.
CONGRATULATIONS OF THE DAY
To my friend Ruchira who just published her first book called “Choices.” Great accomplishment Ruchira!
PICTURE PROMPT OF THE DAY
You know what to do….write 300 words about this picture. Who knows, maybe there is a short story in it and you can enter the Cutthroat competition.
WRITING PROMPT OF THE DAY
Finish this sentence with 300 words of free-form writing……..”The day began like any other day until…….”
MORE ON TUESDAY
It’s time to get to work so I’ll wish you all a great day of writing AND reading. I greatly appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope you all know that.
Join me Monday, Wednesday and Friday on my other blog, “A Moment With Bill.” You can find it here.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
I am so trying Bill to read ore. I do read blogs daily, but I am trying to add back in even a 1/2 hour of reading books after the girls go to bed. Also, huge congrats to Ruchira again and so happy for her!! Enjoy the day now as always!! 🙂
Thanks Janine. You have your hands full and I’m sure reading at night when you are dead tired is hard…good luck, Janine, and thank you!
Bill, I knew you were talking about Jon Morrow before I even clicked on the link. I follow his blog also and now follow him on Twitter. I currently subscribe to 11 writers sites in order to get advice from those who have made it in our field. The writing market is so different from what it was in the 80s. If you weren’t raised with computers or you training was before the internet, chances are slim you will make it as a writer today unless you soak up all the information available. There are many gracious writers out there, such as yourself, you offer their knowledge free of charge. Right now, absorbing and learning is where I stand in the evolution of my career as a writer. Without taking that step, I might as well hang it up and I’m not willing to do that.
That’s why I mentioned you, Sha! You are the Energizer Bunny of writers, always doing something new and always trying to learn. Good on you my friend. 🙂
Bill, I’m working on adding a Resources page to my site. I will include the writers sites I subscribe to and the blogs I visit on regular basis (you’re on both lists). It’s only fair to share what I’ve learned. Who knows, maybe one day with diligence, I can become as financially sound as Jon Morrow!
BTW, pumpkin pie absolutely must be slathered in whipped cream! Yum…
Sha, here is to us both finding success. God knows we have worked hard enough for it. 🙂 Now, pass the pumpkin pie, please. 🙂
Your title made me hungry. Then after reading the blog I wanted to read and I have already put in a couple hours of reading already (I’m studying psychology theory this term.) Now I’ve got to get on with writing! Have a great day, Bill!
Cygnet, thank you and I hope you have a great day as well. I should have never mentioned pumpkin pie; now I’m hungry too. LOL
Hola Bill! JKRowling ought to know, eh? Ohhhhh, if only the entire world would read an hour a day! HALF even! what a much more amazing world it could be!
I’m not sure about every ‘how to’ article on writing. I feel that too much can be well – too much and begin to squash one’s natural style..
When one’s style is slightly different from the prescribed – it STANDS out to me, ya know?
ya know!
love/hugs/sharexx
Yes, I agree with you Leslie. I have several how to books on writing and I don’t read them all…I take what I need and toss out the rest…and nothing is ever going to change who I am as a writer….and it shouldn’t change you, either.
Aloha my friend
bill with hugs and love thrown in
Dear Bill,
Like Sha, I was thinking ” JM”… Us gals listened to a webinar and he is a fellow we went from 0 to 360…as in, he is cool now.
There is an adage that we learn a little something from everyone.
But I learn a lot of somethings from you…I may be late but I am well intentioned. Great to see Ruchira has published…thanks for sharing that as well. Love, Maria
Maria, you are never late to my party and you are always welcome.
love,
bill
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~Stephen King
Jon, that is as good advice as one will ever hear. Thanks for the reminder.