Artistry With Words

Happy Friday to you all and Happy 4^th of July!

I’m not really sure why I am posting on the 4^th.  It’s not like anyone out there would choose reading this over a barbecue but hey, it makes me feel good so why not?

Today I think we will talk about commitment.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

Mario Andretti

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Not all of you have the amount of time that I have to commit to your writing.  I’m one of the lucky ones in that I have no other real responsibilities during the day.  Oh sure, I do some housework, and I cook my share of dinners, but writing is my job, and I have no little kids to take care of or any other chores that will keep me away from my passion.

Still…..

Today I want to talk about the commitment to improve at writing.  That, I think, is a commitment anyone can make no matter how much time they have during the day to write.

Are you committed to being the best writer you can be?

If not, I simply don’t understand the point in writing.

HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY

I’ll leave you with a short one today. Enjoy your time with family and friends, and thank you so much for spending part of your holiday with me.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Happy Wednesday to you all!  What shall we talk about today?  How about submitting work to magazines?  First a quote.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.”

Norman Vincent Peale
Check it out…..”inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear.”

I know quite a few writers who are paralyzed by fear…..fear of rejection…fear of failure….fear of ridicule….whatever the case may be, they cannot leave home plate after they have hit the ball.

What does that stupid metaphor mean, you ask?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

You can be one of the greatest writers ever born, but if you don’t make adjustments and stick your neck out, you will end up being just a footnote in writing history.

That’s what it means!

TIP OF THE DAY

Submit articles to more than one magazine.  I just received a check in the mail yesterday for an article that was published in June.  Very fast payment by the way.  Anyway, the article was “A Letter to my Birth Mother Who I Never Knew.”  Now I mention that because that is the third time I have sold that article.

Can you do that, they ask?

Yes, as long as you aren’t selling exclusive rights to your article, you can sell it to as many buyers as you can find.  You may have to rewrite a part of it so it applies to the particular magazine you are pitching, but still, three sales for one article ain’t bad.  Grand total for the three sales…..$560.

You only have to do two things:  write a good article, and have the fortitude to submit it to editors.

Do you have what it takes?

OFFER OF THE DAY

Would you like to guest blog on this site for a day? As long as it is related to writing then I’m all for it.  Let me know if you are interested in the comment section.

SITE OF THE DAY

Let me introduce you to a Seattle-based literary agent, Janet Reid.  You can find her website here.  Janet rejected Resurrecting Tobias, but she did so in a professional and very helpful manner, and I greatly appreciated that.  Stop by and check her out.  She answers questions daily and will give you insight into the life of an agent and how to deal with them for success.

THAT SHOULD DO IT FOR NOW

I’ll be having a contest soon where you can win a copy of my novel, so stay tuned for information on that.

And if you haven’t done so yet, please follow this blog on my website, www.williamdhollandauthor.com so I don’t have to post this to two sites.  I would appreciate it.  You can even buy my novel there. J

Keep writing and keep enjoying it.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”