Tag Archives: freelance writer

Are You A Writer Who Believes In Community?

21 Feb

003Happy Friday! I’m all messed up this week having forgotten to write a blog yesterday, so forgive me for my transgressions.  Sheez, it sounded like the old days making confessions to Father Donley.  Arggh, what a horrible memory! LOL

Today let’s talk about sharing ideas, but first a quote.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing.”

Billy Graham

 

 

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would quote Billy Graham. J  Live long enough and anything can happen.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

I have never believed that my writing friends are my competition.  What a silly concept.  My writing friends are my friends, and as such I share ideas with them.  If I need a cup of sugar I go next door; if I need a writing idea, I read other articles written by writers who I trust.  Pretty simple really.  There are hundreds of millions of readers out there, more than enough to go around for the few million writers.  You are not my competition; you are my support system.  If I can be of any help to you then simply ask and I’ll do what I can, but be warned that I expect the same from  you.  I hang with the winners, and those who do not want to share don’t need to hang in my writing neighborhood.

TIP OF THE DAY

Share with others your thoughts on writing. If you have found something that works then let others know. We are a community. We are the only ones who know how hard it is to be a writer.  Embrace that fact and use it.

Having said all that, I want to invite any of you who want to do a guest posting on this blog. All I ask is that it is related to writing and writing tips.  Tell us what is working for you; tell us what is not working for you.  Your posting can be as long as you want; just send it to me at holland1145@yahoo.com on a Word doc and I’ll share it in my blog with links to your website or other site.  Okay? Okay!

THANKS OF THE DAY

Thank you for your feedback about this blog. I’ll keep writing it since so many of you told me it is helpful to you….but feel free to do a guest blog so I don’t have to write so much. LOL

PROMPT OF THE DAY

074

Use it…don’t use it…this picture is here to help shake loose some ideas for you.

WRITER OF THE DAY

I want to give a shout out to Carb Diva on HubPages.  She was telling me her views are way down and so I thought I would introduce you to her. She writers recipes, and as you know I am, at times, a little hard on recipe writers….but this lady I like because she writes interesting introductions to her articles and actually shows a desire to make her work interesting.  You can find her here.

AND THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK

Have a great weekend! Give some thought to my guest blogging offer, and thank you so much for being here.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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Prioritize Your Writing Time

6 Feb

003And welcome back y’all!  Hope you are ready for a productive day.  Let’s hit it hard today and then we have the weekend to rest up.  Remember that it is alright to take a break from writing; in fact, it is recommended.

Let’s talk about prioritizing today, a subject I’m pretty sure most writers can sink their teeth into.  First a quote and then my ramblings.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Stephen Covey

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

We are now into the first week of February.  In early writings I suggested you sit down at the first of the year and re-evaluate where you are regarding your platform and priorities.  Did you do that?

Here’s the thing:  those of us who write full-time, or have visions of writing full-time and making money at it, try to do everything at once.  We take on a full plate and then eventually kick ourselves in the butt because we are doing a half-assed job at everything.  We feel the pressure of money; we feel the pressure of time; and all that pressure makes us try to do more and more and more….and we end up doing less in terms of quality.

If you have not done so, sit down and write a list of your writing priorities.  What is most important? What is next?  Work down the list and schedule your time with that list in mind.  You cannot do everything on that list a little bit at a time; that is watering down the attention you give to each item and that is doing a disservice to yourself.

Remember that writing is a long-term gig.  You build your platform one brick at a time, no matter how long it takes to do so.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

slippers 001

Have fun with it; let your mind roam. Think of the five senses….and then write.

CONTEST OF THE DAY

The Nelligan Prize For Short Fiction is taking submissions now with a deadline of March 15th.  Entry fee is seventeen dollars and entries must be less than fifty pages.  You can find the details here.

WRITER OF THE DAY

I don’t run across too many high school kids on HubPages but I recently discovered one and I want to support her as much as possible.  Yes, I am a former teacher, so my heart is with the youngsters who have a passion for writing. Her name is greeneyedblondie and you can find her here.

AND THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK

I will see you again next Tuesday.  Remember, priorities and rest…those are your two main goals in the next couple of days.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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A Writer’s Responsibility To Community

4 Feb

003And a very Happy Tuesday to you all. I hope you all had as good a weekend as I had….my favorite football team is now World Champion!  My goodness, it certainly has been a boost for the community here in the Pacific Northwest.  People cheering with each other, high-fives with complete strangers, smiles on the faces of those you pass, team jerseys and colors everywhere…..and that is what I want to talk about today….community.

But first a quote…..

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”
Cesar Chavez

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

I have pounded this point before and I will continue to pound it.  I do not do this for me….I have had more than enough support in the last three years. Other writers have written articles about me, shared my work and bent over backwards to sing my praises…and I am eternally grateful for it.  My platform is strong and I am finding a modicum of success with more to come.

No, I am discussing this again because there are writers out there who need support and need a kind word.  If anyone should understand that it should be other writers.  We need to support each other.  Every one of you who is reading this has a blog….you all write articles….I am calling on you to support some other writer who may need a shoulder to lean on.  One kind word from you might be all the encouragement that writer needs to carry on.  Please give it some thought and give back to this writing community.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

Mt. Rainier May 12, 2012 026

Yes I love prompts and from your feedback I know you do as well…so here is a picture that hopefully will jog something loose in your brains and make it to the paper.

WRITER OF THE DAY

I would like to introduce you to my friend Victoria.  When she isn’t doing recipes she can churn out a very good article.  One such article can be found here.  Please give her your support.

THAT’S ALL I HAVE TIME FOR TODAY

Thank you for the visit and support.  I hope your writing flows smoothly today and always.  I will see you back here on Thursday with more odds and ends about writing.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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There Is No Substitute For Hard Work In Writing

24 Dec

003Merry Christmas Eve!  Thanks for spending a few moments of this special week with me.  What shall we talk about today? How about the subject of hard work?

First a quote to get us started.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.”
Thomas A. Edison

And that is a classic quote!

Writing is tough work.  Succeeding in writing is Herculean hard work.

I don’t know how you define success in writing, but for me, the gap between where I am and where I want to be is filled with hard work.  There are no short cuts in this business.  Whether you want to be a successful blogger or a world famous author, hard work is the key.

We read about famous authors and we see the fame and success that accompany that fame, and it is easy to forget the dues that had to be paid in order for that fame to become a reality.  I have no idea how many hours in the past three years I have spent writing and working on my craft.  Literally thousands of hours would be my guess, and at this point in my career I have very little to show for it…but…I have more to show for it today than I did last year, and next year at this time I will have more still, and it will happen, and did happen, because of hard work.

If you want short cuts then get a map from Google. If you want success then work.

BOOK OF THE DAY

The Writer’s Digest just released a new book and you can find it here.  It is called the Complete Guide To Article Writing and I have the feeling it is a good one.  Check it out.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

Rusty Cock Ridge and our garden 059

You know the drill. What do you see? How does this picture affect your five senses? Are you inspired?

CONTEST OF THE DAY

The Gertrude Stein Award In Fiction contest is taking submissions now. They are looking for eclectic short stories, 8,000 words or less. They are looking for oddball. They are looking for something a little left of normal. Check them out here.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Tis the season of giving, so how about giving some support to a fellow writer?  One supportive note from you might mean the difference in the life of a struggling writer.  What say you? Can you give that much today?

SALUTATION OF THE DAY

Merry Christmas to you all, or Happy Holidays if you prefer.  Whatever floats your boat, I hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends in the upcoming days. Thank you for your support.  My peers and friends mean the world to me.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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A Writer Has To Write….Duh!

17 Dec

003How was your weekend?  Mine was relaxing for sure, exactly what the doctor ordered.  About six months ago I made the decision to take weekends off from writing and it was the best decision I have made in a very long time.  I come back on Mondays primed and ready, smoke curling out of my ears.

Today I’d like to talk a bit about how to write. I just did a Google search with that phrase, how to write, and found 1,350,000,000 results….that’s quite a few.  It seems there are a few people out there who want to know how to write….but the answer seems so simple to me…..you just sit down at a computer and write.

Listen, I was a teacher in another life, and I’m a stickler for good writing for sure…but….if someone has the passion to write, the first thing they need to do is write.  Don’t worry about grammar….don’t look for inspiration….just write.

I have published over 100 articles on how to improve at writing, so obviously I feel strongly about the art of writing, but at the end of the day, a writer or a writer-wannabe has to simply write.  It is the only way to improve.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around. I’ll probably be writing when the Lord says, ‘Maya, Maya Angelou, it’s time.’”
Maya Angelou

Now those words were written by a true writer.  When they bury me I want them to bury my laptop with me in case I think of something to write about on the way to my next life. J

WRITER OF THE DAY

Stop by and see my friend Greg in Puerto Rico….and learn about writing from his blog.  You can find him here.

CONTEST OF THE DAY

1,000 Prompts, 1,000 Dollars Writing Contest; no entry fee but the deadline is December 22nd, so hurry up. Open to U.S. and U.K. writers.  You choose from 1,000 prompts and write the beginning of a story based on that prompt. This really is a cool contest so check it out.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

odds and ends in Feb 2012 007

It seemed appropriate that I do the prompt right after that contest announcement. J

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

I’m going to do an article about this subject next week, but I wanted to briefly touch on it now.

Everybody has an opinion, and it is true with writers for sure.  Ask a question on a forum and count the seconds before you are inundated with answers, most of which are reasonable and sincere.  Ask a question on Facebook and then get out of the way so you don’t get run over by the avalanche of answers….still….those answers are, for the most part, simply opinions.

There once was a time, before computers, when people sought advice from experts and not simply people with opinions.  There is no reason to change that approach today.  Check the qualifications of the person giving advice before you accept their word as gospel.  Simply because they are on a writing website does not make them an expert.  Simply because they have published an ebook does not make them an expert. Simply because they have a blog does not make them an expert.  I want you all to succeed, and I sure don’t want you snowed by someone who really hasn’t proven themselves in the real world of writing.

MORE ON THURSDAY

Time to wrap it up for the day. Thanks for the visit. You are greatly appreciated.  Remember, if you need an editor I’m always available.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

 

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A Reason For Writers To Be Thankful

26 Nov

003Happy Tuesday to you all, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.

And that happens to be the subject of today’s blog.  With a short week I’m not sure how many blogs I’ll be doing, so I thought I better get the thanks out of the way now….well, not out of the way but….well, you know.

How was that for an awkward sentence from a supposedly professional writer?  LOL

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”
Tecumseh

Wise man that Tecumseh!

For those of you who are writers, and I’m pretty sure you all are, consider this:  we are incredibly blessed to be doing what we are doing.

My dad worked in a sand & gravel pit for twenty years and died when he was forty-nine.  I know people who have worked in coal mines. My grandparents worked 120 acres of corn in Iowa.  You want to talk about hard work?

And then there is me.  I get to write for a living.  I get to create sentences and phrases and paragraphs, and then I get to send them out to the world in a continual legacy.  Long after I am physically dead my writing will live on, and my words will provide comfort or information or inspiration for thousands of people in future generations.

How cool is that?

TIP OF THE DAY

Find the passion in your writing. Writing should be all about passion. It should be all about the love of the written word.  It should be an extension of who we are as human beings.  It is communication and exclamation, exhalation and exultation.  Again, how cool is that?

THANKS OF THE DAY

Thanks to all of you.  It has been popular this month for writers to list all the things they are thankful for. I don’t have a list in me. I am thankful for life and since you are a part of that life then you are included.

This life is a gift.  If one treats it as anything less than a gift then one needs a serious reality check.

You are all an extension of my writing. Through knowing you all my writing has grown with brilliant hues and dazzling textures, and that is a gift as well for which I am grateful.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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Using History In Our Fiction

21 Nov

odds and ends in Feb 2012 007And here we are; another Thursday is upon us and that means another lesson or two about writing.

Since I am writing a novel right now that incorporates a lot of history, I thought we would talk about historical fiction and a writer’s freedom regarding history.

First a quote to get us started.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.”
Mark Twain

I’m sure that applies in some way.  LOL

When writing historical fiction, the key word to pay attention to is fiction.  Our primary goal is to tell a good story.  There mere fact that our novel or story is fiction means we have some freedom with facts.  Yes, we can stay true to actual events that happened, but we have great room to stretch out in and move about in when writing our story.

I have no problem at all saying that I met Bill Gates in my novel.  I’m sure Mr. Gates won’t mind, and I in no way am altering the “truth” about history when I do that.  Considering the fact that much of written history is subjectively written leaves me feeling fine with my creative license.

Again, and I can’t stress this enough, our number one goal when writing fiction is to tell a great story.  Keep that in mind while you write and don’t shackle yourself with concerns over the “truth” about history.

TIP OF THE DAY

Remember that there is a huge difference between fiction and fantasy; this is a point worth considering if you write historical fiction.  My goal in historical fiction is not to change history; my goal is to use history as a backdrop for my story.

If you are writing fantasy then considerations about factual history can be tossed aside; not so with historical fiction.  I research before I write about an event in my novel. I want to stay true to actual events that happened.  It is a distinction worth noting and remembering.

BOOK OF THE DAY

If you are a Civil War buff then pick up a book by Bruce Catton.  He won a Pulitzer for his historical fiction about that war and he is a master at that genre…or he was…he’s dead. J

SITE OF THE DAY

I thought I would share a blog from another friend of mine today.  Her name is Bobbi and she has a “favorite recipe” blog that is quite interesting.  Here it is.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

What do you see? How does it make you feel? Remember when we are writing that feelings are a strong appeal for readers.  Tap into their feelings and you will have a follower for life.

A SHORT ONE TODAY

How are you doing with your novel?  Making progress?  I can tell you my process if that is any help.  I basically write the bare bones of my novel on the first writing. When that is done I go back and fill in. I expand on character descriptions and scenes, and I also fill in with lengthier pontifications about points I feel are important.

I do this because I don’t like interrupting the flow of the story on that first write.  Once the entire story is told, then I don’t have to worry so much about the rhythm of the story while I backfill areas that need more attention.

I hope that helps. Have a great day y’all and I’ll be back with more tips next Tuesday.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

 

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Raising The Yardstick Of Quality

19 Nov

003And thank you for returning to the show that never ends….well, okay, it will end when I’m old and feeble and unable to peck away at these keys, but you get the point.

So, today’s subject is……drum roll…..quality over quantity!

Much has been written about NaNoWriMo as November is Write A Book Month, and in truth I applaud this movement for encouraging writers to get started on that novel that has been sitting in the cobwebs of their brain for so long….but…..

Writing a novel in a month is certainly possible as many have done it.  Writing a quality novel in a month is a different story altogether….pun intended.

A book should not be rushed.  Great writers will struggle for days over the perfect sentence.  Imagine how long a good writer will struggle over 100,000 words.

I encourage everyone who thinks they have a book in them to write that book; I also encourage all of you to make that book the best damn book possible.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
Steve Jobs

There I go being a writing snob again, but at least Steve Jobs agreed with me.

I don’t care if you are writing a book, writing articles on HubPages or writing daily blogs.  Be a yardstick of quality.  The world has enough mediocre already; please raise the yardstick for others to follow.

SITE OF THE DAY

In my continued effort to give some much needed praise to poets, here is another site of a friend who dabbles seriously in poetry.  Say hello to Audrey and her “Alive And Well” blog featuring her original poetry. You can find it here.

CONTEST OF THE DAY

Café Writers Open Poetry Competition.  Deadline is the end of November. Find it here.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

021

It’s been rainy outside here in Olympia and the wimp in me has prevented me from going out and taking new pictures. Here is an old one that might prompt you to write something of quality.

TIP OF THE DAY

If you are considering publishing a book, make sure you have someone else edit it.  Yes, it costs money to have a professional editor do the job, but that money spent will pay back dividends in the long run.  How much for an editor?  Depends on the size of your book; you can pay upwards of $1,000 or more.  If you follow this blog I will do it for less.  Get in touch with me if that is something you would be interested in.

MORE THURSDAY

Best wishes on your writing endeavors the rest of the week.  Remember, whatever you are working on, make it the best it can be.  The world needs more quality.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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An Appreciation For Poetry and the Love of Writing

14 Nov

003And a very Happy Thursday to you all.  Shall we begin?

I greatly admire poets and let me tell you why.  While so many of us scramble to rack up as many views as we can, and earn our passive income on HubPages and other sites, poets just write for the passion of writing.  They have very little hope of garnering tons of views; they have very little hope of making passive income; and they have very little hope of having their poems published, or at least less hope than writers who chase after other genres.

Still they write.   They write for the love of writing.  They write because poetry is in their hearts and souls.  I admire that. I truly wish I had the poet gene in me because beautiful poetry is soothing and peaceful and Lordy, does this world ever need more soothing and peaceful.

Let me share a quote with you and then I’ll get to the whole point of this seemingly aimless rambling of mine.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.”
T. S. Eliot

LOL….I love that quote.  I guess I must be missing the personality and emotions necessary to write poetry.

Now on to my point.  It saddens me at times that so many writers spend so much effort and time trying to find ways to make money.  I have been in contact with some who are constantly stressing over the lack of money, and they scramble to find new ways to generate an income from writing…..but…..what falls by the wayside in that quest is writing just for the sake of writing.

Don’t ever let that happen.  We are writers because we love the art of writing. Never lose sight of that fact because once the love is gone this just becomes another job….and that would be sad.

SITE OF THE DAY

My friend Christy has a blog called Poetic Parfait and I invite you to take a look at it.  You can find it here.  Christy is one of those poets I spoke about earlier, and if you want to partake in a bit of beauty this morning, give her a visit.  Besides, she is just good people. J

CONTEST OF THE DAY

The Charles Causley Poetry Competition is currently taking submissions. This is a renowned international poetry competition so check it out here.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

IMG_0155

Sing “Tommy” while you look at this picture…see me, feel me, touch me….ooooooh, I’m getting turned on. LOL

TIP OF THE DAY

So you want to be a poet, eh?  Remember the five senses.  Use them in descriptions….us similes…use metaphors….as John Lennon was fond of saying, “turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.”

MORE WHENEVER

Well, that’s a bit vague, isn’t it?  I’ll be back with more tips on this blog next Tuesday. Of course, if it is writing tips you want then it is writing tips you will get three times a week on my HubPages site.  Stop by, say hi and get high on the art of writing.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

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Taking Chances As A Writer

7 Nov

003Welcome back and Happy Thursday my friends! What shall we talk about today?  I know…how about taking chances?

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I believe in taking chances and living your life. Sometimes doors open and others close and you have to figure out which one you’re going to take. I’m always for the one that’s challenging.”
Gisele Bundchen

Rarely does a day go by when I am not approached by someone who says their writing career is going nowhere and they don’t know what to do about it.  Well I know the one thing you shouldn’t do and that is to remain stagnant.

What is the worst thing that can happen if a new idea does not work out?  It fails!  Oh well!  We will never know if a new approach will work unless we work it.

This new online world is a learning ground for us all.  Half the time I don’t have a clue what I am doing, but I keep doing something in hopes that I’ll hit the mother lode and find success.  I keep trying new angles. My new Exploring the Back Roads series is an example.  Who knows if a collaborative effort of travel articles will help or not? I certainly don’t know, but there is only one way to find out and that is do it.

One of my best writing buddies is Mike Pugh, or Cloud Explorer online.  Mike is constantly trying new things. His latest gig is Bubblews, but he has spent countless hours making videos for YouTube with limited success.  Next month who knows what he will try, but I guarantee you he will try something.  Mike doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him, and he will always have my respect because of it.

That leads me to my two tips of the day.

TIP OF THE DAY #1

Improve your writing skills.  This is a broad-ranging tip but one I don’t think enough writers pay attention to.  You can have the greatest marketing idea in the world, but if you are a terrible writer people will leave you in droves.

TIP OF THE DAY #2

If you have writing skills then find a unique way to package those skills.  Don’t be part of the flock that includes hundreds of thousands of other writers; find your own path and make it work.  If you write recipes then find a new angle; if you write travel articles do the same.  Find a way to showcase your unique qualities as a writer, and if you fail then try something else.

SITE OF THE DAY

My friend Suzette has a lovely blog that certainly does not get enough visitors.  Here it is for your reading enjoyment.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

Yellowstone 2009 167

Inspired by this? Then write about it. J

MONEY SITE OF THE DAY

Writer’s Weekly is looking for new articles. They pay $60 per 600 word article, and lately they are looking for “success” stories.  Check them out here.

MORE NEXT WEEK

I want you inspired.  I want you to spread those wings and prepare for lift off. I don’t want to hear about the challenges; I want to hear about your solutions.  What are you going to do to find success with your writing?

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

 

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