Should You Strive To Be A “Prolific” Writer?
by writer Patricia Thrushart The words ‘prolific’ and ‘writer’ are used together as often as ‘rough’ and ‘draft' or ‘copy’ and ‘editor.’ The assumption is that writing a lot is…
Preparing for a Literary Agent – Book in Progress, Part 5
My first couple of days of submitting to agents were exhausting and extremely frustrating. I would identify a target agent then send her (90% are women) whatever she requested. About a quarter of them came back immediately as undeliverable. Thinking, I guess, that "this agent was my only hope" I'd keep trying to find a better email address or resending it. Finally, I realized she may be out of business or posted a bad address and moved on.
Enacting the Edits: Book in Progress, Part 4
Surgeons have often been accused of being emotionally removed from the patient they're operating on, removing 'this' and 'rewiring' that. I could relate to that as I performed literary 'surgery'…
An English Teacher’s Guide for What Makes Writing “Good” and What To Do If It Isn’t
That’s why, several years into my teaching career, I laid down the Red Pen, thanks to some good advice from a colleague, and changed the way I looked at writing instruction entirely. I had to stop working for my students as their copy-editor. Neither of us wanted me to do that job in the first place. In other words, instead of tearing the writing apart, I had to focus on developing what was already there. If I was going to evaluate someone’s writing, it was just as important for me to identify strengths as it was to identify weaknesses. Maybe even more so.
Beta Readers: Book in Progress, Part 3
As my Beta reader, Jo discovered repetition, describing the same era of my career in different pieces or talking about the same aspect of the business in two pieces. She did me a huge favor in pointing out that the reader would have trouble following my stories and trying to place them in some coherent chronological order. From this came her most important suggestion-make the book a memoir, rather than a collection.
The Process: A Book in Progress, Part 2
I've always been a planner...some say to a fault. Some people have criticized me for "wasting time" planning, when I should just jump in and "git 'er done". I believe good planning is essential to success. So, rather than sitting at my keyboard banging out whatever came into my head...just to get something on paper, I brainstormed with myself.
Why You Should Stick to Your Writing Routine…Even During a Pandemic
Even for writers who write more for themselves than to have their words read by the masses, a writing routine is essential. This is because even the most dedicated of us can find ourselves lost in the shuffle of daily life — paying our bills, going to work, walking the dog, or binging the latest show on Netflix. Writing routines help us to prioritize our craft in the same way we prioritize our exercise regimen or household chores.
Book in Progress, Part 1
Joe Taylor Because much of what I write is in the first person there is often confusion about whether the voice is "me" or "the narrator". For better or worse,…
5 Tips for Finding (and Keeping) a Beta Reader
Finding the right beta reader can take some time and thought. Like any relationship, it can be complicated and there is the risk of feelings being hurt. It’s important to take the time to choose the right person and establish the right tone in moving forward. I can say from personal experience, I have benefited tremendously from my beta readers, not only their feedback, but their support in validating the work I am doing.
Collaborative Writing as a Cure for Writer’s Block
As writers, we bring our own set of experiences and perspectives to whatever we write. That’s part of what makes writing compelling. But with collaborative writing, you bring in the experiences and perspectives of several other writers as well as your own. By including more writers in the process for a single written piece, you enrich the word choice, syntax and thematic elements dramatically. Sometimes the product gets muddled with competing ideas and approaches. But more often than not, particularly if there is no ego or agenda brought to the table, the product of collaborative writing is something that astonishes the participants.