I wrote my first book when I was 8 (Glasses for Shelly…really it should be a children’s bestseller, but my illustrations need some help), and from that moment on writing has held a special place in my heart. I’ve been a writer for 21 years, and I have loved every minute of it. I like doing it, I like to think I am somewhat good at it, and someday I want to be a writer full time. I’m still working on this goal. Sometimes it goes well. Other times I feel like I’m just spinning my tires.

When those rough times hit, it is very tempting to just give up. I think about just walking away and forcing myself to be content with my regular 8-5 job. Then I remember I gave up once before. I wasn’t nearly as established as I am now, but I decided to just focus on my career in the education sector and move on. That only lasted a few years. Soon I was ready to resurrect my writing career from the ashes.

I took that plunge about two and a half years ago. After being discourage, distracted and nearly derailed by an abusive relationship, I was able to get my freelance and novel writing career back on track. Things have been progressing nicely, but it has been slow coming. Really, I had made a good deal of progress considering I was working full time, teaching part time, beginning to work for my friend’s karaoke business on top of my writing career.

This past summer, I did not teach evening classes. This opened up my schedule quite a bit, and I was able to use that time for my career. By mid summer I had many paid gigs and networking and exposure gigs. My book sales were starting to pick up. Plus I had just landed my first webmaster gig, and it was looking like I had another one on deck. Things were looking up, but now I had a decision to make. Did I want to start teaching again? I debated it through most of July, and I still didn’t have a clue. I love being in the classroom, but going back meant putting my writing back on hold. If I didn’t teach, I had to make sure to have enough paying gigs to make up for the income.

In late July, my writing work slowed. I had spent so much time working a my new website job, I had hardly any time to focus on paid work . I didn’t want to close the door on that part of my life. Plus, if things didn’t start picking up again, I could really be shooting myself in the foot. Yes, my writing career is doing well, but was I good enough to make it work? My friends don’t really get what I do, or how much I have to work to keep it all going. Going to them for advice wasn’t my best plan. I was starting to think maybe I should just keep my writing as some hobby and stick to the “real” jobs.

I was just about to send off the e-mail to my program chair, when another e-mail came through. It was from one of the websites I write a monthly editorial for. The editorial is about moving on after an abusive relationship. I love writing it because it is therapeutic for me, and really I hope that someone reads it and realizes they aren’t alone. It gets a decent amount of traffic, but until today I had only received comments or feedback from my friends. The e-mail notified me I had a new comment on my site, so I went to the page to check it out.

The comment was from a woman who recently escaped from an abusive relationship. She was having a really bad day, so she was searching the internet for something to affirm her decision to leave her abuser. That is when she ran across my editorial. My words struck a chord with her. She was able to gain sight from my lessons learned. She thanked me for my editorial and encouraged me to keep writing.

I know it is just one compliment from a stranger. I know she has not read any of my other work, and she really isn’t a good judge of my career. However, she encouraged me. Sometimes we just need someone to believe in us AND tell us they believe in us. I needed to hear that. This stranger thanked me for making a difference in her life, but she will never know the difference she made in mine.

I did send an email to my program chair. Instead of asking for an assignment, I asked to make an appointment. I want to take one more semester off, but I don’t want to close the door on my teaching completely. Hopefully, I will have a better sense of what the future holds by the end of Fall Term.

Remember, use your words wisely. You never know who is listening and how it will impact his or her life.

What’s so tragic is that she’s incredibly talented. She’s written a thriller that, I thought, rivaled and even exceeded some of the brand-name authors you can pick up at your local bookstore. So what happened? There were several reasons why she came to her decision, but the last time she came to our group, she boiled it down to, “I haven’t written anything in weeks and I don’t really feel guilty about it.”

The more I see and read, I’ve come to think that a great writing career doesn’t necessarily go to those with the most talent. A quote by Sophia Loren bears this out. She once said, “Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent.”

It’s sad to say, but I’ve known others, just as talented as my friend or any other published writer, who have quit. It’s easy to understand why. There is only so much rejection a person can take and writing demands lot of time that can be spent on more worthwhile or productive pursuits such as spending time with your family. And just because a person has spent hours composing something doesn’t mean she has something pretty to show for it. With writing the work is never done. I look at things I’ve written in the past and wince because I think, “Man, I could have written that so much better.” Or “Damn, I used the word media, the plural, when I meant medium, the singular.”

There is a part of me that thinks it would be really great to be a house painter or a cake decorator. With those jobs you see the results of your work and have something beautiful to show for it at the end. And if you’ve done a lousy job, it’s readily apparent. A page full of weak verbs, a plot that doesn’t go anywhere, and insipid characters are harder to spot.

 I really hope my friend, after taking some time off, comes back. Some people need to take a break and reevaluate things. About every two or three months I’ll get in a funk, which is usually spurred  by a rejection letter, trouble with plotting, or unclear character goal and motivation, and I’ll ask the heavens, “What the hell am I doing this for?” Usually the frustration is short lived and I always come back. In my case, what else would I do? I wouldn’t truly be satisfied doing anything else.

That sounds really negative, doesn’t it? It wasn’t all bad. I’m just let down. In my previous post, I wrote with excitement about going to Austin to the Agents and Editors Conference. The trip really was worthwhile. I met some interesting (in a good way) writers and even made a couple of friends.

So what was it that brought me down? The keynote speaker at the luncheon, Sara Nelson, Editor-in-Chief of Publishers Weekly, also wrote a memoir called “So Many Books, So Little Time.” At the beginning of her speech, Ms. Nelson promised to bust some myths about the publishing industry. There was one myth she didn’t really need to bust for the majority of us. She said aloud that only 1% of all books submitted to publishing houses become published. Most writers know this but saying it out loud is enough to drain anyone of hope. Ms. Nelson went on to say that even though she had connections in the publishing business, as well as a mother who would do anything to promote her daughter’s book, her book sold well, several thousand copies, but it still wasn’t a runaway blockbuster hit. And she made okay money from it but not a huge amount.

A pall settled over the tables. I don’t think we were truly prepared for someone to tell us the God’s honest truth. I’ve been to other conferences where keynote speakers gave more of an, “If I did it, you can do it” speech. A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing brand name author Debbie Macomber speak. Ms. Macomber told us that she once had a contest judge read her anonymous entry in front of people as an example of someone who should never, ever write again. Macomber recounted how she didn’t let that one person’s comment stop her. She kept at it, writing and rewriting, all while staying at home raising six children, until one day Simon and Schuster called and wanted to publish her book.

At the A&EC, I guess I wanted hear a fairy tale. That all it will take is for me to publish my book and sell thousands of them is to believe in myself and all my dreams will come true. As I talked to people afterward, most seemed to be asking themselves, “Why the hell am I busting my ass writing? Am I stupid for doing this?” However, I did meet a pragmatic lesbian couple who saw it differently. “Well, the lady told the truth. If you’re getting into something, don’t you want to know what you’re getting in to?” I admit, they had a point.

After the luncheon, I underwhelmed my appointed agent with my pitch. I gave a snappy, five sentence sales job, delivered with a lot of enthusiasm. “Ms. X, I wrote a light-hearted women’s fiction book about….” She stopped me and said, “No one reads chick lit anymore.” (For those of you who may not be aware, according to publishers in the know, the term “chick lit” is as dead as Latin.) To which I replied with a smile, “Well, that’s why I wrote a light-hearted women’s fiction book.” However, she did ask to see my first fifty pages so I really can’t complain. I compared notes with another writer who pitched to the same lady and heard the exact same thing she had told me. But when my friend pitched to a different agent with the same schpiel, that one was very enthusiastic and had the opposite reaction.

On Sunday, everyone seemed morose. Subdued. For many of the three hundred attendees, this conference was their first ever. They were new writers who thought this would be a good place to start and give them direction. Some were authors who had poured their hearts and souls into ONE self-published book and hadn’t written a sentence since. Of course, no one would be cruel enough to tell those people that they really didn’t have much of a chance of getting an agent or becoming published if all they’ve written is one book. It takes years of writing and tons of rejection to become a better, worthy writer.

I think all of us left the hotel reevaluating what we want and how serious we are about writing.
I don’t mean to harsh everyone’s mellow so I’ll end this post with something positive I heard an agent say. “There will always be readers. There will always be writers. And there will always be agents.”

I’m excited about the conference. It’s always a great opportunity to meet and talk to other writers. I’m also a little nervous about it, too. I’ve worked on my pitch and have it memorized. The meeting with my first-pick agent is set. Now I just have to show boundless enthusiasm and sell it.

On the whole, writers prefer a solitary existence to social one and having to network or sell and promote their work is something that most disdain. I fall somewhere in between. Being social is something I have to push myself to do. Then again, I don’t like spending so much time by myself, either. That’s why conferences are a wonderful thing. The majority of the attendees are in the same position you’re in and they understand where you’re coming from.

I’ll fly home afterwards (I’m glad I locked my flight in back in the spring.) and pack for my family’s vacation. We’re not having a “staycation” as the media is reporting many people doing this year, but we’re not going very far, either. We’re heading next door to New Mexico and we all can use the down time.

So, I could’ve written about Michelle Obama’s appearance on ‘The View’ or the cyclists in Manchester, England who wanted to call attention to global warming by bicycling in the nude, yet called their trip short because of unseasonably cold weather. However, my weary, attention-deficient mind won’t let me. Right now, I’m experiencing that mental haziness that comes right before taking a well-deserved break. You all know what I’m talking about. Instead of writing with passion and clear thought, I keep thinking about my list of things that need to be done before I leave.

I also try to be an involved parent and as a freelancer, I’m blessed with having a flexible schedule which makes me available for school festivities. When I do venture out of my office and go to these activities, it sometimes puts me in contact with other moms and that’s when I get an education and realize just how isolated and out of step I am with normal moms.

Now, before I give you the impression that I’m a recluse loser who is completely, socially inept, I proudly tell you that I do have a few friends outside of my critique group. These girlfriends are other moms who know me, know what I do, and lovingly accept me for who I am. They are willing to put up with my persistent questions about everything and overlook my cock-eyed views and penchant for stating the obvious, sometimes without care or tact.

Recently, I was at an informal, get-to-know you meeting at a beautiful home with a group of other moms from my son’s school. At this get-together, I stood in a circle with women who talked incessantly of re-painting, re-furnishing, re-wallpapering or otherwise re-doing their houses. The whole time I was thinking that I just can’t fathom why someone would put themselves through such torture. Don’t get me wrong. I envy women who have the decorating knack. I’m jealous of women who do such things. But I simply don’t have the patience, taste or inclination for that particular area of “normal mom stuff.”

For example, I once told another writer friend of mind that if I had the money, I’d replicate every room in my house to look like photo layouts from a Pottery Barn catalog. The paint, the furniture, the knick-knacks, everything. And I would just leave it like that. My friend replied, “Oh my God, me too!” That was when I knew we were kindred spirits.

While the women at this party were standing around, talking about decorating, I listened politely and nodded my head, trying to be agreeable and fit in since I didn’t have anything to add to the subject. However, when the conversation changed to something about the news or politics, or some story that was buried on page eight of the local newspaper, I was all over it and got excited that I could actually contribute to what was being said.

At that point, the moms asked me what I do and I told them I write. There was a time in my career when saying that made me feel shameful for not having a “real job”. Guilt would plague me and I felt dirty, almost like I just admitted that I cook up meth in my kitchen or do drugs. However, as I’ve become more confident, I just throw “I’m a writer” out there and deal with the consequences. In the past, some moms acted condescending and have said something like, “OOOOhhh. A writer.” Other times, moms have told me, “You know, I’d like to write a book.” And they say this in an offhanded way that lets me know they don’t know anything about writing. But occasionally, I find that one mom whose reaction is, “That’s really cool.” And that is the person I know I can call a friend.

Don't write what is obvious.

Eliminate all redundant words and phrases.

Your readers will still get your drift without any over-explanations.

EXAMPLE: The judge sentenced the thief to six years in jail.

BETTER: The judge sentenced the thief to six years.

EXAMPLE: The house was painted green in color.

BETTER: The house was painted green.

EXAMPLE: The whistle had too loud a sound.

BETTER: The whistle was too loud.

EXAMPLE: He was over two hundred pounds in weight.

BETTER: He was over two hundred pounds.

EXAMPLE: Each tire lasts for a predetermined number of miles when the car is driven.

BETTER: Each tire lasts for a predetermined number of miles.

You've heard it a thousand times that "passive voice" is bad and "active voice" is good.

In general, I also agree with that advice.

For example, "I wrote this e-mail" (active voice) is a much better way of stating the fact than "this e-mail was written by me".

However, as with everything else under the sun, there are exceptions to this rule as well.

Sometimes passive voice is better because it does not always make sense to identify the agent of an action.

For example, consider the sentence "The patient was transferred to the surgical service," provided as an example by Lester S. King, M.D., the esteemed former Senior Editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), in his great book Why Not Say It Clearly: A Guide to Scientific Writing (Little, Brown and Company, 1978).

"Does it really matter for us to know who exactly transferred the patient to the surgical service?" King asks.

Of course not because what we are really interested in is the kind of treatment the patient receives.

Here is the "Lester Rule": if the identity of an agent is not crucial to the meaning of a statement, then it is permissible to use passive voice construction (like I just did).

Here’s the concept, call a 1 866 number, tell the automated voice system you want to post to WordPress, and then start talking, clearly. In about two minutes it’ll show up as a post under your author name on your blog with a link for users to listen to your post. It’s that slick. Total setup time is about 15 minutes and there are some things you can do to set it up further. Don’t like texting into twitter all the time? It can update your twitter account too as well as a host of other online utilities.

Here’s a brief tutorial on how to set it up for your WordPress Blog:

- Go to http://www.jott.com and set up an account, it’s free and quick

- Enter in your info and agree to the terms of service

- Verify your email address

- Enter your phone number (you can add more numbers later)

- Call 1 866 JOTT-123 and it will activate your phone with your Jott account and start you on your first jott, to yourself.

- Go to the “Links” page in your Jott account and add WordPress

- Fill out the info for your blog and blog author and hit “Save”

- Now call 1 866 JOTT-123 and say “WordPress” when it asks you “Who do you want toJott?” Then Start your message.

Remember to speak clearly and in a place without a lot of background noise. Jott does a good job of picking out the right words but it’s a good idea to check the posts when you get back in front of the comp.

There's a ton of usage with this web utility and voice posts to WordPress blogs is just the tip of the iceberg. I'd love to hear about how you're using it.

7) Repeat after Kenny Rogers: “You got to know when to hold’em; know when to fold’em…”

Sometimes we all get stuck on a track that leads to nowhere but for some reason we keep banging our heads on the same wall.

There ARE alternatives in life, especially for writers. Remember that.

I was a newspaper reporter for four years in Washington DC. The first couple of years I thought my career was going somewhere.

During the last two years I realized, nope, it wasn’t really going to add up to anything. I was on a treadmill repeating the same old things for the same old results. No progress.

After looking around for six months, someone suggested “technical writing” – something I didn't even think before. I wasn’t even sure what tech writers exactly did. But I decided to take a calculated gamble anyways.

I gave myself six months to see what would happen. And I never looked back since. Am I glad I did not try to hold on to my “journalism cards”! I would probably be on welfare roll by now, God forbid.

So be aware of the many alternatives waiting for you out there.

If sports writing doesn’t work, perhaps you should try catalog writing. If your newspaper job is going nowhere, perhaps you should try writing a novel or try direct marketing copy.

Move sideways to move forward.

Have a web site. You have to have this one.

I have a blog for sure. Who doesn’t have one these days?

But my main web site is a non-blog type of traditional site, designed to display my “wares” to prospective clients. People who’d like to hire my services can find all kinds of pertinent information there to help them make up their minds.

One other thing I have on my web site is a Subscription Form for those who’d like to receive my free monthly newsletter (currently in its 73^rd issue) packed with useful information and tips about copywriting, information design and marketing.

You must also have a similar site to communicate with your audience, clients, editors, employers, while displaying the samples of your work.

Google offers FREE web hosting and web site building tools, for quite a few years now. I’ve actually built my web site on Google Pages. I may have to move it soon to a dedicated server but it has served me pretty well so far, since 2006. So, free server, free web space, free HTML editor – what excuse do you have not to build your web site right away, like today?

9) Join, connect, participate, collaborate. Writing is a solitary job.

We usually sit in our own cubicles and rooms, creating worlds never imagined before. But there’s also a professional side to writing; a business side.

You need to be in the know; you need to connect and communicate with your other writers, and stay in circulation to follow the trends and hear about the opportunities. Become a member of your local writing organization.

I’m a member of a pretty good writers club that regularly offer classes of all kinds. I end up taking about one class a year. But I also am a member of many on-line communities and newsletters.

I regularly exchange e-mails with selected writer friends and acquaintances whose judgments and good will I respect.

I sometimes end up collaborating with them on special projects; like the last screenplay I’m working on right now. The idea of writing it came from my co-author and after a year, we’re working on our second jointly-written script. We both know that neither of us would be able to write these scripts if we tried to do it solely on our own. So we are lucky in that respect. But we couldn’t have known anything about that luck if we did not choose to get in touch and stay in touch in the first place.

You are a precious fish in a vast ocean. Swim a little in a school of fishes and see how faster you can stream.

10) Take care of your health. I can’t emphasize this strongly enough.

Most people learn late in their careers that writing is actually an athletic event. You burn a lot of precious calories and brain cells when pounding out anything.

When we write we use a lot: proteins, vitamins, amino acids, carbon and nitrogen, and God knows what else. Eat well, fresh and organic, if possible.

Take it easy on the red meat. Go generous with fruits, green veggies, and fiber. Stay away from booze and junk since they all dull the mind and drop a curtain of haze over your clear skies.

Charles Bukowski was an alcoholic, and wrote some great poems.

Wallace Stevens was the Vice President of Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company. He was an insurance guy; a suit and a "square."

He wrote even greater poems while walking during his lunch hours to his home.

Guess who has left a deeper imprint on American Literature today?

Get your sleep well and exercise well. Get those glands and ligaments moving. Get that life juice in your veins circulating, carrying fresh oxygen and bubbling ideas to your brain. When your body is not complaining, the mind will be a more pliant servant.

Take good care and just feel how lucky you are to be a writer, bringing hope, joy and love to our troubled world!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Visit Akinci’s web site http://www.writer111.com to subscribe to his free Monthly Success Update Newsletter, packed with information and tips on copywriting, information design and marketing.

3) Know your heart and your inner voice.

WHY are you writing? Money is fine, but what else? What are your beliefs and core values? What is your Truth?

The answers to these questions do not come easy and they change over time too.

I’m for example still formulating my answers and refining them, re-configuring some of them. But the questions are smoking alive, burning while illuminating my way.

Without that inner sense of who you are, you’ll never have the courage to make the necessary investment and sacrifice. You need that to create the kind of writing that will benefit you and the world. We can talk more about this important point later if you’d like.

4) Develop your craft. It sounds basic but you’d be surprised…

I was an editor and jury member at certain points in my career and I’d regularly be surprised at some of the materials submitted for review; stuff that was not even spellchecked by God!

Know your spelling and grammar, and have the courtesy in this day and age to spell-check your stuff before submitting it to anywhere.

Learn how to develop an idea, link it to supporting arguments and bring it to a conclusion within the allowed word limits. Learn all the basic writing skills and techniques like “parallel construction” or how to avoid “dangling participles" and "misplaced modifiers” etc.

Enroll in a writing program, if necessary. Put aside some money for your professional training even if it’s just enough to buy one educational book or training CD a month.

Your knowledge is your power; your ONLY power. Feed your mind well to write well.

5) Develop a niche, an expertise, a driving point and an edge. The more the better.

But keep it real and under control. Don’t lose your wheels while trying to develop a dozen of such specialties.

You’re human. Act like one. But don’t hide your light either. The more you write on your specialty, the easier it’ll get and the richer your material will be. It’ll smell roses from a mile. People will feel your authenticity and authority the minute they start reading the first sentence.

As your expertise deepens your preparation time will shrink as well. You’ll be able to turn out well crafted and well-informed articles, speeches, books in no time. That’s what editors love – a writer who knows her stuff and can roar with an assignment like a souped-up Mustang on a speedway.

6) Guard your time jealously for your art and craft. Make choices and live with them.

Isaac Asimov hardly had a day in his life when he was not writing in his room, curtains drawn. But to him it wasn’t torture because that was the most pleasure he had in life.

I’m not saying become a monk but recognize that you’ve got only 24 hours to live.

If you keep watching your football games and soap operas and reality shows 6 hours a night, you’ll never be able to finish that novel after you come back from a full-day at the office.

It happened to me this past Sunday. A friend of mine invited me to a Film Festival, with free tickets. I’m a freak for cinema. But I told him I couldn’t go because I was in the midst of a screenplay I’m currently writing. Either I’d go out, have a “good time,” or sit at home and write another twenty pages. It’s as simple as that.

If you want to be a working writer, get accustomed to making those kind of choices at the drop of a hat, every day.

(To continue…)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Visit Akinci’s web site http://www.writer111.com to subscribe to his free Monthly Success Update Newsletter, packed with information and tips on copywriting, information design and marketing.

You know you’re not ready to tackle the literary giant right now because you are too busy gloating in your well deserved accomplishments; but you also know as a professional it is imperative to “stay sharp” and find a means to write on a daily basis. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone down to my local drug store, purchased (my favorite) $2 dollar composition books just to spend minute upon minute staring at a blank page.

Like you, I’m stuck in a rut and uncertain how in the world to get out of it. One thing I like to do—for practice especially—is find an object that otherwise might be of little significance to the casual observer and test my ability to create life by answering a few generalized questions.

For example, let’s take the image below. I found it by doing a random search for “old toys” on Google. Looking at it, it means absolutely nothing to me. It was obviously made before my time and I can’t say I have ever seen one. There is no association to my past and therefore no emotional attachment to the image. But as an artist, it is imperative that we look beyond the obvious and delve deep into the realms of our imagination and somehow create life on the canvas of our writing tablet.

When using prompts—which by the way can be anything from an image you stumble upon while surfing the web, an object found along the side of the road, something you see while looking outside your windows from work—it is important to try and apply several concepts to the writing drill. If you do this, you may be surprised to see what you come up with—a short-story, your next novel idea—or even better, a habit of writing!

Create a History
Ask yourself six questions about the object or prompt in use to help create a history. By doing this, you add depth to a potential character, setting or storyline. This is where you learn how to captivate your audience’s attention by giving them the notion [that] your fictional work flows as truly as a non-fiction piece. This is where you ask: Who, What, When, Where, Why & How.

In reference to our image prompt above, ask yourself when you begin to write: Who owned this toy? Who did it belong to? What was it doing (let’s say) in the attic, or a garage sale or the trash? When did it get there? Where did it come from? Why was it tossed out or put away for safe keeping? By asking yourself these types of questions you can begin to create a backdrop and history to your prompt and thereby begin doing what we do best—telling a good story.

Captivate the Senses or Emotions
When you write, try to focus on emotions that are common to most everyday people. What I mean is, if you wrote about love, many people might be able to relate, and just as many might understand the pains associated with losing a loved one—maybe in a break-up or divorce. If I described the taste of a lemon, I wouldn’t have to over-exaggerate on how sour it is—many of us think of the sour cringe in our jaw when we see a lemon, much less read about one. By concentrating on the emotions of everyday life, you thereby allow a broader range of readers to relate to your characters—regardless of whether they are of the same generation, age or even universe!

In reference to the image prompt above, you could say something like this:He (whoever he is) must have owned the toy when he was younger. The neighbors say they would hear him outside on Saturday mornings, mimicking the sounds of a fire truck, wearing the fireman’s hat his father gave him.

In this example above, I briefly hit on a few senses or emotions that might relate to any type of audience. Many of us may have been given something as a child—by either a mother or father—like the boy and his fireman’s hat. Also, many readers might recall their youth, when it was okay to run outside early on Saturday mornings and play, without fear of being bothered. By focusing on emotions or senses that are common to most people, you allow for a broader range of people to relate with your characters or story—maybe just long enough to turn the page…and the next page…and the next page…

Tell a Good Story
There isn’t much I can say about this—that you shouldn’t already know yourself. No matter how creative you are with your literary imagery and no matter how much you identify with your audience, ultimately they are going to wish to partake on a journey. You are eventually—whether you like it or not—going to have to tell a good story. But this shouldn’t worry you one bit! This is where you get to shine. This is where you get to stir your most creative juices up and out for the whole world to view and read and enjoy!

Some of the most powerful stories ever told were some of the most simplistic ideas—those that have been written and re-written time and time again—BUT in a different way each time. We all know the story of the underdog who obtains help from a powerful and mystical mentor, who later helps the underdog grow in their confidence and abilities, only to ultimately defeat their foe, overcome their fears and win the girl, right? Of course you do. If you’ve seen Rocky II, Star Wars, or even the Karate Kid, you have witnessed this classic storyline, told in a different way each time—told in a creative manner by the master storytellers themselves. People like you and me who took the time to tear down the walls of prejudice and bias, fear and doubt and the uncertainty of you (or I) can accomplish.

So get out there (or stay home and surf the web) and find anything to write about and create a history for it, by telling the audience where or who or what it is….associate our past with it, by captivating our senses or triggering our emotions and lastly, tell us a tale that will not soon be forgotten…

…after all…we are the heralds of our time, are we not?

Best of luck to you…and remember…I believe…because you believe.

I've been working as a professional writer for almost 20 years now.

It’s been a long haul, and fun too. I always enjoyed sitting at my keyboard and click-clicking the keys. Remember that B.B. King classic, “The Thrill Is Gone”? I never had to sing that one, knock on wood.

God knows I tried many genres and styles in the past, including academic papers, journalism, desk top publishing, screen writing, short stories, blogging, copy writing, and technical writing.

Let me tell you right away — nothing beats copy and technical writing in terms of income.

If you’re a young writer entering the field today and you want to secure yourself a steady income before you sail out to more choppy waters, I’d say go with either copy or technical writing. And that would make a good topic for another article.

But today, I’d like to share with you my Top 10 Rules of Success for a Young Writer:

1) First off, be aware that you are a part of a very noble and ancient tradition that is indispensable for our sanity, joy and survival.

If you’re apologetic about what you’re doing, if you think you’d be leading a better and more useful life as a _______ (fill in the blank), then don’t even think of becoming a writer for a single moment. It’ll do you or the ones you love no good but bring much friction, resentment and misery.

Be happy, feel privileged and empowered even when you’re not making much. This is the most important rule to become a good and successful writer.

When love and pride of the craft is there, the rest follows on its own accord.

2) Dare to write, every day. Dare to climb that wall and then fall on your face, over and over again.

Drivers drive. Pilots fly. Writers write. It’s as simple as that. “I’m a writer but I can’t write” is a contradiction in terms.

But writers do not always write “excellent” stuff. A lot of times they write rubbish. (Remember what Hemingway said about the "first draft of anything"?) But their pens keep moving and their keyboards keep clicking.

Remove the concept of “writer’s block” from your mind for once and for all. Writing every day, no matter what (a blog entry, diary, a note on a calendar, two paragraphs of a story, a dialog, letters to your local paper, a well-argued e-mail to your professor, etc.) should be your passion. Give that word to yourself and keep it.

That’s the minimum sine-qua-non condition of becoming a good writer.

(To continue…)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Visit Akinci’s web site http://www.writer111.com to subscribe to his free Monthly Success Update Newsletter, packed with information and tips on copywriting, information design and marketing.

Tip 1: Vary Your Sentence Length

One sure way to put your readers to sleep is to write with constant-length sentences. Change the length for a better copy.

SHORT SENTENCE Copy:

"Times are bad. Economy's tanking. Latest figures are not good. Government published a report. It confirms the rumors. We're in a recession."

LONG SENTENCE Copy:

"We are going through some turbulent times these days. Our economy, which is supposed to be doing well according to some indicators, is showing strains of high unemployment and the effects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The latest figures quoted in leading industry journals and publications do not instill confidence in analysts and consumers alike. The Department of Commerce has just published a White Paper citing several Wall Street observers who claimed that we are nowhere near the end of this current impasse. Whether we like to admit it or not, the facts are staring us in the face: we seem to be sliding headlong into a recession the likes of which have not been since the '30s."

Let's mash up the two styles:

BETTER Copy:

"Times are bad. Our economy, which is supposed to be doing well according to some indicators, is showing strains of high unemployment and the effects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Economy's tanking? Perhaps. The latest figures quoted in leading industry journals and publications do not instill confidence. The Department of Commerce has just published a report which confirms the worst: we're in a recession."

Tip 2: Use Parallel Construction

When you are drawing up lists or forming compound sentences with multiple clauses, maintain the same grammatical structure in all parts.

If, for example, you start a list item with an action verb, start all the other items also with action verbs to ensure maximum comprehension and retention.

Here is a good example of a list:

Before you embark on a trip, make sure you:

* make a hotel reservation;

* take your pills;

* suspend paper delivery; and

* withdraw cash from the bank.

Make, Take, Suspend, Withdraw are all verbs in imperative (order) mode. The construction is "parallel."

A bad example:

Before you embark on a trip, make sure you:

* make a hotel reservation;

* your pills should be with you;

* paper delivery must be suspended; and

* have you visited the bank to withdraw some cash?.

Items start with a verb (make), a personal pronoun (your), a noun (paper), and another verb. The construction is not parallel. Such a list is harder to follow and remember.

Her name became synonymous with the name and success of the Cosmopolitan magazine as its longtime editor. She is the author of many bestsellers, including Sex and the Single Girl.

“The Writer’s Rules: The Power of Positive Prose – How to Create It and Get It Published” is one of my favorite reference books on writing for 2 reasons:

1) Its “Fifty Rules for First-Class Writing” is really a list that all professional writers should read at least once a year. I do.

2) The insight into how to get your articles published in magazines is unmatched. If you listen to HGB, the chances are you’ll be a publishing success no matter what your chosen field of specialization and expertise is.

Since I’m not much of a magazine article publisher, for me, the main value of the book is in the 50 rules that Brown lists and explains with appropriate examples.

Here are the Top Six Rules that she says are her favorite:

Rule #4: Stay with the subject.

Rule # 7: Vary sentence structure so you don’t keep seeing the same pronoun.

Rule #12: Avoid IT or THIS or THAT to refer to a situation a few sentences back … say this or that WHAT?

Rule #18: Eliminate as many THE’s, AND’s, A’s as you can.

Rule #19: Root out THERE IS at the beginning of the sentences.

Rule #43: Kill all the clichés and tired phrases.

Where else would find a list of “Forbidden Words and Tired Phrases” by topics, like “Animals” or “Money” or “Geography”?

Here are some of Brown’s rules for those trying to see their bylines in prestigious magazines; each rule explained in detail:

1. Research the market.
2. Send a query letter.
3. Make the deal.
4. Request an assignment letter.
5. Become intimate with your subject.
6. Write it right.
7. Pay attention to the deadline.

Also recommended are the excellent chapter on the lost art of letter writing and a collection of sample resumes that you can use when querying the magazine editors.

This book contest is specifically designed for self-released fiction & non-fiction books with publication dates of January 1st, 2000. So, if you missed other contests because your title has already exceeded their required publication dates, dust off a copy and get it ready for submission. 

There will be one grand-prize winner who will spend a week at the Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony in the US Virgin Islands! And yes, you can bring a guest!!! Not only that but you will receive $1500, a flight to Atlantic City, NJ and a publicity campaign. There will also be awards for the best book author, designer and publisher of the year.There are 15 categories to enter this year but you must hurry. The postmarked deadline for this contest is April 25th. The entry fee for this contest is $50USD.

Remember, as I have said in the past—contests are a way of getting your book in the hands of readers, judges and enthusiast who are passionate about self-released titles. Not only that but winning or simply placing in one of the many contest specifically targeting independent publishers and authors, is a great way to build your books reputation.Best of luck to you this year…

and remember…

I believe…because you believe!